Your Excel lists have got out of hand

Bring your data into one place, with a simple app on top

Excel is a fine tool. You get started quickly and you don't need to have anything built. That is why a lot of work grows in a spreadsheet: the schedule, the stock, the client list, the hours. Until so many people and tabs are added that nobody can keep track any more.

Do you recognise any of these situations?

• Versions go round as attachments, and nobody knows which one is the right one.
• One colleague understands the formulas. If they are not around, nobody dares to change anything.
• The same client appears in three lists, written slightly differently each time.
• For an overview, you merge lists by hand every month.

When do you replace Excel with software?

When a better list is no longer enough. There are three steps, from small to large. Start with the smallest step that works.

1. Set up the list better

Sometimes a better layout is enough. One table per subject, fixed columns and drop-down lists, so everyone fills in the same thing. Do you work with Microsoft 365 and is the file stored in OneDrive or SharePoint? Then colleagues can work in the same file at the same time, and nobody needs to email copies any more.

2. Choose a standard package

Do you keep track of your clients or your schedule the way most businesses in your sector do? Then good software often already exists for it, such as a CRM or a SaaS package for scheduling. The vendor maintains that software.

3. One place with a custom app

Do many people work in the same data, and does no package fit the way you work? Then you put the data in a database: one place where each client or order appears once. On top of that comes a simple app with input screens for your team. With a dashboard you see the figures in one overview, without merging lists.

How I help you with this

The first conversation is free. After that, in a business analysis, I look at your lists: who fills in what, what is duplicated and what you want to get out of them. If a better list or a package is enough, I tell you so. I don't receive any commission.

If custom software is the best choice, I build bespoke software, with your current data in it. You get a proposal with a fixed price in advance, so you know where you stand. Hosting and maintenance are agreed per month in consultation. The code and your data belong to you. You can read what the price depends on in Having custom software built: what does it cost?

Frequently asked questions

Sources: Microsoft: create a drop-down list (in Dutch), Microsoft: working in Excel at the same time (in Dutch) and the Dutch Data Protection Authority (Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens, AP): security of personal data (in Dutch). Consulted on 7 October 2026.