Efficient management of company data plays a pivotal role in the smooth operation and decision-making processes within any organization. Excell – the right tool for the start MS Excel can be a good starting point to organize customers’ data. It offers a low-cost solution that is easy to use and can help get started with […]
Efficient management of company data plays a pivotal role in the smooth operation and decision-making processes within any organization.
Excell – the right tool for the start
MS Excel can be a good starting point to organize customers’ data. It offers a low-cost solution that is easy to use and can help get started with customer data management, especially in small companies. Excel can help to store customer information, track interactions, and create simple reports. After a few hours and a moderate knowledge of Visual Basic, it is possible to turn Excell into an “invoice maker”.
However, as the company grows, Excel may become increasingly difficult to manage. Although MS Excel is a great tool, it does not have many necessary functions and features vital to support a growing business. MS Excel is not typically considered a full-fledged CRM system.
The next level of system development
There are several reasons why a company may have to switch from an improvised CRM built in MS Access or MS Excel to a dedicated system.
MS Access can work well for small to medium-sized databases, but as the size of the database grows, performance drops. This is especially bothersome when working with a remote DB server. A dedicated system, working on MySQL DB can handle a significantly grater load and serve a few times more requests on the same hardware.
MS Access databases are typically stored on a file server and can be vulnerable to security risks such as unauthorized access, data theft, and data corruption.
MS Access offers a limited set of customization options, while a dedicated system can be highly customizable to fit the specific needs of the company. This includes the ability to add custom fields, workflows, raports and unlimited possibilities of integrations with other systems. A dedicated system built on Laravel can be integrated with other systems and platforms used by the company, such as email, accounting software, or marketing automation tools. This can improve efficiency and productivity by reducing the need for manual data entry and improving data accuracy.
MS Access offers basic reporting capabilities, while a dedicated system offers more advanced reporting features, such as real-time dashboards, customized reports, and data visualizations.
Import data from spreadsheet to relational database
Transferring data from spreadsheets to a dedicated system and relational database is necessary to enhance data integrity, accessibility, and scalability. However, this process is not without its challenges.
One of the initial challenges in transferring data from Excel to a dedicated system and relational database is aligning the data structure and format. Excel spreadsheets allow flexibility in data representation, while relational databases require a well-defined structure. Inconsistencies such as missing data, duplicate entries, or varying data types can hinder a seamless transfer.
Before the transfer spreadsheet’s records must be cleaned and standardized. This means:
- validating the data against predefined rules,
- removing duplicates,
- formatting the data according to the target database schema.
Maintaining data integrity during the transfer process is crucial. Errors or inconsistencies can occur due to manual data entry, formula errors, or inadvertent alterations in the spreadsheet. These issues can lead to inaccurate data in the dedicated system and relational database, affecting subsequent analysis and decision-making.
Large datasets in Excel spreadsheets are performance challenges during the transfer process. The migration process can take a significant amount of time, especially for large datasets. A potential challenge arises when new data is added to the old system while the migration is in progress. During this time, new data can be added to the old system, leading to a mismatch between the two systems. This can lead to data inconsistencies and discrepancies between the old system and the new database.
Switching from a simple Spreadsheet-based solution to a dedicated system built on Laravel can offer better scalability, security, customization, integration, and reporting capabilities. Unfortunately, export/import of a huge amount of poorly structured data is not an easy task especially when new data is added constantly.
Data migration automation
Data migration should be automated so that it is possible to simultaneously work on the old system (reading, adding, writing and deleting records) as well as developing and testing the new system.
Re-importing data from the old system to the new one must be smooth and do not require manual actions.