Excel : The Consultant's Unsung Hero for Clarity and Collaboration

In a world buzzing with specialized software, why does excel still dominate the consultant's toolkit?

Now, picture this..

You're in a boardroom full of leadership executives, and you have 15 minutes to get buy-in for a million-dollar project. What's the one tool that never fails to cut through the complexity and get straight to the point?

In a world buzzing with AI-powered dashboards, sophisticated project management platforms, and no-code solutions, why does the humble spreadsheet still dominate every consultant's desktop? 

After couple of years in consulting—from nerve-wracking client presentations to late-night project pivots—I've witnessed Excel save more projects than I can count. While everyone else chases the latest shiny tool, I've learned something counterintuitive: sometimes the most powerful solution is hiding in plain sight.

The truth is, Excel isn't just spreadsheet software. It's the universal language of business..

The great equalizer that turns chaos into clarity.

But why does it work so well? Let me take this further in this article :

Making the Complex Simple for Decision-Makers

Take the humble Gantt chart—you know, those timeline bars that consultants love? I once had a client, a seasoned operations director, who insisted on weekly updates in this exact format.

Not because he loved spreadsheets, but because he understood that clear visual timelines prevent costly misunderstandings. When everyone can see dependencies and deadlines laid out simply, projects actually finish on time.

Now, another real example -

When proposing a customer self-service portal, instead of burying stakeholders in technical specifications, try this—create an Excel sheet with three columns: Feature, Customer Benefit, and Timeline.

Watch how quickly the conversation shifts from "Is this necessary?" to "How fast can we deliver this?"

The Great Unifier for project management

Ever noticed how development teams, marketing departments, legal advisors, and executive leadership rarely seem to communicate effectively? Everyone has their own set of tool preferences…

Here’s where Excel becomes a key tool in project management.

But here's the question that changed everything for me: What if the tool you use could eliminate 80% of project miscommunication before it happens?

During a complex product launch, we see our team struggled with disconnected tools—developers in Jira, marketers in Monday.com, executives wanting summary reports.

Imagine, the level of context switching and distractions…whoof!

The breakthrough came when we create Excel master tracker. Now, tracking everything at higher level became quite easy..risks, dependencies, assumptions, issues and much more coming under one roof.

That's why project managers love pulling up these status trackers in meetings. The magic happens when everyone stops asking "Where do I find...?" and starts asking "How do we solve...?"

The Unbeatable Power of Tables: Why Simple Wins

In our rush toward digital sophistication, we've forgotten a fundamental truth about human cognition: our brains are wired to process tabular information incredibly efficiently.

But why do tables work so well, and what does this mean for how we present complex ideas? Let me uncover this now :

The Art of Persuasive Comparisons

When was the last time you had to choose between multiple complex options under time pressure? How did you make that decision?

Tables don't just organize information—they create moments of clarity that drive decisions. When you're comparing three different technical architectures, five vendor proposals, or competing project approaches, nothing beats the side-by-side clarity of a well-structured comparison table.

There’s well know Z-pattern hierarchy and that’s how human eye gazes and same applies here…

The genius of comparison tables is that they force you to define what matters most. When stakeholders can see trade-offs clearly laid out, they stop arguing about preferences and start discussing priorities.

The Secret Psychology of Tables

Ever wonder why even the most advanced whiteboarding tools like Figjam and Miro are coming loaded with tables to add on boards? 

It's not about missing the old days of spreadsheets—it's about how our minds work.

Our minds naturally seek patterns and structures. When information appears in neat rows and columns, we process it faster, remember it longer, and trust it more. This isn't just convenience; it's how humans are wired to make sense of complexity.

Again, let me recall - Z-pattern how we view websites 

This is why Excel will never become obsolete, no matter how many AI-powered tools emerge. 

Its fundamental value proposition

Organising information into digestible, comparable chunks—addresses a core human need that technology can enhance but never replace.

—and needs don’t go away…

The Unexpected Truth About "Old School" Tools

Here's what several years of being in consulting has taught me: while everyone else is hunting for the next breakthrough tool, the most successful consultants are masters of the fundamentals. They understand that clarity trumps complexity, that accessibility beats sophistication, and that universal adoption outweighs individual preferences.

Excel isn't just software—it's a competitive advantage disguised as commodity technology. It's the tool that lets you focus on solving problems instead of teaching people how to use your solution.

The bottom line:

In a world obsessed with digital transformation, sometimes the most revolutionary thing you can do is excel at Excel.

So the next time someone suggests replacing your Excel workflows with the latest project management platform, ask yourself: Will this make my ideas clearer, my communication more effective, and my projects more successful? Or will it just make them more complicated?

Next article —

I would be emphasising on why excel still remains important for designers, majorly from lens of having shared understanding…

There’s this lovely insightful book I always prefer to refer to - Articulate design decisions and you know, most of his examples are seen from tables. It shows how writing down design options and the reasons for choosing one helps teams agree faster and feel more confident in their choices - all through table format.

Disclaimer - Above examples may be taken as hypothetical