![]() As you add more and more information, eventually, the sheet balloons.Īt some point, it stops being scalable. While spreadsheets typically allow you to “hide” columns to get information out of the way, it’s a manual task-and a temporary fix. A project manager, on the other hand, might want to see all tasks at once from time to time-but with a spreadsheet, both parties are limited to a single shared view. If your campaign contributions are limited to a handful of line items, it’d probably be distracting to see the entire team’s task list every time you open the tracker to update it. Take, for example, a project tracker for a quarter-long marketing campaign. The very quality that makes them useful-that ability to display all data at once-can be a drawback when dealing with large volumes of data. Ingenious as they are, those workarounds come at a cost. Spreadsheets have been a staple for decades, but now, they’re used for all sorts of activities beyond the number-centric use cases they were designed for. It’s a powerful tool for tasks like crunching numbers, storing lists, and budget tracking. At its core, a spreadsheet is a two-dimensional document designed for data storage and calculation. Most of us have worked in a spreadsheet, but not all of us know exactly what they’re designed to do.Ī spreadsheet is a digital ledger that stores data in cells displayed in rows and columns-what’s known as tabular format. How do spreadsheets differ from databases? Behind the curtain, databases contain robust functionality and versatility, allowing for more sophisticated use cases and, ironically, simplifying work. So while a database and a spreadsheet might look similar at a glance, their looks can be deceiving. The websites you might access every day-like Amazon, Wikipedia, and Netflix-are powered by databases. Lyft relies on a database to dispatch cars with real-time geotracking. ![]() ![]() Your customer relationship management instance (CRM), for example, is a database. Whether you realize it or not, you’re probably already familiar with a database or two. That structure allows you to do more with your data. Put another way: a database is a way to track and organize information in a highly flexible structure. This piece sums it up best:Ī database is a logically organized collection of information, designed in such a way that the information within can be accessed for later use by a computer program. The first step in understanding databases is simple: defining what they are. Understanding the differences will empower you to make the right choice for your business's unique use cases. ![]() Today, with the right tools, anyone who can use a spreadsheet can use a database. When you’re tackling those uses, a database offers significantly more flexibility and power. Consider content calendars, project trackers, and UX research. Limitations like duplicate data and one-size-fits all views make them tough to use for more complex use cases. So when it comes time to crunch numbers, balance a budget, or even organize information, reaching for them is second nature.īut useful as they are, spreadsheets aren’t the best tool for every use case. Spreadsheets are a tool most of us are familiar with, and for good reason: they’re accessible and ubiquitous tools. But too often, they’re thought of as one and the same. Picking the right tool for your business requires understanding how (and why) they differ.ĭatabases and spreadsheets are different tools with fundamentally different purposes.
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