The possibility of using Excel to analyze big data arose when Microsoft introduced Power Pivot in Excel 2010.
Manual data entry and duplicate reports are no longer a concern since all team members receive updates with the same report.
Dedicated project management software allows users to visualize and update the entire process of planning, reporting and monitoring a project in real-time. Even then, it's easy to trip over each other while trying to edit. It also doesn't handle complex projects well and can become a densely-packed, color-coded nightmare for everyone except the person who created it.įurthermore, updating statuses manually and generating the required reports in Excel can more time than the work itself. However, multiple users can’t work on the same Excel template at the same time unless your team is using the online version. For simple solo projects that are basically a list of tasks and dates, Excel can be fairly effective. Also, there are Excel project planning templates available for download. The primary reason many people use Excel is that many team members are unfamiliar with project planning software options (or don't have budget for them) and Excel is readily available. You're better off using a tool built for designing forms and handling data in a sensible way.Įxcel is often used for project planning, usually for small to midsize projects. Any attempts at validation are easily avoided.Įxcel was not designed for creating forms and to get a usable form that collects and stores data is prone to issues and simply not worth the effort.