Spreadsheets or a consultancy platform: when is it time to switch?

Spreadsheets are a fine start. They are flexible, familiar and free. The trouble begins when more than one person edits the same sheet.

Watch for these signs: two versions of the same applicant, no clear owner for a file, finance numbers kept in a separate sheet, and new staff who need a long handover to find anything.

A purpose-built platform keeps one record per student, ties it to a counselor and sits next to finance and communication. You trade a little flexibility for a lot of consistency.

You do not have to switch everything at once. Move active files first and keep old sheets as an archive.