A Nerd with Strong Convictions
Today, once again, I was reminded of the reality of being a nerd. A commerce platform targeted me with an ad for a mug featuring the Excel logo and the caption: "Same Sheet, Different Day." While I found it amusing, I stopped short of buying it.
Excel should not be used as a substitute for proper information systems
As a heavy Excel user, I know the power it holds. With the secret superpower of M-query (Power BI), I genuinely feel capable of moving mountains. Yet, I have strong convictions about the proper use of tools, and Excel is no exception. Despite its immense utility, I firmly believe it should not be used as a substitute for proper information systems. I strive to avoid using Excel as a system - whether for managing processes, tracking defects, or serving as a system-of-record for knowledge items. These are roles that demand consistency, traceability, and governance, which Excel simply cannot deliver.
领英推荐
Excel’s infinite flexibility is both its greatest strength and its greatest weakness. While it empowers users to do virtually anything, it lacks the structure needed when consistency and standards are critical. Overreliance on Excel for tasks like project management, collaborative workflows, or maintaining operational logs can quickly lead to chaos: version conflicts, data silos, and a complete lack of auditability.
That said, I believe in using Excel where it truly shines. Its combination of flexibility, familiar visualizations, and integration capabilities makes it a fantastic tool for analysis and reporting. For example, I have built Excel solutions that pull data dynamically from various sources - like Jira, forms, usage logs, or timesheet records - and refresh effortlessly each day. In these cases, Excel works as intended: as a powerful and adaptable reporting tool. Here, it really is "the same sheet, just a different day."
So yes, I passed on the mug. But I still smile every time I open one of my carefully crafted, ever-refreshing Excel files. For me, that’s where Excel truly belongs.
Senior Principal Software Engineer at Red Hat
2 个月Do you remember, many years ago, we saw a customer using Excel for creating diagrams?
Head Of Operations, Amdocs CES Delivery unit
2 个月Listen up, Excel enthusiasts to this Excel nerd ! Whenever I faced a challenge with Dror’s perspective on Excel usage, report development, or data sources, I always found myself yielding to his profound understanding of this incredible tool. Dror, your approach to building Excel reports is unparalleled. It’s not just about the technical skills; it’s about your grasp of the right end-to-end architecture to make them efficient and user-friendly. For anyone who will use Dror’s Excel services in the future: Want to ensure Dror responds to your call or chat within 30 seconds? Just text him, “I found a bug in your Excel report.” I guarantee a 100% success rate!
Senior BI Developer at Amdocs and Founder of Excelrati
2 个月Well said Dror! It's amazing how Excel will surprise you by its flexibility in both directions. Whatever you do to prevent users to do an undesirable action, someone will find a way to do it unintentionally ?? Anyway, I've seen countless Excels you've built that were game-changers for its users and that they loved so much. I cherish all those times we shared information about Excel and mainly Power Query and the fun interactions that came along ??
AI Product Manager @amdocs | Data Scientist | UI/UX Designer | FinOps Practitioner | AWS | Azure | GCP
2 个月As a user of these reports, I can tell that it is a fast and cost effective solution for getting meaningful data from multiple sources. With right integrations, implementation and your skills, you managed to create valuable solutions in almost no time! Many thanks for your great work!
Had I been the target of the Ad, I might have bought the mug for you! I continue to utilize the powerful excel tools you built regularly.