Why Your PMs Still Love Excel - And How That’s Finally OK
Let your PMs keep the spreadsheet feel they love - while gaining the data visibility, workflows, and automation your firm needs to deliver projects smarter and faster.
Let’s face it: project managers love Excel. It’s fast. It’s familiar. And when deadlines are tight, opening a spreadsheet is second nature.
Unfortunately, it’s also disconnected from the systems that drive your projects, budgets, and billing. That means every estimate built in Excel creates risk: version control issues, data re-entry, and a lack of visibility for the rest of the team.
aec360 solves this by embedding Excel-style estimating directly into the ERP system. PMs get the speed and flexibility they want without giving up integration, governance, or control.
Excel Inside ERP: The Best of Both Worlds
In aec360, PMs can build project estimates in an interface that looks and feels like their favorite spreadsheet, but it’s embedded directly inside Dynamics 365. They can enter roles, hours, rates, and phases just like they would in Excel. The difference? The data flows straight into your ERP, powering your pursuit process, budgets, and approvals.
Templates That Save Time and Improve Accuracy
Got repeatable project types? aec360 lets you save templates so PMs aren’t starting from scratch. You can even clone previous estimates to save time on similar work. This not only speeds things up but also helps standardize pricing across the firm.
Built-in Workflows and Approvals
Excel alone doesn’t handle project-specific workflows. aec360 does. PMs can trigger workflows based on project type, value, or stage, making sure the right people review estimates at the right time. All without switching tools.
Instant Outputs That Win Work
Once the estimate is ready, PMs can generate proposal-ready Word or PDF documents straight from the system. No formatting gymnastics. No cut-and-paste mistakes. Just clean, professional outputs in minutes.
From PM Buy-In to Firmwide Benefits
When you give PMs tools they want to use, adoption isn’t a battle. By bringing Excel into ERP, aec360 bridges the gap between usability and operational discipline. That means better visibility, fewer errors, and faster turnarounds—from pursuit to closeout.
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