Microsoft is still a popular choice in many businesses and workplaces. But for advanced functionality in modern complex datasets, data mapping tools are crucial. Using a spreadsheet offers excellent data warehousing options and recovery. It also has the conditional formatting option that makes customization easy. One can create a spreadsheet to accommodate lots of data. That is one of the main reasons why an Excel sheet is still one of the most preferred data management options. But spreadsheets have many disadvantages too. That is why many entities are shifting to automated data mapping alternatives.
Spreadsheets lack project management features such as collaboration and time tracking. For better project management, an organization or any other entity needs an alternative to Excel. It should allow one to store and process project data on the same platform. It also becomes possible to collaborate and organize vital project data on the same platform.
Why automated data mapping is the best spreadsheet alternative
Through such data mapping tools and interfaces, core functionalities for a project or other task management become easy to use. Through such data mapping tools, time tracking and preparing project reports become easy. To get the best data mapping tool, ensure it has the following features;
· Comprehensive task management set features. Most data mapping interfaces offer task assignment, recurrence, prioritization, and features to show task status. It makes project management so easy.
· Built-in software for project scheduling and reporting to save time
· Management of individual efforts in team projects becomes easy. Timesheet management and tracking for individuals in a team are possible through automated data management options.
· Teams working in simultaneous projects enjoy a transparent and flawless flow of information on the same platform.
· Collaboration features; unlike the spreadsheet, automated mapping tools offer options for comments, feedback, and timesheet approvals.
· Access to information by third parties who are stakeholders is possible. Through the automated mapping option, one may set reminders, alerts, and notifications to ensure that they stay on track hence more efficiency in data management.
How automated data mapping helps businesses
· Populate data map; through data mapping automation, it becomes possible to leverage data intake methods. They may use questionnaires, an assessment process, or integrate PIA to gather data.
· Automated data mapping tools can help prevent compliance and security risks by assessing company data constantly and ensuring compliance with the set rules and regulations.
· Generate data flow visualizations and compliance reporting that enables data tracking, cross-border data transfer mechanisms and ensures fulfillment of individual rights to data collection, use, and storage.
· Maintaining ongoing compliance during the transition is made flawless. Over time, a business may reassess its operations hence the need for data processing and management. Events in a business and the need to assess risk levels from time to time may also trigger new data management needs. Automated data mapping tools make such business processes easy.
Research shows that the focus for many entities in the modern digital world is on getting automated data mapping options as alternatives to spreadsheets because of the above reasons. It also shows that Excel task management costs a business more due to the following reasons;
· Time management issues
· Team productivity decline
· Challenges in real-time reporting
· Issue management and tracking challenges
· Inefficiency in managing meetings
· Manual data entry that is prone to errors
· Customization of task management templates in excel is challenging. Excel lacks project management features to perform tasks and carry to activities that are crucial to successful project management.
To avoid the challenges above, one should opt for alternatives to the spreadsheet. There are many alternatives, and research can help one identify the best. Some of the Excel alternatives are Google Sheets, nTask, and advanced cloud-based data mapping tools.
