How many companies have massive spreadsheets that no one understands?

Spreadsheets for:

Sales
Hours worked
Operating costs
Financial indicators
Productivity per employee
Monthly targets
Commercial performance

The data is there.
But clarity isn’t.

Most companies don’t suffer from a lack of information.
They suffer from an excess of poorly interpreted data.

This is where a new strategic possibility comes in: using ChatGPT as a spreadsheet analyst.

And no, you don’t need to be a data analyst to understand your own spreadsheet.

 

The new management scenario: too much data, too little clarity

We live in the era of:

ERP systems
CRMs
Time tracking systems
Monitoring tools
Sales software
Automated dashboards

Every tool generates data.

But data is not the same as decisions.

Without strategic interpretation, a spreadsheet becomes:

A forgotten file
An isolated number
A report no one reads
A meeting that leads to no action

Companies accumulate numbers.
Few turn them into insights.

 

What does it mean to use ChatGPT as a spreadsheet analyst?

It does not mean replacing a data scientist.

It means using artificial intelligence to:

Explain patterns
Identify trends
Organize interpretations
Create executive summaries
Detect potential bottlenecks
Suggest improvement hypotheses

AI interprets.
You decide.

This distinction is essential.

 

Why most spreadsheets don’t generate strategic decisions

1. Excessive Complexity

Spreadsheets with:

20 tabs
500 rows
Hidden formulas
Charts no one understands

2. Lack of Executive Vision

Managers don’t want to see:

Row 384 of the spreadsheet.

They want to know:

Are we improving or declining?
Where is the bottleneck?
Which area is below average?
Which indicator requires immediate action?

3. Lack of Comparative Analysis

Few companies cross data such as:

Hours worked × Results delivered
Meeting volume × Performance
Cost per employee × Revenue generated

And it is precisely in these intersections that invisible bottlenecks emerge.

 

How ChatGPT can analyze a spreadsheet in practice

Let’s get practical.

You can:

Remove sensitive data.
Copy relevant excerpts.
Paste them into ChatGPT.
Request strategic analysis.

Example prompts:

“Analyze this data and identify patterns, trends, and potential points of concern.”

“Generate a 5-line executive summary with the main insights from this sheet.”

Or even:

“Compare results month by month and highlight relevant declines.”

 

Practical Use Cases

1. Sales Analysis

You can ask:

Is there a downward trend?
Which months performed the worst?
Is there seasonality?
Which salesperson shows the highest variation?

AI identifies basic statistical patterns and organizes the information.

 

2. Hours Worked Analysis

Strategic questions:

Is overtime increasing?
Is the volume of hours correlated with increased output?
Is any team overloaded?

Now imagine crossing this with real productivity data.

This is where the combination with Monitoo starts to become powerful.

 

3. Operating Cost Analysis

You can request:

Identify expenses that grew above average.
Compare fixed versus variable costs.
Highlight possible optimization areas.

 

The Big Difference: Turning a Static Spreadsheet into Actionable Insight

Static sheet = dead file.
Analyzed sheet = strategic decision.

When you use AI to interpret data:

You reduce analysis time
You gain clarity
You avoid assumption-based decisions
You speed up executive meetings

 

Important: AI Interprets. You Decide.

This is a critical point.

Artificial intelligence:

Identifies patterns
Summarizes data
Suggests hypotheses

But it does not know:

Your company culture
Your long-term strategy
Human context
Invisible variables

AI suggests.
You validate.

 

The Mistake Many Companies Make When Using AI in Spreadsheets

Blindly trusting the interpretation.
Not reviewing data before sending it.
Sharing sensitive information.
Not crossing it with real productivity indicators.

AI without context can generate superficial analysis.

AI combined with strategic data becomes a powerful tool.

 

The Real Power Lies in Data Cross-Referencing

Imagine crossing:

Hours worked
Actual time usage
Most used applications
Meeting time
Results delivered

AI can help interpret.

But you need continuous measurement.

This is where Monitoo comes in.

 

AI Generates Interpretation. Monitoo Generates Continuous Measurement.

Without continuous measurement:

You analyze a snapshot.

With continuous measurement:

You analyze a movie.

Monitoo shows:

Where time is being spent
Which applications consume the most hours
How much time is productive or unproductive
Real digital behavior patterns

When you combine this with AI-driven analysis:

You begin to see invisible bottlenecks.

 

Real Strategic Example

The spreadsheet shows:

The team works 9 hours per day.

Monitoo shows:

3 hours are scattered across non-strategic activities.

ChatGPT analyzes:

There is a correlation between excessive meetings and performance decline.

Result:

A decision based on real data.

 

How to Create a Smart Analysis Workflow

Step 1: Organize Your Data

Clean the sheets
Standardize columns
Remove confidential information

Step 2: Use Strategic Prompts

Request:

Trends
Comparisons
Critical points
Executive summaries

Step 3: Cross with Productivity Data

Use Monitoo to:

Confirm hypotheses
Measure real impact
Track progress over time

 

Real Benefits for Companies

Faster decisions
Reduced unproductive meetings
Bottleneck identification
Executive clarity
Data-driven management
Analytical time savings

 

How This Impacts Small and Medium-Sized Businesses

SMBs generally do not have:

A data analyst
Structured BI systems
An intelligence team

With AI + strategic monitoring:

They gain visibility that was previously exclusive to large enterprises.

 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can I send my entire spreadsheet?

It is recommended to remove sensitive data and send only relevant excerpts.

Does AI replace a data analyst?

No. It supports initial interpretation.

Does it work for any type of spreadsheet?

It works best with clearly organized column-based data.

Can I use it for financial analysis?

Yes, as long as you remove confidential information.

How do I cross it with productivity?

Use tools like Monitoo to measure real time usage and validate hypotheses.

 

Conclusion: The New Management Is Hybrid

Companies that thrive today do three things:

Measure continuously.
Interpret strategically.
Decide based on real data.

ChatGPT helps interpret.

Monitoo helps measure continuously.

The combination turns data into strategic management.

You don’t need to be an analyst.

You need to be a data-driven leader.

 

Sources:

https://www.datastudios.org/post/chatgpt-and-spreadsheets-capabilities-use-cases-and-comparison-with-other-ai-chatbots

https://www.datacamp.com/tutorial/chatgpt-for-excel