Imagine paying just £12 a month for a tool that can surpass a $100 billion industry. Now, what if I told you that you already have access to this tool? Yes, you do. It’s Excel—the software you’ve likely been using for years. But what if I also told you that the potential of Excel has been vastly underestimated, both by the tech industry and even some Excel experts? Today, we’re unveiling a capability within Excel that is not widely known, but it’s poised to be a game-changer for businesses around the globe.
Let’s start by examining the $100 billion industry we’re talking about: ERP systems and cloud-based solutions. Over the past 25 years, the tech industry has built a vast ecosystem based on a single premise: “You can’t do this with Excel.” I first encountered this claim in 1998, at a seminar where a presenter confidently demonstrated a solution and then proclaimed Excel wasn’t up to the task. Ironically, I had already solved the same problem with Excel for a large client, and when they saw it, they tripled my pay.
This experience was a wake-up call: the notion that Excel is incapable of handling complex business problems is a carefully crafted myth. It’s a narrative driven by marketing from ERP vendors, consultants, and cloud service providers, aiming to sell you costly solutions to problems that Excel can already solve. The reality is, for decades, Excel has been essential in running businesses around the world, precisely because of its flexibility and adaptability.
The Jackson Pollock Reality
Business problems don’t arrive neatly packaged. New operational requirements emerge every day. Some are small and straightforward; others are large and complex. But the one thing all businesses have in common is this: they need a system to handle these evolving needs.
In the pre-digital age, businesses turned to pen and paper to log data, manage processes, and maintain order. Today, we use spreadsheets. But what happens when a business grows, or when operational complexity escalates? We end up with what I call the “Jackson Pollock Reality”—a messy, chaotic exchange of spreadsheets, email attachments, and CSV files, passed between teams and departments. The ERP systems we rely on can’t keep up with these rapid changes, and that’s where Excel comes in, stepping up to fill the gaps.
But here’s where the industry spins the story: instead of acknowledging Excel’s adaptability, these vendors insist that “Excel Hell”—the chaos of spreadsheets—is inevitable and unsolvable without their expensive tools. Their narrative convinces businesses that they need multi-million-dollar systems to replace Excel and gain control of their data. And yet, these systems often fail to meet the needs of a fast-changing business environment.
The Impossible Reality: Can Excel Really Compete?
So, we find ourselves in a world where businesses are trapped between two extremes. On one hand, they have their clunky, chaotic spreadsheets. On the other hand, they have massive, expensive systems that can’t adapt fast enough to the business’s needs. It seems like an impossible situation, but this is where Excel’s hidden power comes into play.
Remember that £12 a month subscription? That’s what Excel costs today. For just £12 a month, Excel can not only handle the chaos but also supersede the $100 billion ERP industry. Let’s break down how this works with an example.
A Case Study: The Call Handler Example
Let’s take the example of a small business that stocks sports garments in a warehouse. They have a call handler who takes orders, checks stock, processes payments, and sends dispatch instructions. Simple, right? Now, imagine this business grows. It now operates 20 warehouses across the country, with 50 call handlers. Suddenly, you have 1,000 spreadsheet movements a day between warehouses and call handlers, creating a logistical nightmare.
This is the “Excel Hell” that the ERP industry loves to point out. But what if I told you that there’s a way to handle all of this without sending a single spreadsheet? Not only can Excel manage this operation, but it can do so in real-time, across all locations, without any of the chaos.
The Hidden Capability in Excel
Here’s the surprising part: Excel has a built-in capability that almost nobody knows about. It’s not a new feature. In fact, it’s been there for decades, hidden in plain sight. All it takes is ticking one box—yes, one box—and Excel is transformed from a tool for local, manual data entry into a centralized, automated system that can handle complex, multi-location operations seamlessly.
By ticking this box, you enable Excel to tap into a central database—whether that’s an Access database on a shared drive or a SQL server in the cloud. This simple action allows all the spreadsheets in your organization to access the same data, in real-time, without moving a single file. The call handlers can instantly look up stock across all 20 warehouses and take orders without delay. The dispatch departments automatically receive the orders without anyone needing to email a spreadsheet.
No More “Excel Hell”—A Mondrian Reality
What was once a chaotic, Jackson Pollock-esque mess of spreadsheets can now be streamlined into what I call a “Mondrian Reality”—a neat, structured, and centralized system where data flows effortlessly between all parts of the business. This is what’s known as a Hub and Spoke Architecture. Instead of data being scattered across hundreds of spreadsheets, it resides in one central location, accessible to anyone who needs it, at any time.
The £12 Solution That Changes Everything
For years, the ERP and cloud services industries have convinced businesses that solving complex operational challenges requires millions of dollars in software. But Excel, with its £12 a month price tag, has had the capability to handle these challenges all along. By simply leveraging the built-in features that no one talks about, Excel can become the beating heart of a global business, outpacing even the most expensive systems.
What’s more, this isn’t theoretical. I’ve done it. I’ve used this technique in my consulting work, and it tripled my pay. And it’s not just me—anyone can learn this. It’s incredibly simple, takes minutes to set up, and could save businesses millions in unnecessary software costs.
Why Doesn’t Everyone Know About This?
The reason why this hidden power of Excel is unknown is simple: no one talks about it. Social media, YouTube tutorials, and Excel influencers focus on flashy new features like Power Query or dynamic arrays. But the true power of Excel lies in the quiet, overlooked features that have been there for decades.
The good news is, once you know about it, you can’t unsee it. The biggest opportunity in Excel today is transforming the chaotic, fragmented spreadsheet systems that businesses rely on into streamlined, automated, centralized processes. And the best part? You can do it with the tool you already have.
Conclusion: The Future of Excel Is Now
For £12 a month, Excel can do what a $100 billion industry says is impossible. It can solve the operational problems that businesses have struggled with for years. It can bring order to chaos and streamline processes that no ERP system could ever handle with the same speed or agility. And it’s been sitting right under our noses all this time.
The future of Excel is here, and it’s more powerful than anyone ever imagined. Now that you know the secret, it’s time to take action. Embrace the true power of Excel, and you might just triple your pay—just like I did.
Add comment