Replacing Excel and PowerPoint / Engineering
Out of Excel and PowerPoint. Into your own application.
Calculations in one file, project status in another, results on slides. We turn these workflows into custom apps, dashboards and BI analysis on a shared data foundation. Your team works directly in the application. AI assists where fixed rules alone are insufficient.
Interactive target workflow / fictional data
See the status. Work in the app.
Dashboard / work package AP-017
Plan: 14 October · Forecast: 16 October 2026. Source: AP-017, revision 01.
The review uses shared data.
Dashboards and BI show results directly from the data foundation. There is no need to rebuild this view in PowerPoint each week.
An AI explanation could describe the deviation with source references. The +2 comes from a fixed calculation. AI does not decide whether the review must move.
Click through the steps. A scripted illustration with no AI request and no data upload.
Turn your Excel tools into applications.
Calculation spreadsheets, effort estimators and variant comparisons contain your technical knowledge. We reuse validated logic and build the right interface around it. We agree which files can be fully retired by examining your workflow.
- Calculation and engineering apps
- Calculate and compare material costs, engineering effort or variants directly in an app. Validate inputs, maintain calculation rules centrally and store results with their assumptions.
- Dashboards and BI analysis
- Review project status, deviations and metrics from shared data. Filter by project or period and trace results to their underlying information. Hold the review in the dashboard.
- Tasks and approvals in the app
- Manage ownership, questions and decisions directly on the record. Roles, approvals and change history are part of the planned workflow. PowerPoint remains an optional export where needed.
From a file to a shared application
- 01 / PROCESS
Validate the Excel logic
Review spreadsheets, formulas, macros and external links. Known test cases define the results the new application must produce.
- 02 / PROCESS
Build the data foundation
Define the data model, database and required interfaces. Plan versioning, access permissions and history from the start.
- 03 / PROCESS
Build dashboards and the app
Implement analysis, input forms and approvals for your workflow. AI can assist with interpreting notes or drafting explanatory text.
- 04 / APPROVAL
Validate and switch over
Compare calculations and workflows with the existing files. Following expert approval, the application becomes the primary system; agree exactly which Excel files are retired.
Illustrative workflow. Not a customer case study or a promised time saving.
Run the review in the application.
Today, work packages from Excel and decisions from meeting notes are assembled for PowerPoint. In the target workflow, you see project status in the dashboard and open the relevant record in the app. Questions and decisions stay with the work package. A missing owner remains visible until someone makes the assignment.
Calculations and status rules are deterministic. AI can interpret notes and draft explanations. Technical decisions remain with you.
Meeting decisions become tasks in the app.
AI can suggest tasks and open questions from approved notes. A person checks the suggestions and assigns them to the relevant record. Owners and dates are not invented. Further work takes place in the application. Audio recordings are not required; access rights and handling of personal data are agreed beforehand.
Shared data for dashboards, BI and the app.
We plan a shared database with versioned records for implementation. Inputs, calculation results and approvals should remain traceable together. A new forecast must not silently overwrite the previous plan. We agree sources, refresh intervals, roles and retention. The example above is an illustration, not an existing integration with your systems.
What needs to be ready before the first test
- A specific workflow whose Excel files and PowerPoint reporting should be replaced, with a named technical owner.
- A calculation spreadsheet, Excel tool or status list with an agreed data version, documented calculation logic and known validation results.
- The required dashboard views, input forms, roles and approvals. Any remaining exports are explicitly agreed.
- Approved AI tools, suitable access permissions and agreed handling of company data.
Measure first. Discuss time savings afterwards.
We compare the same task in the existing file-based workflow and in the application: manual transfers, maintenance, checking and rework. We also validate calculation results and traceability of changes. What matters is which duplicate work actually disappears. We agree the criteria before the pilot.
A clearly scoped process can be tested in a pilot for EUR 4,900. The current duration is 4 weeks. Data access, scope and deliverables are agreed beforehand.
Discuss replacing your Excel workflow ↗Does your team need to review AI features and use them appropriately in everyday work? Training supports the rollout. AI fundamentals and practical exercises help people assess drafts and recognise limitations.
Explore training and the learning sample →Common questions about the workflow
Is the intention to replace Excel and PowerPoint?
Yes, for the agreed scope. Calculations, analysis and task handling move into an application with shared data. Excel imports or PowerPoint exports may remain for a transition or external recipients. Day-to-day work should no longer require maintaining parallel files and slides.
Will you build a dashboard, a BI solution or an app?
That depends on the task. Dashboards and BI support analysis. An app is needed when people enter data, process records or approve decisions. Both can use the same data foundation. We review existing systems, calculation logic and interfaces before implementation.
Is a threefold or fivefold speed increase guaranteed?
No. Time savings depend on data quality, repeatability and review effort. Preparation, checking and rework are measured together during the pilot. Only those measurements support a credible claim.
