Comparison
Spreadsheets vs purpose-built monitoring
Where spreadsheets work, where they strain, and when firms move to purpose-built monitoring.
Spreadsheets are where most monitoring starts and where it eventually strains. The honest comparison:
- Data captureSpreadsheets require manual rekeying from each statement. Varanic extracts the figures and cites the source for each one.
- TrustA spreadsheet figure is only as good as the last edit, with no record of who changed what. Varanic locks human-verified values and logs every change.
- RestatementsEasy to miss across tabs and quarters. Varanic flags them automatically.
- ScaleSpreadsheets strain as the portfolio and team grow. Varanic holds the whole portfolio in one schema.
- LP defensibilitySpreadsheets cannot show where a number came from. Varanic traces every figure to its source.
The bottom line
Spreadsheets are not the enemy. They are the right tool for a one-off model. They are the wrong tool for monitoring a growing portfolio that LPs depend on.