BEYOND EXCEL
Excel alternative for FP&A
Spreadsheets are great for analysis but struggle to run planning for a whole organisation. Here is when to move beyond Excel, what to move to and how to keep the parts of Excel your team likes.
2,900+
organisations use Jedox
Leader
Gartner Magic Quadrant for Financial Planning Software
Platinum
Kybos Jedox partner status
49
Jedox success stories to explore
The problem
Why finance teams look for an Excel alternative
Excel is the most widely used finance tool in the world, and for good reason. It is flexible, familiar and powerful. But when it becomes the system that runs budgeting, forecasting and reporting for a whole organisation, its weaknesses start to cost time and money.
- Errors. Broken links, overtyped formulas and hard-coded numbers creep in and are hard to spot.
- Version control. Multiple copies of the same file circulate and nobody is sure which is current.
- Manual data. Actuals are exported from the ERP and pasted in by hand every month.
- Slow consolidation. Budget templates have to be collected and stitched together file by file.
- Key-person risk. Complex models are understood by one person, who becomes a bottleneck.
- Limited scale. Workbooks slow down and break as entities, products and users are added.
If this sounds familiar, read why Excel fails for financial planning, 10 signs you are stuck on the Excel hamster wheel and real-life Excel horror stories.
The alternative
What to look for in an Excel alternative
The right alternative is not simply a different spreadsheet. It is FP&A software built on a central database, with the controls and integration that planning needs. Look for:
- A single, central model so everyone works from the same numbers.
- Automated data loads from your ERP and other systems through integration.
- Collaborative budgeting with input forms, workflow and approvals.
- Version control, user rights and a full audit trail.
- Fast scenario planning and rolling forecasts.
- Automated reporting and dashboards.
- An interface finance teams and budget holders will actually use.
Keep what you like about Excel
Moving beyond Excel does not mean giving it up entirely. Jedox offers an Excel add-in and a spreadsheet-style web interface, so finance teams keep familiar ways of working while the data, logic and security move into a governed platform. Users can still analyse numbers in Excel, but they are always looking at the latest, controlled data.
| Excel-based planning | Jedox | |
|---|---|---|
| Where the data lives | Individual workbooks | One central database |
| Getting actuals in | Manual export and paste | Automated, scheduled loads |
| Collecting the budget | Emailed templates | Input forms with workflow |
| Errors and control | Hard to detect | Validation, rights and audit trail |
| New scenario | Copy and edit the file | Minutes, side by side |
| Working style | Excel | Excel add-in and Excel-like web interface |
Jedox customers who moved beyond Excel
These organisations replaced spreadsheet-based planning and reporting with Jedox.
Automotive
Mercedes-Benz South Africa
1,000+ spreadsheets replaced
Mercedes-Benz moves from 1,000+ spreadsheets to a unified platform. Read the story
Food & Beverage
Zertus
768 monthly Excel reports replaced by Jedox
Zertus: 768 monthly Excel reports replaced by Jedox. Read the story
Pharma & Healthcare
Greencross Vets
30+ Excel workbooks replaced
Minerva & Jedox: Automated reporting cut errors, boosted agility across Greencross. Read the story
Manufacturing
Sandvik
450 cost centres moved off Excel
Shift to five-quarter rolling forecast in under 3 months. Read the story
Manufacturing
Libra Industries
3 months from signature to go-live
Libra’s 3-month transformation: Disconnected Excel-based planning to real-time insights. Read the story
Food & Beverage
AgReliant Genetics
3x increase in scenario planning frequency within months
AgReliant Genetics increased scenario planning frequency 3x within months. Read the story
Browse all Jedox success stories by industry.
Making the move
How to move from Excel to Jedox
Moving off spreadsheets is easier than most teams expect, especially with an experienced partner. A typical path looks like this:
- Start with the process that causes the most pain, often the budget or monthly reporting.
- Use your existing spreadsheets as the specification. They show the logic, structure and outputs you need.
- Connect Jedox to your ERP so actuals load automatically from day one.
- Run the first cycle in Jedox alongside the old process, then switch over.
- Extend to forecasting, scenarios, consolidation and wider business planning once the first process is working.
Libra Industries went from disconnected Excel-based planning to go-live in three months. See Jedox implementation for how Kybos runs projects.
Your Jedox partner
Implementing an Excel alternative with Kybos
Choosing the right software is only half the job. The other half is implementing it well. Kybos is the UK & Ireland’s only dedicated Jedox partner and a Jedox Platinum Partner. Our accountancy-qualified consultants design models that work the way finance works, connect Jedox to your source systems and train your team to own the solution.
- Jedox implementation: design, build, integration and go-live.
- Jedox training: for end users, power users and administrators.
- System integrations: ERP, CRM, HR and data warehouse connections.
- Free health check: for organisations already running Jedox.
Excel alternative FAQs
What is the best alternative to Excel for financial planning?
Dedicated FP&A software built on a central database, such as Jedox. It keeps a familiar spreadsheet-style experience but adds automated data, workflow, version control and audit trails.
Can we still use Excel with Jedox?
Yes. Jedox has an Excel add-in and an Excel-like web interface, so users can keep working in a familiar way while the data and logic are stored centrally.
Is Excel bad for financial planning?
No, Excel is excellent for ad hoc analysis. The problems come when it is used to run organisation-wide budgeting, forecasting and reporting, where errors, version control and manual work become costly.
How long does it take to move from Excel to Jedox?
Focused projects can go live in months. Libra Industries went from Excel-based planning to go-live three months after signing.
Will our budget holders find it hard to use?
Usually not. Because Jedox looks and feels like a spreadsheet, budget holders tend to adopt it quickly, and simple input forms mean they only see what they need.
Ready to move beyond Excel?
Kybos is the UK & Ireland’s only dedicated Jedox partner. Book a demo or a discovery call with one of our accountancy-qualified consultants.