Short answer
Simple repetitive tasks in Excel can be automated with formulas, Power Query and macros. But if several people work in the spreadsheet, data is copied in from other programs or the spreadsheet has become a "system", in the long run it pays to move to a database or a custom system with an automatic data flow.
Options within Excel itself
- Formulas and table functions — calculations without manual work.
- Power Query — importing and processing data from files and other sources.
- Macros (VBA) and Office Scripts — automating repetitive actions.
- Power Automate — simple flows between Microsoft 365 tools.
When Excel is no longer enough
- Several people work in one file, and version chaos follows.
- Data is copied by hand from e-mail, accounting or the online store.
- A formula error could cost money, but nobody notices it.
- The file is slow, and only one person understands how it works.
- You need access rights — not everything should be visible to everyone.
The next step
Often an Excel spreadsheet is really a customer database, an inventory record or a project tracker. In such cases a custom web system gives you the same as the spreadsheet, but with automatic data, permissions, history and reports. Comparison: inventory in Excel or in a system.