Recently, I came across an insightful post by Jessica S, who begins by putting the common phrase “A spreadsheet is not a database” in quotes. This phrase gets thrown around a lot, especially in professional circles, but what do people really mean when they say it? Jessica provides an excellent overview of the popular knowledge surrounding this topic, especially how Excel and Google Sheets are often used to store data in business settings.
Let’s start by acknowledging that she’s absolutely right: like it or not, many people use Excel to store data. It’s been happening since spreadsheets began. To fully understand why and how this practice evolved, we need to dive into a bit of history—starting with the dawn of digital office automation in the 1980s.
The Evolution of the Spreadsheet-Database Hybrid
Back in the early 80s, the leading spreadsheet software was Lotus 1-2-3. Many mistakenly believe the “1-2-3” referred to ease of use, but it actually highlighted its three core functions: spreadsheet, database, and graphics. These were the pillars of office automation at the time. Computers weren’t ubiquitous back then—only a few senior power users had access—but those who did found that Lotus 1-2-3 offered them a consolidated, powerful tool for their office needs.
So, why did Lotus and its competitors cram spreadsheet, database, and graphic functionality into one application? The answer lies in the limitations of the time. Operating systems like DOS could only run one program at a time. If you wanted to work with a spreadsheet and a database, you had to unload one and load the other. This meant effectively shutting down and starting up!
That’s why Lotus integrated these functions into a single application. This integration offered a practical solution for businesses that couldn’t afford to constantly reload programs to complete their work. With Lotus 1-2-3, users could do everything from one platform—store data, perform calculations, and create reports or charts, even if those features were somewhat basic by today’s standards.
The Impact of Windows and the Paradigm Shift
Fast forward to the late 1980s, and a major technological leap occurred with the rise of networking and the introduction of Windows. For the first time, computers could run multiple applications simultaneously. This shift fundamentally altered the way we work with application software. And data.
With Windows, we no longer needed to bundle spreadsheets, databases, and graphics into one program. Instead, Microsoft Office offered a suite of specialized programs—Excel, Access, Word, and PowerPoint—all working separately and specialising in their own specialism. Yet, working together as one when designed to do so. This was the dawn of what became known as client-server architecture, which brought the idea of separating data from applications. Now, data could be stored centrally in a database (the server), while the client (Excel, for instance) could perform its specific tasks more efficiently by pulling in the data it needed, and updating the data when it needed.
The key point here is that by separating these functions, each application could specialize without compromising on its core purpose. The spreadsheet could remain a powerful tool for calculations and analysis, user-interface and logic, while databases like Access were optimized for storing, updating, and querying data for operational needs as a central hub.
The True Power of Excel-Database Synergy
So, if Excel and databases like Access are now separate tools, why do people still conflate them? And why do we still hear, “A spreadsheet is not a database”?
Here’s where Jessica’s post and Mark Proctor’s follow-up become relevant. Mark argues that users cannot easily spin up a database, which is a common misconception. In fact, Microsoft Office has included seamless integration between Excel and Access since the early 90s. Using technologies like ActiveX Data Objects (ADO), users can connect their spreadsheets to a centralized database, enabling them to perform operations like data retrieval, update the database, and consolidation with minimal effort. ADO is a component shipped with all Office products since 1996.
If you sought the MOS Certification you needed to know that Excel and Access (and any other database) are designed to work together, and you were tested on it. And, of course, you needed to be able to create an Access database, just as you needed to be able to create an Excel spreadsheet or a Word document.
This means that Excel can work more efficiently with external databases than it ever could by storing data directly in the spreadsheet itself. For instance, data in an Access database can be queried and manipulated through Excel, often resulting in faster performance, data manipulation, and greater scalability. This is especially true for complex processes like operational workflow or large-scale data consolidation, which would be cumbersome and error-prone if handled within a spreadsheet alone (with external links).
Despite this powerful synergy, many users—including influential figures like Mark Proctor—continue to claim that Excel users struggle to work with databases. This is simply not the case. For those trained in Microsoft Office’s more advanced features, the integration between Excel and Access is straightforward and incredibly transformative. And you couldn’t be certified without that skill.
Why the “Excel Is Not a Database” Debate Matters
At the heart of this debate is a misunderstanding of the full potential of tools like Excel. By clinging to outdated notions of what spreadsheets and databases can and cannot do, we risk limiting the true value these tools offer when used together. Excel was never meant to be a database, but it was designed to work seamlessly with relational databases— and has done so for decades.
However, much of today’s popular Excel content on social media focuses on single-user techniques that don’t scale well in enterprise environments. This can lead to confusion, as influencers often highlight convoluted methods to solve simple problems. Meanwhile, the real power of Excel—its ability to work seamlessly with databases like Access or on the cloud —remains underutilized or misunderstood.
In conclusion, Jessica’s post raises important points, but there’s a deeper story behind why Excel has database-like functionality and why it’s still a relevant tool for data-driven businesses today. We must move beyond the superficial “Excel is not a database” statement and understand how Excel and databases, when used together, can deliver unparalleled efficiency and value in today’s client-server and cloud-based environments. (Today, a database can be located on the cloud just as easily as on a shared drive)
Mark’s response might reinforce the view that ‘spinning up databases’ is too hard for ordinary users, but that view was never true. The Microsoft Office Specialist Certification requires expertise with all four of the Office applications, including Microsoft Access – the database component of this integrateable suit. Indeed, you couldn’t be certified as a Master without certifications in all four, and be conversant with the integration of these applications with each other and with other technologies.
Why is Microsoft providing these certifications? With today’s tools and Microsoft Office’s built-in capabilities, the synergy between Excel and databases offers businesses the best of both worlds—powerful, flexible, and scalable solutions that make a tangible impact. In other words, to be regarded as an expert, one is required to be able to integrate these applications into coherent solutions that span the organisation.
In the end, it’s not about whether Excel is a database—it’s about understanding how Excel, databases, and other specialized tools can work together to deliver results. We must equip ourselves with this knowledge to stay relevant in an ever-evolving landscape.
Specifically, in the context of Excel, a database is not a stand alone application. It is there to extend the role of the spreadsheet to have the power of a relational database in additional to, and to work in synergy with, the spreadsheets. Spreadsheets, plural. Hundreds of them, in one unified process or system.
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