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When should you move from Excel to Power BI?
When stitching files together takes longer than reading the result, or when two people open the same file and get different numbers. Excel stays excellent for calculating and exploring. What moves is the repetition: pulling the same sources every month, cleaning them and joining them. That belongs in a data layer, not in a worksheet.
The four signals
- It costs two days a month. Someone stitches exports together, and it stops the moment that person is on holiday.
- The meeting starts with which number is right. Not with what to do about it.
- Nobody dares touch the file. There are formulas in it nobody can follow any more, so people work around it.
- History disappears. Every month overwrites the last, so there is no comparison with last year.
One of these is not a problem. Three of them is already costing you money that never appears on an invoice.
What moves, and what stays
| Stays in Excel | Moves into the model |
|---|---|
| One-off analysis and exploration | Pulling data from source systems |
| Running scenarios | Cleaning and joining |
| A calculation nobody else needs | The definition of a figure |
| A list for your own use | History, so you can compare |
Your spreadsheets are the specification
Those worksheets hold years of business logic: how margin is calculated, which items count and which do not, how a period is closed, which exceptions exist and why. That is worth more than the file itself.
We read it out and record it, rather than inventing it again. It saves time and it prevents the argument about why the new dashboard shows a different number than the old Excel.
Half an hour is enough to know whether we fit
No slide deck and no quote at the end. We walk through your sources, your definitions and your biggest frustration.
Book half an hourFrequently asked questions
When should you move from Excel to Power BI?
When stitching the files together takes longer than reading the result, or when two people open the same file and get different numbers. Excel is excellent for calculating and exploring. It breaks down when it becomes a monthly production line that depends on one person.
Does that mean we stop using Excel?
No. Excel keeps doing what it is good at: calculating, running scenarios, a one-off analysis. What moves is the repetition, pulling the same sources every month, cleaning them and joining them. That belongs in a data layer, not in a worksheet.
What happens to our existing Excel models?
They are often the best specification available. Years of business logic sit in them: how margin is calculated, which items count, how a period is closed. We read that logic out and record it in the model rather than inventing it again.
How long does the move take?
For a first subject, revenue and margin for example, 6 to 10 weeks to figures you can steer on. That includes the connections to the source, the model underneath and the definitions. After that it costs you roughly 30 minutes per 2 weeks.
What if everyone exports back to Excel anyway?
That happens, and it is fine as long as it is for further calculation. It is a signal when it is about the base figures: then something is missing in the report, or people do not trust it. Those two need different answers, so it is worth finding out which one it is.