New software promises to fix everything, but in many firms the quickest, lowest-risk improvements come from automating the Excel work people already do every day. Before you commit to a new platform, consider whether a targeted Excel solution might get you there faster.
Excel is already your team's default tool
Staff know Excel, trust it, and can see what a macro is doing. That transparency can matter more than a shiny web interface. When something goes wrong—or when circumstances change—your team can often troubleshoot and adapt without waiting for external support.
This familiarity also reduces training time. A well-designed Excel tool that follows conventions your team already understands will be adopted faster than a completely new system.
Ideal use cases for Excel/VBA
Excel automation shines in scenarios where:
- Data transformation — Converting exports from practice management or accounting software into working papers or client-ready reports
- Standardised packs — Generating consistent output from a single data input, such as management accounts or board packs
- Repeatable analyses — Processes with clear steps that need to run reliably every month or quarter
- Validation and checking — Automating the tedious cross-referencing that catches errors before they reach clients
Key insight: The best Excel automations don't just save time—they encode your firm's expertise. A well-structured macro captures the institutional knowledge of how you want things done, making it easier to train new staff and maintain consistency.
When to move beyond Excel
Excel isn't always the answer. Consider alternative solutions when you need:
- Real-time collaboration — Multiple people working on the same data simultaneously
- Client self-service — Portals where clients can upload documents or view reports
- Complex permissioning — Granular control over who can see and edit what
- Integration with modern APIs — Direct connections to cloud services that don't play well with Excel
Even then, Excel might be the right first step. Starting with an Excel solution lets you validate the process design before investing in something more complex. It's much easier to refine requirements when the cost of change is low.
The practical path forward
For most firms, the question isn't "Excel or software"—it's "what should we automate first, and what's the simplest tool that does the job?" Often, that's Excel. As your needs evolve, you can always migrate to more sophisticated solutions with a clearer understanding of what you actually need.