%20--%3e%3cg%3e%3cg%20id='Layer_1'%3e%3cg%3e%3cpath%20class='cls-3'%20d='M45.5,43.5v-6c0-4.4-2.9-7.3-7.3-7.3s-4.7,1-6.2,2.8v-2.3h-4v18.4h4v-10.2c0-2.9,2-4.8,4.9-4.8s4.6,1.9,4.6,4.7v5.6c0,3.1,1.7,4.7,4.9,4.7h1.2v-3.9h-.4c-1,0-1.7-.7-1.7-1.7'/%3e%3cpath%20class='cls-3'%20d='M59.5,45.7c-3.3,0-5.7-2.5-5.7-5.7s2.4-5.7,5.7-5.7,5.7,2.5,5.7,5.7-2.4,5.7-5.7,5.7M69.2,43.5v-12.8h-4v2.6c-1.5-1.9-3.8-3.1-6.5-3.1-5.2,0-9.1,4.2-9.1,9.6s3.9,9.6,9.1,9.6,5.2-1.3,6.7-3.4c.5,1.9,2.1,2.9,4.7,2.9h1.2v-3.9h-.3c-1.1,0-1.7-.7-1.7-1.7'/%3e%3cpath%20class='cls-3'%20d='M106.5,45.7c-3.3,0-5.7-2.5-5.7-5.7s2.5-5.7,5.7-5.7,5.7,2.5,5.7,5.7-2.4,5.7-5.7,5.7M106.5,30.3c-5.6,0-9.9,4.2-9.9,9.6s4.2,9.6,9.9,9.6,9.9-4.2,9.9-9.6-4.3-9.6-9.9-9.6'/%3e%3cpath%20class='cls-3'%20d='M83.6,45.4c-3.4,0-5.9-2.4-5.9-5.5s2.6-5.6,5.9-5.6,5.9,2.4,5.9,5.6-2.6,5.5-5.9,5.5M89.6,33.4c-1.6-1.9-3.9-3-6.8-3-5.4,0-9.4,4.1-9.4,9.6s4.1,9.6,9.4,9.6,5.2-1.1,6.8-3v1.7c0,3.5-2.2,5.7-5.6,5.7v3.8c5.9,0,9.8-3.8,9.8-9.7v-17.1h-4.2v2.6Z'/%3e%3cpath%20class='cls-3'%20d='M12.2,29.2l4.1,10.8h-8.2l4.1-10.8ZM23,44.7l-8.1-20v-.2h0s-3.5,0-3.5,0h-1.6L0,49.2h4.6l2-5.3h11.2l.8,2.2h0c.7,1.9,2.4,3,4.9,3h1s0,0,0,0h.2v-3.9h-.4c-.6,0-1.1-.1-1.3-.5'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3cpolygon%20class='cls-11'%20points='142.5%208%20156.4%2016%20142.5%2024%20142.5%208'/%3e%3cpolygon%20class='cls-12'%20points='142.5%2024%20156.4%2016%20156.4%2032%20142.5%2024'/%3e%3cpolygon%20class='cls-5'%20points='156.4%2032%20156.4%2016%20170.2%2024%20156.4%2032'/%3e%3cpolygon%20class='cls-8'%20points='170.2%2024%20156.4%2016%20170.2%208%20170.2%2024'/%3e%3cpolygon%20class='cls-15'%20points='170.2%208%20156.4%2016%20156.4%200%20170.2%208'/%3e%3cpolygon%20class='cls-4'%20points='156.4%200%20156.4%2016%20142.5%208%20156.4%200'/%3e%3cpolygon%20class='cls-6'%20points='128.7%2032%20142.5%2040%20128.7%2048%20128.7%2032'/%3e%3cpolygon%20class='cls-13'%20points='128.7%2048%20142.5%2040%20142.5%2056%20128.7%2048'/%3e%3cpolygon%20class='cls-1'%20points='142.5%2056%20142.5%2040%20156.4%2048%20142.5%2056'/%3e%3cpolygon%20class='cls-10'%20points='156.4%2048%20142.5%2040%20156.4%2032%20156.4%2048'/%3e%3cpolygon%20class='cls-14'%20points='156.4%2048%20170.2%2040%20156.4%2032%20156.4%2048'/%3e%3cpolygon%20class='cls-7'%20points='156.4%2032%20170.2%2040%20170.2%2024%20156.4%2032'/%3e%3cpolygon%20class='cls-9'%20points='156.4%2032%20142.5%2040%20142.5%2024%20156.4%2032'/%3e%3cpolygon%20class='cls-2'%20points='142.5%2024%20142.5%2040%20128.7%2032%20142.5%2024'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/svg%3e)
Excel: a trusted tool, but is it still enough?
Excel, the tool that has been a trusted companion for financial professionals in education for years. Budgeting, building reports, forecasting—for many educational institutions, everything begins and ends with that familiar green grid of cells.
But as useful as Excel is, it has its limitations. Limitations that often show up at the worst possible moments: a wrong formula, a lost file, or endless confusion over mismatched versions. Sound familiar? If so, you're definitely not alone.
The downside of Excel: wasted time and frustration
Anyone who works regularly with Excel knows the pitfalls. Think about the hours you've spent on a complex spreadsheet. You've carefully built tables, double-checked formulas, and everything seems to be working like a charm. Until a colleague spots an error. A tiny error. Maybe a cell got shifted, a formula was copied without absolute references, or a number was entered when it should’ve been a percentage.
That one small mistake? It has consequences. Suddenly, your totals are off—or worse, a critical financial report is unusable. Finding the error feels like searching for a needle in a haystack. It's frustrating, it eats up your time, and it causes stress.
And it doesn’t stop there. How often have you emailed an Excel file back and forth with colleagues, only to realize everyone is now working on a different version? Losing track of changes becomes inevitable. You might find yourself asking: “Which version is the right one? What did colleague X update? And why am I suddenly getting an error message?”
These situations don’t just waste time—they can also jeopardize important deadlines. And let’s be honest: no one wants that, especially in a sector like education where every euro and every minute counts.
The new reality: greater complexity, less time
Education is changing. Financial challenges are becoming more complex. Institutions need to adapt more quickly to change, provide greater transparency, and think strategically about the future. In this new reality, financial professionals are expected to make data available in real time, analyze risks, and deliver reliable forecasts.
In this context, Excel is a fine tool—but only to a certain extent. It’s great for simple calculations and ad hoc analyses. But as processes become more complex or collaboration plays a bigger role, Excel starts to show its cracks.
The risk of errors increases. Processes become cumbersome. It simply takes too much of your time. And that’s time you could be using to focus on what really matters: contributing strategically to the future of your educational institution.
Smart tools for smart financial professionals
Is there an alternative? Yes, and it’s one that more and more educational institutions are discovering: planning and control software. Software that’s specifically designed to address the challenges of financial departments in education.
Take Anago, for example, designed with education in mind. Our tool helps financial departments work more efficiently, gain better insights, and make smarter decisions—all without the stress that Excel often brings.
Why making the switch is worth it
Switching from Excel to specialized software might feel like a big step. But think about the long-term benefits: fewer errors, less wasted time, and more control over your financial processes.
On top of that, you can relieve yourself and your team of unnecessary burdens. No more wrestling with formulas or scrambling to make last-minute fixes. No more panic over discovering an error in a report at the eleventh hour. Instead, you can focus on what truly matters: delivering valuable insights and contributing to better educational quality.
Is it time for a new approach?
Excel will always be a powerful tool, and that’s unlikely to change. But the real question is: is it still enough for the challenges of today—and tomorrow?
Do you recognize the challenges of working with Excel? Or have you already made the switch to a different solution?
