How to Replace Manual Excel Data Management with a Digital User-Matching Platform?

Manual data management can be replaced with a digital platform that automatically logs all communication between users, collects structured metadata for filtering and matching, and links a verified identity to a real person. The key is not to start by picking a specific technology, but by defining the processes and outputs the system needs to deliver. Only then can you decide whether custom development or assembling a solution from existing tools is more efficient.

Why does manual data processing hold back organisations that connect two groups of users?

Many organisations that act as an intermediary between two groups of people (for example, applicants and service providers, customers and suppliers, or volunteers and institutions) still rely today on manually collecting data through forms and processing it afterwards in Excel. The problem arises once communication between the two parties moves outside the system after the initial connection is made, typically to email or phone calls. The organisation then loses track of what happens next and depends on users voluntarily reporting the outcome themselves. In practice, this means a significant share of the data remains incomplete or skewed, which rules out reliable analytics and forces the team to chase down information manually, by phone or email.

How do you ensure the users in the system are real and unique?

If a system doesn't tie users to a verifiable identifier, the same person can end up in the database multiple times under different email addresses, distorting both statistics and matching. The solution is identity verification at registration, for example through a bank identity service. Bank identity is a service that lets a user prove who they are online with the same level of trust as at a bank, usually through their banking app, giving the system certainty that it is dealing with a real, unique person. It's important to use verification only once, at registration, not at every login. Subsequent logins can then run through a standard email and password flow, keeping the barrier to everyday use low while still eliminating the risk of duplicate or fake accounts.

How do you set up matching and filtering between users based on their profile?

For a system to automatically recommend suitable counterparts, it needs to collect structured metadata already at registration, typically field, location, or a user's current capacity. This data should be editable, since users' circumstances change over time. Experience from similar platforms shows that geographic proximity often matters more to users than other criteria, because shared experience with someone from the same region tends to feel more trustworthy. It's likewise useful to let a single request reach several candidates at once within one category, with the system automatically notifying the others once the request has been filled. Without this kind of automation, that communication falls on a coordinator, who has to contact every participant by hand.

Manual process vs. digital platform: what's the difference?

• Tracking communication - Manual process (Excel, email): Visible only up to first contact, a "blind spot" beyond that. Digital platform: Logged across the entire process.
• Analytics - Manual process (Excel, email): Manual export and processing in pivot tables. Digital platform: Automated evaluation and reporting.
• User identity - Manual process (Excel, email): Risk of duplicates and fake records. Digital platform: Verified at registration, unique identifier.
• Matching counterparts - Manual process (Excel, email): Manual lookup and phone calls. Digital platform: Filtering by metadata and automatic notifications.
• Team workload - Manual process (Excel, email): High, grows with data volume. Digital platform: Lower, team handles exceptions, not routine work.

How do you safely migrate existing data to a new platform?

Migrating historical data is always a sensitive matter, since it typically involves personal data subject to GDPR, the European regulation on personal data protection. For smaller volumes, in the range of a few thousand records, the simplest and cheapest approach is usually to export to a spreadsheet and import it into the new system through a prepared template, without needing to build an API integration. An API is an interface through which two systems can exchange data automatically. For larger or lower-quality datasets, it's worth cleaning the data before migration, removing duplicates and confirming it's still current, ideally through self-service reactivation, where users confirm and verify their migrated account themselves.

Web vs. mobile app: what's worth it for internal process digitalisation?

Building a native mobile app drives up project cost far more than the real benefit justifies, if the main added value is just notifying the user. A modern responsive web interface works reliably on mobile today and can be supplemented with email or SMS alerts, which is fully sufficient for most internal processes. A mobile app makes sense where there's a key feature the web can't deliver equally well, typically push notifications tied to device-level system permissions.

You'll know it's time to replace spreadsheets with your own platform if:

• You process data manually through Excel exports and pivot tables.
• Communication between users moves outside the system after first contact, and you have no visibility into the outcome.
• You can't be sure the users in your database are unique and real.
• Matching suitable counterparts is done manually, based on one team member's experience.
• The report or dashboard you rely on is built on incomplete or outdated data.

Frequently asked questions

What is bank identity and what is it used for? Bank identity is a service for online identity verification through a banking app. In digital platforms, it's used for one-time user verification at registration, so the system only contains real, unique accounts.

Is it necessary to develop a mobile app alongside the website? Not always. A responsive web application works reliably on mobile today, and combined with email or SMS alerts, it covers most needs. A mobile app is worth it only where there's a key feature the web doesn't offer.

How long does data migration to a new platform take? It depends on the volume and quality of the data. For smaller datasets, in the range of a few thousand records, migration can be handled via a spreadsheet template import within days to weeks; larger or messier datasets require more preparation time.

Can the new platform be connected to existing tools like a CRM or content management system? Yes, integration is technically possible, but its benefit depends on the quality of the source data. If the underlying database contains incomplete or inconsistent records, the connected tool will inherit that shortcoming.

What happens to the data when an organisation replaces a manual process with a new platform? Historical data can be migrated into the new system after cleaning and deduplication. Compliance with GDPR needs to be ensured, and users should ideally be able to verify or update their own account and details independently after migration.

Is it worth extending the existing system, or building a new one from scratch? Extending an outdated system is often, in practice, more costly and less effective than developing a new solution, since the existing architecture may not fit new requirements. The decision should be based on a specific analysis of the current solution.

Summary

Manual data management can be replaced with a digital platform that automates communication logging, verifies user uniqueness, and enables structured filtering and matching. The key is to define the required processes and outputs before addressing the specific technology, leaving room for the supplier to propose the actual technical solution during the selection process. Verifying identity through bank identity, clean data migration, and a responsive web interface without an unnecessary mobile app are proven approaches that speed up development and cut costs without sacrificing functionality.

If you're tackling a similar digitalisation of internal processes in your organisation, we'd be happy to discuss it with you in a no-obligation consultation.