Even in the age of AI, businesses still rely on spreadsheets to run their most complex work, having been a reliable go-to since their introduction in 1979. In fact, more than two billion people use them regularly—and we get why. They’re pretty much second nature for most teams. However, with spreadsheets comes manual entry, disconnected systems, and version control headaches. As teams get larger and more global, those workarounds lead to gridlock. Reporting becomes a chore. Decisions get delayed. Slow processes stack up, with one wrong move leading to a massive collapse.
At Quickbase, we hear a lot about spreadsheet burnout:
“As we started hiring more project managers, as we started hiring more people in the office, it became increasingly difficult to manage all of those jobs with spreadsheets.”
“Processes were disconnected. They were in like a lot of places: in Excel, email, and belonged to all sorts of different people. You never had the latest copy of something.”
“We used a lot of spreadsheets. And when you're a company that's trying to grow, spreadsheets are just really not an enabler for growth.”
The truth is that spreadsheets can’t keep up anymore. Data in 2025 requires much more customization, flexibility, and power - especially those in operations-heavy industries where safety, communication, and deadlines are crucial to success. Your work doesn’t need static rows, endless versions, or fragile fixes one click from collapse. It needs pivots with power—apps that flex with you, flows your team already knows, and decisions you can trust. You need real progress that you can count on.
It’s time to pivot from gridlock and gray work to dynamic workflows that actually work.
From Excel to Apps
Today, we’re introducing new features designed to pick up where spreadsheets fall short. AI Spreadsheet Import is now available in Open Beta and in trial— and the first tool of its kind. AI Spreadsheet Import transforms even your most complex spreadsheets into fully functional applications. You can create a dynamic application that preserves your spreadsheet’s data, formulas and relationships in the time it takes for your largest spreadsheet to even load.
Getting started with AI spreadsheet import is as easy as:
- Upload your spreadsheet.
- Quickbase AI normalizes data, translates formulas, and maps relationships across tabs.
- In seconds, it builds your application with a custom interface—no systems design or manual data migration required.
Unlike other tools that just create static tables or put a bow on your existing spreadsheet, Quickbase AI generates dynamic applications with dashboards, reports, forms, automated workflows, and role-based access. These apps help you move beyond static data and disconnected systems. Visualize data in real-time, automate hours of work, and integrate systems with simple drag-and-drop tools. Keep your data secure with granular access controls and audit trails. And, yes—save your computer from crashing under that massive Excel file.
For the first time, businesses can create applications that adapt to their unique processes, not the other way around.
From Gridlock to Grids
And once your spreadsheet is loaded into Quickbase, making edits to your data is a breeze. Our new Grid Reports (coming in October) combine familiar spreadsheet interactions with the power of our operations platform. Think intuitive, familiar features like fill down, undo/redo, double clicking to auto-size column widths, more control over row heights and column widths, pinning multiple columns, improved filtering and more. For instance, making a quick edit could automatically email project stakeholders or add a meeting to your team’s calendar. You can learn more here!
From Guesswork to Data-Driven Decisions
Finally, you can now extract deeper analytics than any spreadsheet could ever provide by itself. With Quick Insights, you can tap into built-in AI to generate real-time insight into what’s driving your results, so you always know what to prioritize and where to take action. For example, you can now better understand what is influencing projects to run over budget, or what helps you win bids. See it in action here!
These tools together enable you to easily pivot off the spreadsheet and onto a platform designed to work with your unique workflows – eliminating disconnected processes and endless workarounds that slow you down.
Get Started with Open Beta
AI Spreadsheet Import is available in Open Beta on all plans and on trials. Quick Insights is also available on all plans and on trials. Grid Reports will be available in early October 2025 on all plans. Get a demo or reach out to your account team for more information.
Your data is capable of so much more with Quickbase—you’ll wonder how you ever worked without it!
