We LOVE Excel
And we know how tempting it is to start entering those actions after meetings etc. It's really easy to set up a simple spreadsheet to capture all the details relating to actions, colour code important items and produce beautiful and informative reports in a relatively short time
But – and you knew there was a ‘but’ – it’s just not good enough for rigorous action tracking – let us count the ways:
1. Lack of Real-Time Updates
One of the biggest drawbacks of using Excel for action tracking is its inability to provide real-time updates. In a dynamic environment, tasks and projects are constantly evolving, and it’s crucial for all team members to have access to the most current information. Excel lacks real-time collaboration features, which means that when multiple users are working on the same spreadsheet, they may not see updates until the document is saved and shared again. This can lead to confusion, duplication of work, and missed deadlines.
In contrast, dedicated action tracking software allows for real-time collaboration where changes are instantly visible to all users. This ensures that everyone is working with the most up-to-date information, reducing the risk of errors and enhancing overall efficiency.
2. Poor control of access and versions
Spreadsheets are notoriously difficult to control once they are shared. Files are emailed around, saved to different folders, downloaded locally or copied for reporting purposes. Before long, multiple versions exist and it is impossible to tell which one is current.
Access control is equally weak. Some people see more than they should. Others don't have access when they need it. External parties such as contractors are often given full access because partial access is hard to manage.
3. No Workflow, Review or Escalation
Excel can be used to create simple to-do lists, but it doesn't have the advanced task management capabilities needed for complex projects. In an effective action tracking system, tasks are often interdependent, with some tasks needing to be completed before others can begin. Managing these dependencies in Excel is cumbersome and prone to errors, as there is no built-in functionality to handle task dependencies, prioritisation, or complex workflows - for example an action may need to be approved by several reviewers before close-out.
Excel doesn't understand process. It can't enforce how actions should move from creation to closure. There is no built-in requirement for review before an action is accepted, no approval step before closure and no automatic escalation when deadlines are missed. Everything relies on manual checking, chasing and reminding. As the number of actions increases, this manual effort is likely to become unsustainable. Important actions can be missed, overdue tasks can go unnoticed and follow-up becomes inconsistent.
Without workflow, action tracking depends on individuals remembering what to do rather than on the system supporting them. That is a route to disaster.
4. Maintaining Data Integrity
Maintaining data integrity is a critical aspect of action tracking, especially when dealing with multiple tasks, deadlines, and responsible parties. In Excel, it’s easy for data to become corrupted or for errors to be introduced, particularly when multiple users are making changes to the same file. There is also a risk of accidental deletion or overwriting of important information, which can have serious consequences for project management.
Excel doesn't enforce ownership in any meaningful way. Anyone with access to the file can change an action, reassign it, extend the deadline or mark it as complete. In practice, this often means responsibility becomes blurred. Over time, it becomes difficult to answer basic questions. Who originally accepted the action? Who agreed the deadline? Who approved its closure? When an action changes hands, there is rarely a clear record of when or why that happened. In safety, audit or governance contexts, this lack of accountability is a serious weakness. Actions exist because something needs to be addressed. If ownership is unclear, follow-through becomes unreliable and issues can quietly drift. Dedicated Action tracking software usually maintains a rigorous audit trail, so that all changes to data are clearly visible.
5. Limited Visibility and Weak Reporting
Spreadsheets are static by nature. They do not provide real-time visibility across teams, projects or locations. Understanding the current status of actions often requires manual filtering, sorting and interpretation. Reporting is equally limited. Producing meaningful summaries usually involves copying data into new sheets, creating pivot tables or manually counting statuses. This takes time and introduces opportunities for error. By the time reports reach management, they may already be out of date. This makes it difficult to spot trends, identify recurring issues or understand where attention is really needed.
Good action tracking should make problems visible early. Excel tends to hide them until they become unavoidable.
Additional Considerations
We couldn't stop at 5 reasons - here are a few more we thought of :
- Limited Integration with Other Tools: Excel does not easily integrate with other project management and communication tools, such as Slack, Trello, or Jira. This lack of integration can lead to information silos, where critical data is stored in different systems and is not easily accessible to all team members. Specialised action tracking tools, however, often offer seamless integration with a wide range of other business applications, ensuring that all relevant data is centralised and accessible.
- No Automation Capabilities: Automation is a key feature of modern action tracking systems. These systems can automate repetitive tasks, such as sending reminders, updating task statuses, and generating reports, freeing up valuable time for team members to focus on more strategic activities. Excel does not offer these automation capabilities, meaning that much of the work must be done manually, which is time-consuming and prone to human error.
- User Experience and Accessibility: Excel can be difficult to use for those who are not familiar with its advanced features. Dedicated action tracking tools, on the other hand, are designed with user experience in mind, offering intuitive interfaces and user-friendly features that make it easy for all team members to use the system effectively. Additionally, many modern action tracking tools are cloud-based, allowing team members to access the system from anywhere, on any device.
- Attachments are tricky: The best action management systems allow actionees to attach additional information to support their work - Excel will allow this in a slightly clunky fashion but it's very difficult to restrict access so that only those involved in the action can attach files.
- The illusion of control: One of the most dangerous aspects of using Excel for action tracking is the illusion of control it creates. A spreadsheet full of green cells and completed dates can look reassuring, even when actions have not been properly reviewed or verified. This false confidence can lead organisations to believe risks are being managed when they are not. In high-consequence environments, that gap between perception and reality is where serious issues emerge.
When Excel Stops Being “Good Enough”
Excel is not inherently bad. For personal task lists or very small sets of low-risk actions, it can be perfectly fine. The problem arises when action tracking becomes shared, long-lived or important. Actions arising from incidents, audits, inspections, risk assessments or management reviews demand a higher level of control and assurance.
At that point, spreadsheets stop being a convenience and can start becoming a liability.
What Dedicated Action Tracking Does Better
Dedicated action tracking systems are designed specifically to address the weaknesses of spreadsheets. They enforce ownership and accountability, record full audit histories, control access properly and support structured workflows. They provide reminders, escalation and real-time visibility so that actions do not rely on individual diligence to be managed effectively.
More importantly, they create consistency. Actions are handled the same way regardless of who raises them or where they come from, reducing variability and improving confidence. This consistency is especially important when actions relate to safety, compliance or governance.
When actions matter, the system used to track them matters too. Spreadsheets were never designed to manage accountability, evidence and governance at scale. Relying on Excel for critical action tracking is often a sign that the importance of follow-through is being underestimated.
Summary
To sum up - Excel is often chosen for action tracking because it is easy to start with. Unfortunately, ease at the beginning frequently leads to problems later.
As actions grow in number, importance and scrutiny, spreadsheets struggle to keep up. Ownership becomes unclear, evidence disappears and visibility declines. The result is not just inefficiency, but increased risk.
