In this article we’re going to look at why you might consider an alternative to a Microsoft Access database for your organization, or specific project. As we’ll see, Access has some limitations that can become a problem eventually. A simple solution is to use a combination of SQL Server and Excel, with the SQL Spreads …
The Excel and SQL Server experts blog
Alternative to Microsoft Access: SQL Server + Excel
Andy McDonald - Oct 12, 2023Update View in SQL Server using Excel – Step by Step Guide
Johannes Åkesson - Sep 08, 2023In many businesses, it’s common to use Views to present database tables in a user-friendly way. With SQL Spreads, you can update a View in SQL Server from within Excel. SQL Spreads allows you to work with SQL Server Views, making it easy to display data side by side in Excel, similar to any other …
SQL Spreads: a front end for SQL Server
Andy McDonald - Jul 05, 2023There are several options available if you are looking for a front end for SQL Server. Like most things, what is best for you will depend on a number of factors. In this article, we’re going to look at the things to consider when choosing a front end for SQL Server and how the SQL …
Tree Filters in Excel: an easy way to view and filter SQL data
Andy McDonald - May 11, 2023With the rise of data democratization in the workplace, more people across the organization are working with datasets on a day-to-day basis. SQL Spreads makes this easier for people by letting them use Excel to update and manage data in SQL Server. One of the reasons people enjoy working in Excel is the familiarity of the UI …
Cleansing data in SQL Server
Andy McDonald - Jan 30, 2023We come across ‘dirty’ data all the time. It’s one of the realities of working with data on a regular basis. With the rise of data democratization in the workplace, more people across the organization are exposed to the problem of dirty data and are also more likely to be involved in the cleansing process. …
How a Business Analyst can help with data conversion projects
Andy McDonald - Nov 25, 2022Businesses today are required to manage more data than ever before. Change is also occurring at a faster rate. Organizations therefore need to be agile with regard to data management and this means being able to move data around from one system to another or between parties with relative ease. In this article we’ll discuss …
Master Data Management Tools for Azure
Andy McDonald - Nov 07, 2022Maintaining a “single source of truth” is critical for all organizations. The discipline of Master Data Management (MDM) is one of the means to achieve this. In this article, we’re going to look at some Master Data Management tools for Azure. Table of contents 1. Introduction 2. What is Master Data Management? 3. Microsoft Purview: an …
How to Export Data from SQL Server to Excel
Andy McDonald - Jul 04, 2022In a previous article, SQL and Excel: Why you need both, we showed that for many businesses the use of both SQL Server and Excel is an optimum approach to data management. For organizations that use SQL Server and Excel extensively, there is often a need to export data from SQL Server to Excel. The …
Excel Power Query: What is it? Why use it?
Andy McDonald - Jul 01, 2022With Excel Power Query you can connect to data sources, import data, clean and shape it and then load it into Excel or a data model so that you can create charts and reports. In this article, we’re going to look at some examples of where you’d use Power Query and give a quick overview …
How to Use SQL with Excel for Data Analysis
Andy McDonald - Jun 08, 2022In a previous article, we talked about why most organizations should use both SQL Server and Excel for their data management needs. In this article, we’re going to look at an example of how to perform data analysis using SQL and Excel with an Excel Add-In, called SQL Spreads. You can use the Add-In to …
