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Excel Link

  • Glossary

"Excel Linkage"

This glossary explains various keywords that will help you understand the mindset necessary for data utilization and successful DX.
This time, we will be looking at Excel, which is an entity that cannot be ignored in reality when using IT. Based on this, we will explain the concept of "Excel integration," which can be an important point in practical IT utilization, and through this, we will consider what we should keep in mind when using IT in the future.

What is Excel integration?

Excel integration is an initiative to link and utilize data and formulas within spreadsheet software Microsoft Excel files (Excel workbooks) with external IT systems and cloud services.
In today's world, where new IT applications such as cloud computing are being promoted, Excel, which is widely used in the workplace, is often seen as an "undesirable use of IT." However, in reality, it is often difficult to eliminate Excel, and many people are struggling with how to deal with this. In such situations, the idea of Excel integration can be a good solution.

"Excel" is often considered an "undesirable use of IT"

Microsoft Excel is so widespread that there are almost no organizations that do not use it. As an easy-to-use IT tool, it is used by more people for more purposes than any other. However, at the same time, Excel is often not well-regarded.

For example, in situations where you are trying to make "advanced use of IT" or when thinking about "what data usage in your company should look like in the future," Excel is likely to be seen as an "undesirable use of IT."

Furthermore, Excel has a bad reputation among people with advanced IT skills. IT engineers and people with advanced data analysis skills tend to have a bad reputation, especially when Excel is used for unexpected purposes in the workplace.

Of course, Excelhas many good points, but I think it is a product that inevitably receives both positive and negative reviews. When talking about "how IT should be used," it is often said that Excel should be eliminated, but on the other hand, it is still very widely used in the real world. When realistically thinking about what to do with IT in the future, "what to do with Excel" becomes an important point.

Why Excel is "not well-liked"

So why is Excel sometimes viewed as an "undesirable use of IT" and not welcomed?

Struggling with the UI and UX of Excel files that you don't understand

If you were to ask, "What's wrong with Excel?", the first thing that would come up would probably be the experience of using "terrible Excel files" that are a pain to use. For example, Excel files that force you to enter each character separately into each cell, and that have problems both in terms of ease of use and the way data is stored and processed.

Of course, it is possible to create Excel files that are easy to use, but the fact that we often come across Excel files that are forced to be used with such problematic UI and UX naturally raises the question of whether this is a desirable means of realizing "the ideal form of IT utilization in companies in the future."

suffer from awkward data formats and incorrect data storage

When trying to use data stored in Excel files, you may encounter inconveniences and difficulties. Data processing may not be well thought out, such as numbers stored in full-width characters, strings that are a mix of full-width and half-width characters, data that has not been normalized in a database and is instead in a mysterious original format, or necessary information written in speech bubbles above cells, making it impossible to process as data.

These may be the result of people who think they have made good efforts to use the data in this way, but when you are asked to use data stored in an Excel file in this state, it can be very difficult and can hinder the use of the data.

Suffering from an indecipherable implementation

Excel worksheets can contain not only values but also logic (functions, etc.). Furthermore, you can program with VBA and add external functions using plug-ins. If you use these functions appropriately, it can be said to be a useful environment for development, allowing you to utilize a variety of methods as appropriate. However, if these functions are used in a way that only the creator can understand, you can end up with a terrifying Excel file that is difficult to understand.

Additionally, it can be difficult to understand where the data is located, as there may be multiple Excel sheets with data inexplicably scattered across them, or external files may be referenced.

This situation makes it difficult to understand the Excel file and add or modify functions. This leads to a frustrating situation where other people don't understand it but have to use it because they have no choice. It also makes it difficult to add or modify functions as business operations change.

There are limitations and restrictions on what can be done, and problematic implementations tend to remain as they are.

The fact is that if something is difficult to use or has problems, it is a matter of how it is used, and if it is made and used properly, there should be no problems.

However, it is also true that there are limits to how much you can develop. While it is not impossible to implement a machine learning algorithm in Excel, it is not very realistic. If you try to create a UI that is not suitable for Excel, it will inevitably feel like you have forced it. While various implementations are possible, it is often more realistic to develop using other means.

I struggle with not being able to manage where my Excel files are and how they are being used.

As a result, the problem is that data and the logic built into it tend to be scattered in the form of files. When this happens, it becomes difficult to know where the data is located within the company and in what form, and it is also difficult to organize and store the data in a predetermined format. In other words, it becomes difficult to manage data assets across the entire organization.

Furthermore, because data processing logic can be embedded in individual Excel files, if these files are modified here and there and then shared again, a wide variety of Excel file "variants" with different behaviors may be scattered throughout the company, making it impossible to manage which processes are correct and which are new. It is completely undesirable for business processing logic to become unmanageable.

However, attempts to stop using Excel have not worked.

Although Excel has its advantages, it can also lead to negative IT usage, as seen here. What's more, it can be difficult to manage and deal with usage to prevent negative situations.

With this in mind, people who are trying to realize advanced IT utilization may think, "Let's get rid of Excel." However, in reality, will such an initiative work?

I want to move to a cloud service and get rid of it (but it remains)

There are a variety of cloud services available these days, such as kintone, that have been developed with migration from Excel in mind. Some offer features that anticipate migration from Excel, or a user experience that is reminiscent of Excel, and some also have cloud service-like features such as collaborative editing of the same data on the cloud.

However, since it is not a service that can do almost everything that Excel can do with the same ease of use, there will inevitably be situations where "you cannot do the same things as Excel." Also, if the use of Excel is established as a business habit, for example, exchanging Excel files as email attachments, it will be necessary to change the business procedures themselves and the business habits themselves (with other companies), which can be difficult.

I want you to use BI tools.

Let's say you introduced a BI tool with the goal of using it to perform advanced analysis in an easy-to-read format, rather than storing data in Excel and having each person analyze and create reports in their own way. Nowadays, various vendors are offering products that claim to be "BI tools that anyone can use."

However, there are still not many tools that are as easy to use and versatile as Excel, and it is difficult to introduce them on the assumption that everyone will be able to use them. This can lead to only a select few people using the BI tool, which can result in the burden being concentrated on those who can use the BI tool. This means that Excel files will remain in "other situations."

I want to re-enter the data properly.

Even if you want to re-enter the data in a properly managed database or similar, it can be difficult to create an environment where everyone can use it effectively. For that person, if it's more convenient and works more smoothly using Excel as before, they won't be motivated to do so. For example, it's probably not realistic in most cases to have everyone be able to use SQL. Furthermore, if it's difficult to extract data from the large number of original Excel files, it will be difficult to move forward with the effort to re-enter the data.

Unreadable/importable (and difficult to abolish)

Let's say you have a logic in Excel that takes into account various conditions and makes the right decisions in your business, but it's difficult to decipher how it's implemented. Or, let's say you have a very useful tool created in Excel.

If the existing implementation of Excel is difficult to decipher, or if deciphering and reimplementing it is not worthwhile or beneficial, and if it is difficult to stop using it, then it will naturally be difficult to eliminate Excel.

Used outside the company

Even if you manage to eliminate Excel internally, it will continue to be used outside the company, and you will continue to receive documents using Excel from other companies. Also, even if you have replaced it with a cloud service within your company, if the other party has not implemented it, you will have to use Excel instead, as it cannot be used internally.

Is it still a replacement for Excel?

Even with all that has been said, it is not impossible to stop using Excel. If you want to, you can transition from Excel to "new IT." However, the question is whether the results you get are worth the effort of "still pushing yourself" despite all these problems.

Even with all this in mind, it's still difficult to judge whether the policy of "eliminating Excel" is the right one. In reality, given all these circumstances, I think there are many situations where, although the introduction of the cloud has made things more convenient in some ways, Excel remains in great numbers and continues to be used everywhere, remaining the primary tool.

Combine the best features with "Excel integration"

Excel has its problems. However, I realized that quitting Excel would be difficult and the hurdles would be high. Are there any other options?

While Excel has problems and there are reasons for "migration" to other services such as the cloud, Excel also has its "good points" and "unavoidable circumstances." You don't have to choose "one or the other"; there is a way to embrace both. This is an effort to "link" Excel with other IT applications.

Linking kintone with Excel

It's common for companies to introduce kintone in an attempt to promote cloud utilization, but still end up using Excel. Forcing people to abolish Excel will cause some departments to suffer, but if both continue to be used without any consideration, it will only lead to further confusion within the company's IT.

For example, if the sales department has difficulty handling the task due to skill issues, they can use Excel, but if that data is automatically linked to kintone, they can successfully balance the trend toward promoting cloud utilization with the reality that Excel must remain.

Using BI tools and Excel together

Let's say you want people to use data analysis effectively, so you've organized the data in a cloud-based DWH and introduced a BI tool, but only a few people are actually using it.If that's the case, for those who want to continue checking and analyzing data in Excel as before, you can automatically link the data on the cloud and export data for those who work in Excel, and you can continue to move forward with the introduction of the BI tool while still being able to successfully incorporate cases where this is difficult.

Use Excel as the UI and input/output data

If data entry work is already done using Excel, or if complex data checks or input assistance are required when entering data, and there is a system in place to automatically process Excel and data integration to the cloud, then in such cases you can leave Excel as the input method and automatically link the entered data to the cloud, allowing you to easily utilize the cloud.

Put Excel on hold without forcing yourself

Sometimes the business logic itself is built in Excel. This is the case when complex business processing rules are carefully designed to take into account various business exceptions. In particular, when VBA and other tools are used to create complex systems, it can be difficult to decipher them and migrate them to a new system.

In such cases, you can leave the logic embedded in the Excel file along with the Excel file, and when that logic is needed, you can data integration from the cloud to the Excel file for processing, and then return the results to the cloud, allowing you to coexist with cloud services without any hassle.

Automate processing of Excel files received from other companies

As a practical matter, even if you move to kintone internally, there will likely be situations in the foreseeable future where you receive Excel files from business partners or are asked to submit them in Excel format. It's difficult to get business partners to adapt to your needs, and it's a shame to have to deal with the hassle every time you receive an Excel file. Even in such cases, if you have a system that automatically processes Excel files received from outside and data integration to the cloud, you can successfully coexist with external Excel files.

It's also useful for people who don't want to use Excel

This approach may seem like an excessive consideration for those who want to use Excel, but it also has great value for those who don't need to use Excel, those who don't want to use Excel, those with advanced IT skills, and those who want to move away from Excel.

Without such a method, every time you try to undertake a new IT initiative, you will have to take on the responsibility of handling all the tedious work that was previously done in Excel. However, if you can leave the tedious parts in Excel, you can "separate" those troublesome areas from yourself, so you don't have to deal with them yourself, and you can focus on moving the new initiative forward.

"Connecting" technology that enables Excel integration

By considering "integrating with Excel" as an option, rather than just "stopping Excel," we learned that the often difficult problem of "what to do with Excel" can be easily resolved. However, you may be wondering how to achieve such integration, or thinking that your company does not have the engineers to develop such a system.

It's true that this is often the "general" belief, but there is a way to efficiently develop this kind of "Excel integration" using only a GUI."EAI "or" ETL"," iPaaS" called "DataSpider" and "HULFT SquareThese are technologies that connect things. By utilizing this, Excel integration can be achieved smoothly and efficiently.

Can be used with GUI only

Unlike regular programming, there is no need to write code. By placing and configuring icons on the GUI, you can achieve integration with a wide variety of systems, data, and cloud services.

Being able to develop using a GUI is also an advantage

No-code development using only a GUI may seem like a simple compromise compared to full-scale programming. However, being able to develop using only a GUI allows on-site personnel to proactively work on cloud integration themselves.

The people who understand the business best are the people in the field. Rather than having to explain things to engineers every time something needs to be done, it's an advantage to have the "people who know best" be able to create things themselves. The reason Excel is so popular is because it's an IT tool that people can use themselves. If it were possible for the field to "create things themselves" when it comes to linking Excel with external systems, it would be an opportunity to realize good initiatives that create business value.

It can be used to automate business processes or even Excel work itself.

The main topic so far has been how automatic integration can sometimes effectively solve problems that often occur between Excel files and external locations such as the cloud. Furthermore, this kind of "function that can link with a wide variety of systems and data" can be used not only for automatic integration, but also for business automation and the creation of business logic.

For example, it can read data from Excel, make decisions as needed, rewrite or transcribe the data, send Excel as an attachment, automatically check the contents of the sent Excel, automatically connect with kintone, and if necessary, automatically post to Slack to notify people.

Although attempts have been made to automate such processes using RPA, there are many cases where development has not been successful (especially in terms of stable operation), or where the process has been complicated and strangely created using VBA. By utilizing the "Tsunagu" tool, stable automatic and linked processes can be created using only a GUI. It can also be used as a means of achieving on-site-led business automation.

Full-scale processing can be implemented

There are many products that claim to allow development using only a GUI, but some people may have a negative impression of such products as being too simple.

It is true that things like "It's certainly easy to make, but it can only do simple things," "When I tried to execute a full-scale process, it couldn't process and crashed," or "It doesn't have the high reliability or stable operating capacity to support business operations, which caused problems" tend to occur.

"DataSpider" and "HULFT Square" are easy to use, but also allow you to create processes at the same level as full-scale programming. They have the same high processing power as full-scale programming, as they are internally converted to Java and executed, and have a long history of supporting corporate IT. They combine the benefits of "GUI only" with full-scale capabilities.

No need to operate in-house as it is iPaaS

DataSpider can be operated securely on a system under your own management. With HULFT Square, a cloud service (iPaaS), this "connecting" technology itself can be used as a cloud service without the need for in-house operation, eliminating the hassle of in-house implementation and system operation.

Related keywords (for further understanding)

  • EAI
    • It is a concept of "connecting" systems by data integration, and is a means of freely connecting various data and systems. It is a concept that has been used since long before the cloud era as a way to effectively utilize IT.
  • ETL
    • In the recent trend of actively working on data utilization, the majority of the work is not the data analysis itself, but rather the collection and preprocessing of data scattered around, from on-premise to cloud. This is a means to carry out such processing efficiently.
  • iPaaS
    • A cloud service that "connects" various clouds with external systems and data simply by operating on a GUI is called iPaaS.

Are you interested in "iPaaS" and "connecting" technologies?

Try out our products that allow you to freely connect various data and systems, from on-premise IT systems to cloud services, and make successful use of IT.

The ultimate "connecting" tool: data integration software "DataSpider" and data integration platform "HULFT Square"

"DataSpider," data integration tool developed and sold by our company, is a "connecting" tool with a long history of success. "HULFT Square," a data integration platform, is a "connecting" cloud service developed using DataSpider technology.

Another feature is that development can be done using only the GUI (no code) without writing code like in regular programming, so business staff who have a good understanding of their company's business can take the initiative to use it.

Try outDataSpider/ HULFT Square 's "connecting" technology:

There are many simple collaboration tools on the market, but this tool can be used with just a GUI, is easy enough for even non-programmers to use, and has "high development productivity" and "full-fledged performance that can serve as the foundation for business (professional use)."

It can smoothly solve the problem of "connecting disparate systems and data" that is hindering successful IT utilization. We offer a free trial version and online seminars where you can try it out for free, so we hope you will give it a try.


Why not try a PoC to see if "HULFT Square" can transform your business?

Why not try verifying how "connecting" can be utilized in your business, the feasibility of solving problems using data integration, and the benefits that can be obtained?

  • I want to automate data integration with SaaS, but I want to confirm the feasibility of doing so.
  • We want to move forward with data utilization, but we have issues with system integration
  • I want to consider data integration platform to achieve DX.

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