7 Reasons to Switch from Microsoft Excel to Project Management Software Stay Updated!

Microsoft Excel has single-handedly managed and re-defined worksheets for companies all around the world for decades. If one spends a small amount of time to be creative, excel is able to provide nearly endless possibilities. 

On the other side of productivity are modern technologies that provide collaboration and transparency for working across many workspaces and teams. Instead of using rows and columns, you are able to organize processes and action items into unique tasks that are easily tracked and assigned to a team member. Many newcomers prefer the simplicity of a modern tool so they can get started right away.

There’s also the design issue, Excel’s layout is quite old not very attractive, and it is not very good at project management. This leaves me questioning why people still try to make it work.

To kill all of this, we will look towards project management software to fulfill this duty. Using the right productivity software is like hiring a chauffeur, providing him with the necessary details, and letting him drive you to your destination while you lay back and chill.

There are various reasons to choose project management software over MS excel:

1. MS excel Complex to use: It is not everyone’s cup of tea to just dive into a tool like Excel. Gaining the desired result without wasting a lot of time and energy is not easy. The project management system for businesses is designed in such a way that it interacts very transparently with its users – making it easier to implement than MS Excel. The user is in control at all times, resulting in enhanced work quality, no waste of time in error, and less struggle to meet results.
2. Flexible approach: Changing your project approach will quickly hinder work in MS Excel. The time invested for hard work would be totally wasted if the variables or values which are used in the formulas changes, to overcome such scenarios project management systems include adaptability and customization. The newest in project management software are also capable of predicting such changes, and adjusting the values for certain variables automatically.
3. Better security: Project management software includes tons of new security features to keep the data safe and provides access to only genuine owners of the data. The use of this software enables access according to the clearance of a profile. Also, the data stored is backed up properly so that the data is secure and available at all times.
4. Ease of training: It is a delight for a novice user to come across project management software, the ease of usability and simplicity in design lets any new user get used to the software in a very short time compared to the traditional MS Excel. Simple training leads to many other advantages such as less time in training and more handling of work.
5. Created with you in mind: New software offer dedicated solutions to the project management domain, specially designed to cover all attributes of project management and handle it with a very simplistic approach. MS Excel is amongst the best solution to the data management problems, but it has nothing proprietary when it comes to project management thus making it less suitable option for the same. Project management software helps monitor data remotely, provide communication between the team, and provide a detailed map for plan of action in the project to keep everyone updated with the current progress.
6. Easy communication: The software enables dedicated teams to stay connected and keep tabs on the current progress on the project. It saves a lot of time to collaborate on a project as a group unlike MS Excel which has no dedicated channel for team chat and also a little confusing when pointing out error in a huge chunk of data it’s like “finding needle in haystack”.
7. Dull design: While some may find it simple and useful, the expectation from project management software is way too much when it comes to the interface as it’s the key interaction point for users throughout the day. A dull interface will be distracting and lead to an unpleasant experience for your team. Good project management is intuitive, sleek, and customized to specific use-cases.

Project Management Software vs Excel (Click on image to modify online)

Utsav Upadhyay – Author

I am currently advising clients how to create and manage effective advertising campaigns in accordance with the principles of Inbound Marketing. I offer Inbound Marketing auditing services, which are a great way of determining what your company’s strong and weak points are. I also provide Inbound Marketing training and consultation sessions via callhippo Marketing Sessions. In Free time I research about Marketing and Project management services.