In the ever-evolving space of business intelligence, planning, and analytics, the tension between marketing narratives and technical realities is becoming increasingly evident. A prime example of this is the continued promotion of cloud-based FP&A tools—like Anaplan and Workday Adaptive Planning—over Microsoft Excel, with the recurring claim that Excel lacks the ability to support modern, connected, enterprise-grade processes.
While marketing naturally seeks to appeal to specific audiences, there is a fine line between positioning a product and misleading by omission or oversimplification. Criticizing such messaging is delicate. After all, promotional content often targets specific mindsets and user bases—people who interpret the information differently than domain experts would. That said, when promotional statements are factually flawed or intentionally omit truths to favor the promoted product, critique becomes not only fair but necessary.
A Familiar Case: Anaplan and the Excel Myth
One well-known example comes from a 2023 LinkedIn post by Colin Wall, who claimed that you can only do top-down budgeting with spreadsheets and that bottom-up planning requires tools like Anaplan. This struck a chord with many professionals familiar with enterprise Excel solutions, including myself.
The problem with such a claim lies in the flawed comparison it implies. It pits a cloud-enabled, client-server tool like Anaplan against an outdated, fragmented image of Excel—as if the only way Excel is used in business is through disconnected files passed around via email. That is simply not the case.
Excel in the Cloud: A Different Picture
Modern Excel, when architected correctly, is fully capable of operating in a cloud-leveraged, client-server model. This architecture is not just theoretical—it has been possible for decades. In fact, as early as 1993, Microsoft showcased Excel connected to backend databases through client-server architecture in a DevCast hosted by none other than Satya Nadella.
To illustrate this more simply, imagine a household where books are scattered across rooms, without a catalog. That’s the traditional spreadsheet sprawl—disorganized, inaccessible, inefficient. Now, imagine entrusting those books to a librarian in a centralized library. That’s a database-backed Excel solution. Everyone can access the information they need, when they need it, in a structured and reliable format.
That “librarian” is your cloud-based data store. Whether it’s SQL Server, Access, or another database, it supports Excel as the client. With this setup, Excel becomes part of a robust enterprise architecture—scalable, secure, and collaborative.
Comparing Like With Like
If we’re to compare Excel with Anaplan, the only fair comparison is between their cloud-based implementations. Onboarding for a custom Excel-based planning solution can be done in minutes—literally. Set up a database in the cloud, connect it to Excel, and you’re off. Even users unfamiliar with the setup can learn the process in 15 minutes.
Anaplan, on the other hand, requires months of onboarding, relies on a closed-box architecture, and prevents meaningful modification without vendor involvement. So when marketing messaging claims that Excel can’t do what Anaplan does, while simultaneously failing to acknowledge this modern capability, it crosses into disingenuous territory.
Demonstrated Reality
I’ve built two demonstration models using Excel and cloud architecture—an annual budgeting system and a budget review system—both fully scalable and enterprise-ready. These models disprove the notion that Excel is outdated or unsuitable for serious business planning.
Yet vendors continue to claim otherwise. Why? Because their target audience—by their own admission—is unaware that Excel is capable of these things. That’s not marketing. That’s manipulation.
A Flat Earth Analogy
Let’s use a humorous analogy. There exists a small, passionate group of people who believe the Earth is flat. Marketers could create parachutes, tethers, and safety gear for people who fear falling off the edge. This is absurd, of course—but if your product is designed for the flat-Earth market, that’s your strategy. The problem arises when this narrative reaches the general public, who immediately recognize its absurdity.
In the same way, marketing tools like Anaplan by comparing them to an outdated stereotype of Excel, despite clear evidence that Excel has evolved, is misleading—not just to professionals, but to decision-makers investing in enterprise technology.
Is It Ignorance or Dishonesty?
Initially, one might assume that this is simply ignorance. But when confronted with the reality of Excel’s cloud capabilities—as Colin Wall was in that very 2023 LinkedIn thread—it becomes harder to excuse. When someone continues to make inaccurate claims long after being corrected, it raises a serious question: is this just bad marketing, or is it dishonesty?
Many FP&A tool vendors and their sales teams continue to push the narrative that Excel “can’t do it,” even after being shown otherwise. That’s not a lack of knowledge. That’s deliberate.
The Final Word
This isn’t a rejection of Anaplan, Workday, or any other tool. I make no claim about their overall utility or value. But the attempt to diminish Excel based on outdated assumptions must be challenged.
Yes, there is a demographic of decision-makers who are unaware of Excel’s true potential. Yes, they are fearful or dismissive of those who are skilled in Excel—seeing them as “clever boffins” that threaten traditional hierarchies. But building a marketing strategy on that ignorance and fear doesn’t make it right.
So, should we be concerned that the Flat Earthers are being sold parachutes? Perhaps not. But when that same parachute is being pitched as a better alternative to an airplane—while dismissing the airplane as obsolete—we owe it to the industry, and to truth, to speak up.
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