When a spreadsheet has become the problem
A spreadsheet is brilliant until several people, jobs and follow-ups depend on it. Here is how to tell when a small custom tool would make the work simpler.
The same details are entered more than once
If customer or job information is copied between a form, spreadsheet, calendar and email, mistakes and missed updates are almost guaranteed. A small tool can keep one dependable record.
Nobody knows the next action
Colour-coded rows are not a workflow. A useful tool can show who owns the next step, when it is due and what has already been completed.
Build the smallest useful version
Do not recreate a huge software platform. Start with the one repeated process costing the most time, test it with real work and add only what proves useful.