When budgets are tight and resources limited, some healthcare, social care and third sector organisations will automatically use Excel and Google Sheets to create databases so they can co-ordinate care with each other. This can be a wise move; however, as time progresses, you may need to find a better, more efficient and safer long-term solution. Excel spreadsheets and Google Sheets may be the cheapest option, but if you are making regular updates and changes to your database, beware of the following challenges they can present.