When should a spreadsheet become a web application?
CodeAstra Tech · Engineering decision guide
Start with the problem
Look for broken handoffs, not large row counts. If people maintain competing copies, overwrite each other or cannot explain who approved a change, the process needs clearer ownership.
Define the scope
Take one completed transaction and trace every manual step. Record who enters data, who checks it, what happens when it is wrong and how the result reaches the next person.
Check the failure cases
First try forms, permissions and a single source of truth. If those cannot support the workflow, scope a small application covering intake, assignment and status history.
Make the decision
Validate migration on a copy of representative records. Reconcile totals and exceptions with the original before retiring the spreadsheet.