A spreadsheet may contain years of business knowledge, but the file alone rarely tells the whole story. Staff may use emails to approve changes, keep separate reference lists or know that a particular exception must be handled outside the workbook.
The Spreadsheet Assessment is the paid planning step before a build. It costs £295. We learn how your team works, agree what the new app needs to do and give you a clear plan before either side commits to the build.
The spreadsheet and the work around it
The review starts with the workbook and the work it supports. Relevant areas may include sheets, formulas, macros, checks, reports and the way information moves into and out of the file.
Just as importantly, the assessment considers how the spreadsheet is used in practice:
- who supplies and updates information
- what decisions or handovers depend on it
- which calculations and outputs matter
- where staff use email, copied files or manual checks
- which problems are caused by the workbook and which come from the surrounding process
This distinction prevents a proposed app from becoming a literal copy of the workbook. A colour, hidden column or helper sheet may represent an important rule, an old workaround or something that is no longer needed. The assessment is the time to establish which.
Users and access
A shared web app needs more deliberate access rules than a spreadsheet passed between colleagues. The review therefore looks at the types of people involved and what each group needs to see or change.
That could mean distinguishing between administrators, operational staff, managers, finance users, contractors or customers. The useful questions are practical: can someone view all records or only their own area? Who can change rates? Is approval separate from data entry? Does a field worker need a concise mobile view while finance needs a fuller table?
These answers shape both the screens and who can see or change information. They can also show that a smaller part of the process should be addressed first.
Moving information and keeping important rules
The assessment considers what data the spreadsheet holds, where it comes from and what needs to happen to it if the project proceeds.
This can include:
- the important types of information and how they link together
- data imported from other files or systems
- calculations and checks that need to be kept
- duplicates, gaps or inconsistent formats that could cause problems when information is moved
- the amount of history that is genuinely useful in the new app
- exports that staff still need for reporting or analysis
We do not assume every old row needs moving. Some businesses need the full history; others are better served by a clean start while keeping the old workbook for reference.
Missing features and opportunities to simplify
Most operational spreadsheets have work happening beyond their visible cells. Staff may chase updates by telephone, prepare the same report repeatedly or keep notes elsewhere because the workbook has no suitable place for them.
The assessment records missing features that an app may need, such as clearer status tracking, different screens for different people, built-in sign-off steps, easier search or mobile forms. We only recommend features that help your team.
It should also identify work that does not need rebuilding. Excel may remain the right tool for flexible modelling or one-off analysis. When to replace Excel with a web app offers a broader guide to that boundary.
Your clear plan
The plan explains what belongs in the first useful version, what can follow later and what will stay outside the app.
It also sets out a sensible order for the work. Depending on the process, that may cover app screens, business rules, who can access what, moving information, testing and launch. Larger projects can be split into steps rather than putting every possible feature into the first version.
The aim is to replace a vague request to “put the spreadsheet online” with a plan based on the file and the way the business really works.
A recommendation on who looks after the app
The assessment also recommends the suitable outcome:
- Essentials (£149 per month): designed for one person using one focused workflow, with faster data entry, automatic calculations and small improvements handled one at a time.
- Business (£399 per month): designed for up to five people sharing one operational workflow with the same access level, shared records and dashboards.
- Scale (£699 per month): designed for larger teams using multiple workflows, roles and access permissions, with integrations and greater delivery capacity.
- Own the Finished App (From £10,000): gives your team everything needed to run and change the app, along with responsibility for keeping it online and maintained.
Fully Managed Apps are billed monthly with a 12-month initial term. Third-party subscriptions, paid integrations, usage charges, upgraded infrastructure, licences and similar external costs require approval and are billed separately. Scale does not include external vendor costs.
The recommendation depends on the workflow and how much your business wants us to handle. A fully managed app or owning the finished app explains the operating difference.
What the assessment is not
This is not a detailed report on every Excel formula or setting. It focuses on how your team works and what should replace the spreadsheet.
Slow or fragile files still matter, especially when they disrupt the work. However, if the spreadsheet should stay in Excel, we will tell you.
What happens to the £295 fee?
The assessment is paid because our team reviews your spreadsheet and gives you a clear plan before you decide about the build. If you go ahead, the full £295 assessment price is credited before VAT.
If you need a clear plan before deciding whether to rebuild, you can book the £295 assessment.