IT Consolidation Stopped Being Optional in 2025 - What Does this Mean for 2026?

As teams move into 2026, one thing is already clear. IT consolidation is no longer a cleanup effort. It’s how organizations stay functional at scale. 

Over the last few years, most organizations added technology with good intentions. Solve a problem. Move faster. Cover a gap. But over time, the stack grew harder to manage than the work itself.  

Disconnected tools. Siloed data. Manual workarounds. Rising software costs. Teams spending more time managing systems than moving work forward. 

In 2025, many Quickbase customers made a different call. Instead of adding yet another tool, they consolidated. They pulled scattered workflows into a single, flexible system, one that matched how their teams’ work. What followed was clarity, speed, and confidence. 

Below are six consolidation patterns our customers used in 2025, how Quickbase supported them with their approach, and what changed as a result. 

1. Replacing Spreadsheet Chaos with a Scalable Data Platform 

The challenge 

UnidosUS, the largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., relied heavily on spreadsheets to manage critical program and affiliate data. One spreadsheet alone contained 256 columns. Access to data was limited to a small group, reporting was slow, and accuracy became harder to trust as the organization grew. 

How Quickbase helped 

UnidosUS moved core datasets into Quickbase, replacing spreadsheets with structured, searchable applications. Role-based permissions allowed more teams to work with data directly while maintaining governance. 

What changed 

• Spreadsheet bottlenecks were eliminated.
• Teams gained self-service access to reporting.
• Reliance on disconnected tools dropped. 

As Andrew Patricio, Principal for Data and Analytics at UnidosUS, put it:  

“I walked into a sea of Excel. Nothing but spreadsheets. One of them had 256 columns. And that was just one spreadsheet.” 

That reliance on spreadsheets was not just hard to manage – it was expensive. After consolidating data and workflows into Quickbase, UnidosUS was able to retire tools that were no longer adding value. 

Andrew later added, “We saved about $80,000 a year in licenses that we were paying for other systems that weren’t even working that well.”  

2. Consolidating Project Management into a Single Source of Truth 

The challenge 

Boyett Construction managed hundreds of projects using spreadsheets, emails, and text messages. As the company grew, it became harder to maintain consistency, track progress, and ensure everyone was working from the same information. 

How Quickbase helped 

Boyett built a custom project management system on Quickbase that centralized project data and connected field and office workflows. Dashboards replaced manual updates, and reporting shifted to real-time. 

What changed 

• Project execution became standardized.
• Visibility improved across teams.
• Growth was supported without adding administrative overhead. 

According to Vern Boyett, CEO of Boyett Construction: 

“We had reached our saturation point. To support business growth without impacting quality, we needed a way to standardize everything and put the latest information at our staff’s fingertips.” 

3. Replacing Rigid CRM with a Custom-Built System 

The challenge 

BMG Manufacturing was using Salesforce, but the platform was expensive and difficult to adapt. Even simple changes required outside consultants, and the system did not reflect how the business operated. 

How Quickbase helped 

BMG recreated its core CRM workflows in Quickbase and then expanded beyond CRM into a centralized internal system known as the BMG Hub. What started as a replacement quickly became a broader operational platform. 

What changed 

• Salesforce was fully replaced.
• Annual CRM costs dropped by more than $55,000.
• A tailored solution was built and deployed in weeks. 

As BMG’s Chief Commercial Officer explained: “Salesforce, for all their marketing of ‘you don’t need IT,’ is really just someone else’s IT that you need.” 

He later added: “The result was the BMG Hub, a centralized portal for the entire company.” 

4. Reducing Tool Sprawl by Connecting Operational Applications 

The challenge 

Conexon had accumulated multiple tools across departments, many with overlapping functionality. This created silos, increased software costs, and slowed collaboration between teams. 

How Quickbase helped 

Conexon consolidated key workflows into Quickbase and connected applications so data could move across teams instead of staying locked in individual systems. 

What changed 

• Software spends dropped by more than $100,000.
• Silos between operational tools were eliminated.
• Productivity and cross-team coordination improved. 

As one Conexon leader shared: “By working with Quickbase, we’ve been able to save more than $100,000 in additional software. We can tie our apps together to each other, so we’re not siloed.” 

5. Centralizing Project Tracking and Quality Control 

The challenge 

CCI Systems relied on spreadsheets and manual processes to track projects. Providing accurate updates to leadership and customers required time-consuming reconciliation across multiple sources. 

How Quickbase helped 

By moving project tracking and quality control into Quickbase, CCI Systems created real-time visibility into work status and performance. 

What changed 

• Dashboards replaced static reports.
• Accuracy and accountability improved.
• Communication with stakeholders became faster. 

The impact was clear. Consolidating spreadsheet-based tracking into Quickbase significantly improved execution and data reliability. 

6. Unifying Operational Data Across the Organization 

The challenge 

Paradise Energy Solutions managed information across nearly 20 systems. Teams spent large portions of their time in meetings just to align on status, and inconsistent data slowed decisions. 

How Quickbase helped 

Quickbase became the central system where operational data was consolidated, giving teams a shared and trusted view of projects and performance. 

What changed 

• Fewer meetings focused on data reconciliation.
• Faster access to accurate information.
• Stronger collaboration across departments. 

As their Corporate Process Manager noted: “Everyone was managing their data separately. That led to extra meetings and delays. Quickbase changed that.” 

What This Means for 2026 

The lesson from 2025 is simple. Organizations that consolidated their tech stacks didn’t just reduce tool counts. They removed friction, lowered costs, and built systems that keep pace with real work.  

Consolidation wasn’t just about standardizing for its own sake. It was about creating clarity, so teams could move faster, operate with confidence, and scale sustainably. 

That same opportunity is in front of teams planning for 2026.  

If you want to hear directly from customers, builders, and product leaders who have already taken this step, those conversations continue at Empower 2026. You’ll see how consolidation works in practice and how to apply these lessons inside your own organization. 

Register for Empower 2026to explore what IT consolidation can unlock next for your organization.