We’ve all heard the common reasons people stick with Excel: it’s easy to implement, easy to use, and, most appealingly, easy on the budget.
However, these reasons only scratch the surface of why Excel remains the go-to tool for many organizations, despite more robust software alternatives. In fact, 32.8% of respondents in our 2024 FP&A Snapshot Survey said they still relied on Excel, even when using BI tools, FP&A software, or ERP systems.
This highlights that the issue isn’t just a lack of awareness of alternatives.
The real reason for Excel’s dominance is that most organizations operate with unstructured workflows. In such environments, Excel’s flexibility is unmatched — it adapts to nearly any need. But this reliance comes at a hidden cost, which becomes clear when companies attempt to transition to more structured systems, especially SaaS solutions.
SaaS solutions promise scalability and efficiency, yet their implementation often fails, with rates as high as 60-70%. The reason? Their rigid, one-size-fits-all structure doesn’t align with the diverse and evolving needs of real-world teams.
Take sales forecasting: Each team member likely has unique methods and metrics. Forcing everyone into a rigid SaaS framework disrupts their workflow, creating resistance and frustration.
SaaS systems demand structured inputs and processes, but many businesses lack these. Implementing a new SaaS tool means asking your team to adapt to both the tool and a new process simultaneously, leading to confusion and high turnover.
Excel’s flexibility is the key reason businesses cling to it. From complex financial models to tracking projects, it can handle a wide range of tasks. However, Excel’s unstructured nature often doesn’t scale well for larger organizations or complex processes.
Moving directly from Excel to a rigid SaaS system can feel like trading one problem for another. You might get a new system, but it often requires cumbersome workarounds to meet unique business needs, limiting its usefulness and leading to frustration.
While SaaS systems may get you 60% of the way there with standardized features, the remaining 40% — your specific challenges — require customizations and adjustments. Excel, for all its limitations, fills that gap by allowing businesses to navigate non-standard scenarios and adapt quickly.
Imagine solving both issues at once: keeping the flexibility teams need while introducing the structure businesses require. This is where structured flexibility comes in.
Structured flexibility allows teams to maintain their preferred workflows while feeding data into a structured backend system. This means users can continue working in familiar ways, but the data they input remains usable, trackable, and aligned with the organization’s goals.
Instead of forcing a rigid system on teams, structured flexibility adapts to your workflow, ensuring everyone can work effectively. It’s about fitting the solution to the process — not the other way around.
It’s time to rethink how we approach business processes. Rather than choosing between the rigidity of SaaS and the flexibility of Excel, Acterys offers a smarter solution: structured flexibility.
With Acterys, you retain Excel’s freedom while gaining the scalability, consistency, and real-time reporting that structured systems provide. Why settle for a partial solution when Acterys can adapt fully to your team’s needs? Discover how Acterys can transform your workflow today.
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