Spreadsheets are a wonderful first system. They become a risk when the business depends on them. Here are the signs it is time to move.
- Two versions of the truth: sales and the warehouse report different stock.
- One person holds the macros and nobody else dares to touch the file.
- Month-end close takes days of copy-paste.
- You cannot answer "where is this order?" without asking three people.
- Growth means hiring people to retype data.
What to do first
Do not start with software. Write down the three processes that hurt most. A good implementation fixes those first and leaves the rest for later.