Spreadsheets. They’re familiar, quick to set up, and helpful for simple tasks. If you need to add numbers, make a list, or track a few items, spreadsheets work well. Most organizations start out with Excel or Google spreadsheets.

But as companies grow and mature, project work gets more complicated. This is where spreadsheets are problematic: complexities are hard to capture in an Excel document. Plus, these tools were created back in the 1990s. These days, project management has evolved with sophisticated options that enable better resource management, visibility, what-if scenarios, integrations, and more. It’s why most organizations with over 50 employees use other project options.

Most IT departments in organizations use Agile methodology. To do so, you need adaptability and flexibility. Scrum and sprints keep project work on time and on budget. That applies especially to big software roll outs; they’re rarely static. Dates change, tasks shift, dependencies change, people come in and out of projects, vendor timelines slip … the list goes on.

And spreadsheets can’t support that reality. They fail to:

Let’s face it, spreadsheets are antiquated and clunky.

This means updates rely on someone remembering to manually change the spreadsheet. If they forget, everyone else is working with old information — which leads to confusion and rework. Never mind handling complexities with rows and columns.

Where spreadsheets fall short, Project Portfolio Management (PPM) and Strategic Portfolio Management (SPM) tools excel. They update in real time, show who’s available to work, forecast impacts on teams, model shifting priorities, integrate with critical systems, and provide the intelligence needed to keep work moving.

There are a couple of issues around not being able to see what’s happening at an organization: risks go unnoticed, and leaders don’t have the information needed to make decisions.

The organization relies on IT to identify risks early, especially around security, budget, infrastructure, usage, and integrations. Spreadsheets can’t surface that information easily. IT risks can grow quietly behind the scenes until they cause outages, delays, or cost overruns. Worse, a spreadsheet won’t warn you.

Worse, leaders need to understand all the projects happening at an organization. Without a view into those projects, they can’t provide information about priorities or understand the interrelated impacts.

Today’s PPM and SPM tools have dashboards and analytics that make everything visible. Leaders can have reports and dashboards ready instantly, without someone spending hours making them ready. IT leaders understand risks quickly to prevent them from occurring.

Along with risks, IT is responsible for governance and compliance. IT projects must often meet standards for:

• Security and data protection
• Change tracking
• SOX or ISO compliance
• Other government audits

For organizations, such as hospitals, and even government entities that have more compliance requirements, spreadsheets can’t help. Spreadsheets don’t provide audit trails, change logs, approvals, and more required by complex organizations. In fact, the larger and more complex your organization is, the more issues there are when it comes to compliance and governance.

Modern PPM and SPM tools provide automated tracking and audit trails, simplifying compliance. ISO documentation, SOX evidence, and other regulatory requirements are instantly accessible, with full visibility into approvals and timelines. Without this governed structure, organizations face greater exposure to fines, audit findings, and reputational risk. Does your IT project deserve a spreadsheet?

When you look at all the different kinds of IT projects your team handles, it becomes pretty clear: spreadsheets just can’t keep up.

Generally, spreadsheets are a solution for quick project lists, but they can’t handle bigger issues. Most companies turn to Collaborative Work Management (CWM) and Project and Portfolio Management (PPM) / Strategic Portfolio Management (SPM) solutions.

When it comes to getting the most bang for your buck, some PPMs and SPMs have add-ons that connect to more of your business. The most powerful PPM and SPM systems — such as Rego’s Tribal PPM — come with hundreds of add-ons and integrations that:

• Speed up time tracking
• Connect to Jira and MS Project
• Automate timesheet approvals
• Improve visibility, including understanding impact to resources
• Streamline reporting

Spreadsheets can’t come close to this level of capability or efficiency. It’s why so many companies make the switch to those work management tools.

Switching from spreadsheets to a real PPM or SPM system isn’t as complicated as it sounds, especially when you have the right guide. It’s also a lot more affordable than you think! Licenses for monthly users cost less than what you’d pay for a few cups of coffee.

Rego Consulting, which provides Tribal PPM, has helped more than 800 organizations move from messy, disconnected spreadsheets to a single, organized system with real-time visibility. With a 98% customer retention rate, we know how to make the transition smooth and successful.

But it takes more than just the right partner; it takes the right software. Tribal PPM is perfect for small teams while providing a path for growth. With reporting options, dashboards, integrations to connect more of your business, and resource allocation opportunities, Tribal PPM is the perfect tool for tribal governments and Nations.

If you’re ready to stop fighting spreadsheets and start managing projects with confidence, we’re here to help.