Hey everyone! I'm a tech enthusiast currently in college and working in a company where I mainly handle Excel files and some VBA tasks. We're currently using a mix of Google Workspace, M365, macOS, Windows Server, and Synology. Our team of about 15 employees is looking to improve our system without unnecessarily cutting costs or overcomplicating things.
Currently, we rely on various Office programs for collaboration and basic database functionality using Excel. However, it's not sustainable for our needs moving forward. I'm hoping to transition away from using Excel as a database, implement real-time collaboration, and introduce automation—like getting email notifications based on cell entries.
We're also exploring tools that will allow us to manage tasks with a simple interface and enable financial simulations separately from accounting tasks. Plus, we want to ensure easy access to all files with proper backup
I've been considering some alternatives like Grist or Baserow for data management, n8n for automation, and perhaps a self-hosted Nextcloud setup for office files. I'm eager to get your opinions on this plan and any recommendations you might have!
3 Answers
Hey, just so you know, your post is quite detailed. At first glance, it felt like a stream of consciousness. But that's cool—it's important to outline your current tools and goals. You're definitely on the right path with assessing your options!
I get where you’re coming from, but I suggest you keep things a bit simpler for now. As long as your current system is running well, maybe do one change at a time until you see how it affects your workflow. Trying to do everything at once can get overwhelming.
That’s a good point! Maybe I’ll implement the task management first and see how it goes.
Honestly, if you have O365, why not just set up a VM in Azure? It's usually pretty straightforward, and you can integrate it with your Synology for backups. With hardware prices being what they are, it can be hard to build a robust setup at lower costs. Also, check out the R740 or a tower version if you go for hardware—it could serve you well!
I actually have a unit already in my rack with 64GB DDR5 RAM and an i7 14th generation. Just trying to make the best use of it!
Thanks for the feedback! I just wanted to give a full picture of where we are and what we need.