Guide · Digitalisation · SMEs
Excel vs custom software for SMEs: when to make the jump?
Excel is free and flexible — until it isn't. When it makes sense to automate what you already have, when to build your own software and what each path costs in Spain.
Quick comparison
| Criterion | Excel / Notion | Automate (integrate) | Custom software |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | €0 | €800 – 6,000 | €5,000 – 15,000 |
| 3-year cost | Lost hours + errors | Low maintenance | One-off payment + optional €150–600/month |
| Human error | High (copy/paste) | Low | Very low |
| Several users at once | Problematic | Good | Designed for it |
| The code is yours | Not applicable | Partly | Yes (open source) |
| Ideal when... | < 5 h/week, 1 person | Your tools already do the job | A unique process that no SaaS fits |
Signs Excel no longer scales
- Several versions of the same file going round by email.
- Formula errors that cost money or customers.
- More than one person editing the same data at the same time.
- Hours every week copying data between Excel, WhatsApp and invoicing.
- No way to know the real state of the business without merging sheets by hand.
If you recognise 3 or more, it's not a problem of "using Excel better": it's a problem of process architecture.
Option 1: Automate without ditching Excel (yet)
We connect Excel (or Google Sheets) with your CRM, invoicing or WhatsApp so the data flows on its own. Projects from €800.
Automation for SMEs · 2026 prices
Option 2: A custom dashboard or CRM
When the process is the business — bookings, workshop work orders, sales pipeline — your own dashboard removes Excel at the root.
- OleBeach — from WhatsApp and Excel to a booking platform.
- MotoBuddy — from paper to a dashboard with VeriFactu.
Option 3: A generic ERP
It makes sense if your process is standard. If the ERP forces you to change how you work, the hidden cost is friction within the team — plus per-user licences you don't use.
How much does NOT changing cost?
If 2 people spend 5 hours a week on tasks an automated workflow would do in minutes, you lose €7,800–9,360 a year (at €15–18/hour). A €2,000 project pays for itself in under 3 months.