Ditch the Spreadsheets: 5 Automations Every SME Needs in 2025
by Anna Totterdell, Co-Founder
Spreadsheets are everywhere. And if you’re running a growing SME, you’ve probably built at least one critical part of the business on a spreadsheet that was only meant to be temporary.
No judgment. We’ve all done it. Spreadsheets are fast, flexible, and familiar. But at a certain point, they start creating more problems than they solve — slowing down decisions, hiding errors, and quietly eating into team capacity.
Here’s what I see most often when I’m brought in as a strategic tech partner: businesses are scaling, but their operations are stuck in spreadsheet mode. And the cost of that mismatch is real.
Let’s talk about why it matters — and five places you can start replacing spreadsheets with automation that’s fit for the way you actually work.
Why this is more than just an admin issue
Spreadsheets seem harmless. But when they’re used to run your sales pipeline, track onboarding tasks, or manage supplier workflows, they become operational liabilities.
- They hide risk. It’s hard to spot errors, missing data, or incomplete tasks until they’ve caused a problem.
- They create bottlenecks. Often only one person knows how a key spreadsheet works. If they’re off sick, everything stalls.
- They slow decisions. Teams waste hours each week updating, formatting, and double-checking data instead of acting on it.
A Deloitte study found that up to 90% of spreadsheets contain errors. Gartner reports that knowledge workers spend 30% of their time on repetitive tasks — much of which lives inside spreadsheets.
For SMEs, that’s not just inefficiency. It’s a drag on growth.
What automation makes possible
This isn’t about getting fancy with tech. It’s about solving practical problems with fit-for-purpose tools.
With platforms like Airtable, Zapier, Power Automate, and Notion, it’s now possible to automate high-friction processes without writing a line of code.
Done well, automation helps SMEs:
- Save 30–50 hours per month
- Eliminate key-person dependencies
- Improve reporting, compliance, and speed
- Free up teams to focus on actual value, not admin
Here are five spreadsheet-based processes we almost always target first — and how to replace them.
1. Sales pipeline tracking
What usually happens: Sales updates live in spreadsheets. Every rep has their own version. End-of-week updates involve copy-paste gymnastics.
What’s better: Connect your CRM or sales board to an Airtable base (or directly to your reporting tool). Use automations to update statuses, flag stalled deals, and generate clean pipeline views.
Why it matters:
- Prevents deals falling through the cracks
- Reduces manager time spent chasing updates
- Enables accurate forecasting without the scramble
2. Client onboarding checklists
What usually happens: Someone closes the deal, and then a spreadsheet-based checklist starts floating around. Tasks get missed. Clients get frustrated.
What’s better: Create a templated onboarding tracker in Notion or ClickUp. Set up a trigger so that when a deal is marked "closed-won," the checklist auto-generates with assigned owners and deadlines.
Why it matters:
- Speeds up time-to-value
- Improves handover between sales and delivery
- Gives clients a more confident first impression
3. Staff timesheets and payroll prep
What usually happens: People fill in time manually on a spreadsheet. Someone in finance spends hours cleaning it up every month.
What’s better: Use a Google Form or Typeform to collect entries. Automate the data flow into a structured tracker. Flag anomalies and pre-calculate totals.
Why it matters:
- Reduces payroll errors and rework
- Saves hours of ops time each month
- Provides a clear audit trail
4. Finance reconciliation and invoicing
What usually happens: There’s a spreadsheet where someone manually checks who’s paid what. Things get missed. Follow-ups are inconsistent.
What’s better: Link Xero or your accounting system to a tracker that updates when payments land. Automate reminder emails and dashboard updates.
Why it matters:
- Improves cash flow predictability
- Cuts down on late payments
- Makes finance reports faster and cleaner
5. Supplier and returns tracking
What usually happens: Ops teams try to manage return cases or supplier issues in a shared spreadsheet. It gets messy.
What’s better: Set up a structured board in Airtable or Notion. Add filters, statuses, and assignments. Build simple forms for new submissions.
Why it matters:
- Keeps supplier relationships smooth
- Ensures issues are logged and closed out properly
- Helps teams stay on the same page
Are you still in spreadsheet mode?
Here’s a quick diagnostic:
- Are there key workflows where only one person knows how the spreadsheet works?
- Do you copy-paste between tools each week?
- Are decisions being delayed because someone needs to "send the latest version"?
- Have you lost track of a task, payment, or deliverable due to spreadsheet chaos?
If yes: you’re ready for change.
Where this goes next
Automation isn’t about replacing people. It’s about removing the tedious, error-prone tasks that keep good people from doing their best work.
And you don’t need to fix everything at once. Most SMEs get real value by automating just 1–2 processes to start.
That’s exactly what we do in our Automation Starter Pack:
- We run a short discovery workshop to spot the quick wins
- Build and test 1–2 automations tailored to your business
- Provide a handover and walkthrough so
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