Accept Software Resource Library

Spreadsheet Hell: When Enough is Enough

I might not be a product manager but I sure do spend a lot of time using spreadsheets. From a product perspective, we can use spreadsheets to manage a list of requirements, track owners and status, and make sure that nothing gets left out in the process. For complicated products with lots of people and technology involved, linked spreadsheets can help keep teams on the same page.

But at a certain point, the data we need to process becomes too complicated to manage with spreadsheets. Where exactly is this tipping point? Is it when multiple products are added to the mix? How about when changing company priorities and resources make it impossible to keep information up-to-date via a manual process? Have any of these factors landed you in spreadsheet hell?

Something we hear a lot from product managers is that they spend as much time managing their data as they do building products that their customers will buy. Think about how much more could be accomplished if data management for product planning could be automated and important decisions about strategy and priorities could be made based on real-time information. Access to this information not only makes product-related decision-making easier and more defensible but it also increases your chances of product success.

So, if you find yourself spending too much time managing your spreadsheet data and too little time working towards products that make money and your customers happy, start saying “enough is enough” and remember that Accept Software is here to help.