Spreadsheets slowing you down? A custom data solution can help.

Today’s world runs on data. And for many organizations, but especially small and mid-sized businesses and non-profits, spreadsheets remain a critical part of how that data is gathered, managed, and analyzed.

Even with today’s BI solutions and a growing number of AI tools for data management and analysis, organizations that don’t use spreadsheets for at least some aspect of their operations are few. That’s because spreadsheets are still a very powerful, intuitive tool for collecting, calculating, and sharing data. 

But spreadsheets have limits to both scope and capability. When it comes to managing large amounts of data, measuring data-driven analytics, or getting real-time updates and insights, reliance on spreadsheets can actually be a liability.

When spreadsheets begin interfering with your team’s productivity and efficiency, deploying a custom data solution should be at the top of your list of solutions to consider.

What are the benefits of a custom data solution?

If your organization prioritizes business intelligence, you need more than spreadsheets to accomplish your business goals. That’s where a custom data solution can help. Building a tool that’s in lock-step with your processes, business goals, and growth trajectory ensures that how you work is working toward your long-term success.

Custom software simplifies how you work with data and adds flexibility.

To stay competitive, your organization continually needs to find new ways to leverage data insights and drive innovation. If there’s one thing that spreadsheets are not, it’s flexible. Although you don’t need flexibility for simple data entry, what about when you want to automate data entry? Things get a little trickier, and you need a custom software platform that allows you to adapt your business processes quickly. A custom data solution from Skeleton Key can help you accomplish just that.

Custom solutions make transparency and collaboration simpler.

Spreadsheets can make it difficult to prioritize data transparency. Tracking who has access to which data can quickly become a challenge and even a security risk. That’s because spreadsheet software is not designed with user access controls in mind. Skeleton Key works with you to achieve the ideal balance between transparency, usability, and security. That way, user access controls never get in the way of your team’s productivity goals but still ensure data is only available to users who actually need it.

Is it difficult to get started with custom software?

No, it isn’t difficult to deploy custom software, including custom data solutions. Even small or mid-sized businesses can make the transition quickly, with little or no disruption to daily operations.

If hearing “custom software” also makes you think of ideas like “expensive” and “difficult to deploy,” know that in today’s world that isn’t the case. We’ve helped clients move off of spreadsheets into custom software designed to their needs, without breaking the bank or impacting their operations.

For example, our client Commander Financial Services, LLC used to rely on spreadsheets for tracking complex loan calculations for their auto dealer clients. When that became unsustainable, we built a new solution for managing financial data, as well as a mobile app and web portal that have helped them grow and go on to compete with much larger firms.

The conventional custom data software development process could take months, or even more than a year. Our team follows a more agile and collaborative process, delivering a robust data management solution in a matter of days or weeks.

If you’re ready to make the upgrade from spreadsheets to a custom data solution for your business, we can guide you. We work with you to understand the need and make the discovery and deployment process as seamless and efficient as possible. We work not only with businesses of all sizes, but educational institutions and non-profits — helping them streamline business processes, simplify data management, and position themselves for growth and ongoing innovation.

Reach out to us today and we’ll help you explore the possibilities.