Replace Excel Spreadsheets with a Proper System

Replacing business spreadsheets with a proper system

When the Spreadsheet Runs the Business

Most businesses start on Excel, and that's fine. The trouble starts when quotes, jobs, stock, rosters or approvals all live in spreadsheets that several people update. Versions get overwritten, nobody is sure which copy is right, figures are retyped into Xero or MYOB, and one person ends up as the only one who understands how it all works.

We help you replace those spreadsheets with the right system. Sometimes that's software you already pay for or an app that costs a few dollars a month, and we'll tell you when it is. When the spreadsheet is really your process, we move it into a proper system connected to your accounts, with your data cleaned up and checked on the way.

Built and supported by Kenomont: founder-led, Gold Coast based, with 20+ years building business systems, including a forestry export platform we have run since 2012.

Signs You've Outgrown Excel

One or two of these is normal. Several at once means the spreadsheets have become a business risk.

Several people update the same spreadsheet, and versions get overwritten or emailed around
Nobody is sure which copy is the right one
One person built it, and only they really understand the formulas
Figures are copied from the spreadsheet into Xero or MYOB by hand
Month-end or the weekly report waits for someone to combine several spreadsheets
There is no record of who changed what, or when
It is slow, crashes, or has hit the point where a mistake costs real money
Staff on site or on the road can’t update it

Four Ways to Replace a Spreadsheet

The right option is the cheapest one that does the job, so that's where we start.

Use what you already have

Xero, MYOB or your job system may already do what the spreadsheet does. Sometimes the answer is a better set-up, not a new system. We check this first.

An off-the-shelf app

If the spreadsheet does something standard, such as rostering, simple job scheduling or expenses, a ready-made app is usually cheaper and quicker. We will say so.

A proper system for operations

If spreadsheets run your stock, jobs, purchasing or production, an operations system such as ERPNext can take that over while Xero or MYOB keep the accounts. Learn more

A custom system built around your process

When the spreadsheet is your process and no product fits, we build a browser-based system: many people at once, usable anywhere, with a record of every change, connected to your accounting software. Learn more

How We Move You Off Spreadsheets

Nothing is switched off until the new system has been checked against the old one.

1

Find the spreadsheets that matter

We sit with the people who use them and list what each one does, who updates it and what depends on it. Most businesses have a few that matter a lot and many that don’t.

2

Choose the right home for each job

Accounting software, an existing app, an operations system or a custom build. You get a recommendation with the reasons and a fixed quote.

3

Clean and move the data

Duplicates, inconsistent names and broken formulas are fixed on the way across, and totals are checked between old and new.

4

Run old and new side by side

Your team uses the new system while the spreadsheet is still there to compare, until everyone is confident.

5

Switch over and connect

The spreadsheet is archived, and the new system is connected to Xero or MYOB so nothing is typed twice.

Spreadsheet Replacement FAQs

No. Excel is good for analysis, one-off models and quick lists. The aim is to move the work that runs the business, the spreadsheets several people update and rely on every day, into a proper system. Your team can keep using Excel for everything else.

Often, yes. If the spreadsheet does something standard, such as bookkeeping, simple job scheduling, rostering or expense claims, an off-the-shelf app or your accounting software probably does it better and costs less than custom work. We will tell you if that is the answer.

They suit simple trackers used by a small team. They get harder to manage as records, users and connections to other systems grow, and you still depend on whoever set them up. For work that runs the business and needs to connect to Xero or MYOB, a proper system is usually the better long-term answer.

No. The data is cleaned up and moved across, and the totals are checked between the old spreadsheets and the new system before you switch. The spreadsheets are kept as a read-only archive.

Yes, and it usually should. Invoices, bills, contacts and payments flow to Xero or MYOB automatically, so nobody types the same thing twice.

It depends on how many spreadsheets are involved, what they do and which option fits. We look at them first, then give you a fixed quote. The first conversation is a free initial chat.

More reading: 5 signs you've outgrown spreadsheets and what to use when Excel isn't enough. Running on an old Access database instead? See Access database replacement.

Which Spreadsheets Run Your Business?

Tell us which spreadsheets matter and where they let you down. We'll tell you honestly what to keep in Excel, what an app can handle, and what needs a proper system.

Free initial chat. No sales pressure - if we're not the right fit, we'll say so.

Prefer to talk? Call 1300 470 091

Got a spec or files? Email [email protected]

Replace Excel Spreadsheets