How to Replace Google Sheets in a Company Without Losing Data
A practical guide to moving from Google Sheets to a specialized tracking system.
Google Sheets is convenient because you can use it directly in the browser.
But as a company grows, access control, data structure, and change tracking become harder.
Why Companies Start Looking for an Alternative
A typical situation looks like this.
There is one main spreadsheet used by several employees.
Then extra sheets appear:
- clients;
- orders;
- expenses;
- tasks;
- projects;
- employees.
Before long one file turns into a small information system.
But the interface is still just a spreadsheet.
What Is Worth Migrating
Before migration, decide which data you actually need.
Usually that is:
- core records;
- categories;
- statuses;
- dates;
- amounts;
- owners;
- comments;
- attached documents.
Do not migrate the entire old mess one-to-one.
Migration is a good moment to clean the structure.
How to Organize Data Properly
For example, instead of one table:
| Client | Project | Manager | Status |
|---|
you can split entities.
Client:
- name;
- contacts;
- comments.
Project:
- client;
- manager;
- status;
- deadlines;
- cost.
Information becomes linked and stops being duplicated.
How the Transition Works
The best path:
- define the existing process;
- clean the data;
- define the structure;
- import records;
- verify the data;
- onboard employees;
- gradually stop using the old spreadsheets.
The key is not to turn the move into a multi-month implementation project.
If the task was simple, the new system should stay simple too. In Voyanty you can import CSV or Excel and configure fields, statuses, and access right away.