The table is a one-person vehicle
Excel works well when one person uses it. When the second person enters, the version problem begins: which file is current, who changed what, which copy was last shared?
In kindergarten, the same information is touched by the teacher, principal, accounting and sometimes the kitchen. The table does not provide the authorization required by this common usage.
Records do not link together
Attendance is on one page, dues is on another page, and parent contact information is on the third file. All three files must be updated manually when the student changes classes. A single row that is not updated silently turns the report into error.
Changes cannot be audited
The table does not tell when and by whom a cell was changed. On issues like finances and attendance, this means not being able to go back and verify.
- No permission limits: anyone who opens the file sees everything
- Version confusion: unclear which copy is correct
- No transaction history: change cannot be tracked
- No parent side: information goes through separate channels
What does software change?
In management software, the record stays in one place and modules look at the same record. Each account is accessed according to its role, changes are stored with its history, and the information sent to the parent is produced from the same record.
It is not necessary to move the entire history to migrate. Most institutions start with an updated list of students and parents and put the daily flow into effect in the first week.
Excel's limit is not calculation, but common use. If the organization works with more than two people, a table is not enough.