Teams keep using spreadsheets after ERP or CRM go-live; treat them as requirements

Once an ERP or CRM is live, staff often keep working in their old spreadsheets, which the author argues is a useful signal rather than a problem to ban. The piece proposes profiling the actual file with pandas to see which columns are consistently filled and which values repeat. Each spreadsheet column is then mapped against the system to explain why people still rely on the sheet. The reasons fall into four buckets: too many steps, data not visible to that role, unclean migrated data, or genuine gaps in the system. Most fixes involve simplifying forms, adjusting permissions, or scheduling cleanup, and only true gaps justify new customization.