Spreadsheets fill the gaps between systems, until they become the system.
YouDo sees this across the energy sector: teams managing trading positions, asset availability, or regulatory processes using spreadsheets, shared drives, and manual workarounds. It works, until version drift, key-person risk, and opaque logic start getting in the way of decision-making.
In one case, a network operator was relying on a spreadsheet-based setup originally built in the 1990s. Data ingestion was manual, visualisation was limited, and readings had to be reconciled by hand. It worked, but slowly – and with growing risk as responsibilities shifted across the team.
YouDo worked with the operator to replace the entire process with a modern, fit-for-purpose tool: automated reads, scheduled ingest, a real-time map view across thousands of sensors, alarms, and rich plots. Delivered in sprints, embedded with their team, and aligned to how they actually operate.
It’s not just about modernising, it’s about removing the invisible friction that slows down governance and hides operational risk. Fit-for-purpose systems give teams visibility, traceability, and confidence, without waiting for the next “enterprise transformation”.
For energy businesses, this shift often starts when the spreadsheet becomes a bottleneck – not just for efficiency, but for compliance and resilience. And it doesn’t need to be a multi-year project. Often, the right first version can land within months, grounded in the workflows your team already knows.
When we talk about replacing spreadsheets, we’re really talking about restoring control: creating shared context, reducing risk, and supporting the decisions that actually drive outcomes.
It’s not about flash, it’s about fit.
For more information, visit the YouDo website.
