The Collaboration Problem with Excel
Excel was never designed to manage structured processes with multiple participants. While spreadsheets are good at storing lists and numbers, they lack the mechanisms required to manage responsibilities and workflows.
In a typical Excel-based access review, someone exports user access data into a spreadsheet and sends it to the responsible people. From that moment on, the process becomes difficult to control.
Several common problems appear:
1. No defined roles
Excel does not support roles such as review creator, application owner, or reviewer. Responsibilities must be tracked manually, which often leads to confusion about who is responsible for what.
2. No permission control
Anyone with access to the spreadsheet can modify it. There is no structured permission model that limits what different participants can see or change.
3. No built-in workflow
Excel does not provide a process engine. There is no structured flow that ensures tasks move from one person to the next.
4. No notifications
Perhaps the biggest limitation is the lack of automated notifications. Excel cannot notify application owners that a review has started, remind reviewers that tasks are pending, or inform administrators when reviews are completed.
As a result, organizations often rely on manual emails, chat messages, or reminders. This adds administrative overhead and increases the risk that reviews are delayed or forgotten entirely.
Squarum: Built for Collaborative User Access Reviews
Squarum solves these problems by providing a structured platform specifically designed for access governance. Instead of relying on spreadsheets, Squarum introduces a clear role model and workflow. Each participant in the review process has a defined responsibility, whether they are creating the review, owning the application, or reviewing the user access.
The platform manages these roles automatically and ensures that the process flows correctly from one step to the next.
Another major advantage is Squarum’s notification system. All participants involved in a review are automatically informed when action is required.
For example:
- Application owners are notified when a new review starts.
- Reviewers receive notifications when they must validate access.
- Administrators can track progress and completion.
This eliminates the need for manual reminders and ensures that reviews move forward efficiently.
Summary: From Spreadsheet Chaos to Structured User Access Reviews
Excel may still be useful for simple lists, but it is not suited for user access review processes involving multiple people and responsibilities multiplied with tens or even hundreds of apps.
Squarum replaces manual coordination with structured workflows, clear permissions, and automated communication.
- No confusion about responsibilities.
- No endless email reminders.
- No uncontrolled spreadsheet edits.
Excel can store data, but Squarum manages the entire process, including roles, workflow, documentation, and notifications.
| Feature | Excel | Squarum |
| Store user access lists | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Record review decisions | ✓ Manual entries | ✓ Structured review workflow |
| Evidence / proof attachment | ✗ Not integrated | ✓ Direct file upload |
| Multiple evidence files per review | ✗ Difficult / messy | ✓ Multiple file upload |
| Bulk evidence download | ✗ Not available | ✓ One-click bulk export |
| Structured review process | ✗ No workflow | ✓ Built-in review process |
| Role management (Creator, App Owner, Reviewer) | ✗ Not supported | ✓ Clearly defined roles |
| Permission control | ✗ Limited / file-based | ✓ Role-based access control |
| Notifications to participants | ✗ Manual emails required | ✓ Automatic notifications |
| Evidence stored with review | ✗ Stored separately in folders | ✓ Everything in one place |
| Audit readiness | ✗ Hard to prepare | ✓ Audit-friendly documentation |
Register now and perfom your first user access review in 10 minutes. Squarum comes with a free plan that includes a maximum of 25 annual user access reviews.
Squarum – the structured way to manage User Access Reviews.
Squarum – collaboration that Excel simply cannot provide.