[kd5bjo]

Any business that runs into that sort of scaling problem is already doing quite well for itself. How many of them would have gotten to that point if they needed to hire a software engineer to make every prototype that eventually led to the final working system?

[giantDinosaur]

I currently work for a business that has done quite well replacing Excel solutions with proper databases. We've literally worked through the collapse of one company (and its rebirth after it was merged with something else) partially due to the sheer impossibility of managing Excel solutions that had grown out of control. Yes, they mainly grew out of control due to management problems, but the way they did so was remarkable in its rapidity and absurdity. Users were being bought machines with 16gb RAM so they could actually track their sales.

[sweeneyrod]

16GB of RAM costs about as much as employing a programmer for a day.

[jakehop]

You’re missing the point. If your sales tracking alone takes up 16GB of RAM on the client, that isn’t scalable - and potentially a horrible experience to work with. Your point is correct in the single case, but I think we’re discussing beyond that.

[Robotbeat]

Excel is a lot more scalable than doing it by hand. I think the point that Excel--even with its poorly scalable performance--has made programming ridiculously accessible in extremely valuable ways is spot on. In fact, it has creates unending market demand for software engineers--customers invent their own apps (in Excel), prove it out in the real world gaining revenue all the way until it slows due to scaling issues, and software engineers just need to rewrite it for them in a scalable environment. It seems pretty optimal to me.

[wangxiaofeng]

agreed!

[mywacaday]

Do you have a workflow or methodology that you use or do you analyse and develop from scratch?

What are you replacing the spreadsheets with, desktop to web apps?