Run projects in a spreadsheet or with a tool?
Updated: 2026-09
A spreadsheet is entirely sufficient for a single project with few people. It fails as soon as several projects run in parallel, several people work at once, or somebody wants to know the status without asking.
A great many projects are run successfully in a spreadsheet, and that is not a deficiency. For a project with a handful of tasks and two people, a spreadsheet is faster to set up and easier to understand than any tool.
The break comes at a particular point: when several projects run in parallel and nobody can say where something stands without asking. From there the spreadsheet costs more time than it saves.
| Criterion | Innopulse | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | Immediate | Some setup needed |
| Working simultaneously | Conflicts and versions | Everyone sees the same state |
| Several projects | Unclear beyond a few | Overall view across all |
| Views | One, the table | List, kanban, timeline, calendar |
| Answering the status question | Asking required | Directly readable or via the assistant |
| Time tracking and billing | Kept separately | Integrated, including QR invoicing |
When an alternative is the better choice
A single project with few tasks and two or three people.
The team works closely together anyway and speaks daily.
There is no need to present status externally.
FAQ
From when is a tool worth it?
When several projects run in parallel, or when the status question regularly triggers an enquiry. Before that a spreadsheet is the more pragmatic choice.
What is the most common implementation mistake?
Too much process at once. Confronting a team without structure with a complete process model results in neither being used.
Can we bring our spreadsheet across?
The structure, yes. It makes sense to simplify while doing so — spreadsheets often contain columns nobody maintains any more.
Do we need a method for this?
No. A shared overview solves most of the problem; a process model only becomes relevant on large or regulated projects.
Flenio
Four views on one data set mean nobody has to change how they think — list, kanban, timeline or calendar show the same data.
The FlenioAI assistant answers the status question that in small companies otherwise gets settled by asking. Isolated per workspace.
Integrated time tracking with Swiss QR invoicing covers the case where projects are also billed — without a second tool.