Many aviation companies still rely on Excel to manage critical operations, from maintenance scheduling to tracking airworthiness directives. Don’t get us wrong, it still is a perfectly viable option, especially in the earlier phases. Spreadsheets softwares like Google Sheets and Excel are flexible, familiar, and widely used. However, as your operation scales, certain limitations start to show.

Here are some signs that it might be time to move beyond Excel and into a centralized ERP system:

1. Siloed Teams, Siloed Data

With Excel, each team — Engineering, Inventory or Supply Chain, Technical Records, and MCC — often builds its own master file, conforming to their own system, and data needs.

Without a shared system, synchronization becomes a manual effort. To get the accurate data, one needs to check both the data sources as well as how the data is interpreted by each team. Cross-checking between departments takes time, and discrepancies can go unnoticed until issues (and the accompanying risks) arise.

2. Higher Risk of Human Error

Next is human error. We need to preface this: human error can happen with any system, especially during data entry. The difference with Excel is that companies must rely heavily on your system and processes instead of system-driven validations. There are no built-in notifications if tasks are missed, no automatic cross-checks for discrepancies, and no system-calculated data integrations.

For example, with flight hours. When done manually, a small input error could lead to incorrect projections and non-compliance. In contrast, a system that pulls flight hours directly and calculates in real time reduces that risk significantly. To maintain accuracy, someone must constantly monitor for errors, and that becomes harder to sustain as the operation grows.

3. Audits Are More Difficult

Excel makes it harder to perform audits, which is critical to ensure compliance. Losing track of spare parts means losing money. If you had ten units and suddenly only two are accounted for, that’s a serious problem. Without proper traceability, discrepancies like this can go unnoticed until it’s too late.

Auditing spreadsheet records is much slower and due to the fragmented nature of the data itself. While you may track file versions, reconstructing a full history of task closures or inventory movements is rarely straightforward. Questions like “Who changed this?”, “When was it updated?”, or “Why is this different?” become harder to answer with confidence.

4. Access Control Is Limited

Excel allows password protection, but while password protection and user permissions are available, managing access on a granular level often becomes complicated, particularly if you need to control access to specific data points rather than whole files. Sharing role-based information securely becomes more difficult as your team grows and responsibilities diversify.

5. Data Security Risks

A single corrupted file can result in the loss of critical operational records. Even if backups exist, recovering accurate data under pressure carries a high risk of error. The more your operation depends on spreadsheets, the greater the vulnerability.

6. Scaling Becomes a Burden

Managing tasks and records for one aircraft is manageable. But when your fleet grows to five or ten, the workload increases significantly. Without centralized tools, maintaining the same level of airworthiness and documentation quality becomes harder and more resource-intensive.

Thinking About Making the Switch?

If you're unsure whether ERP is the right step or just want to explore further, our article covers:

• The operational benefits ERP systems can offer

• Common aviation use cases and integration examples

• What to consider when choosing a system for your needs

Read our article on ERP here

Let’s Talk

If you're exploring ERP solutions, or considering an upgrade to your current system, our team is ready to assist. Reach out to info@tbmaviation.com to start a conversation about your implementation needs.