Short answerA union has outgrown spreadsheets when the same member is typed into several files, month-end takes days, only one person knows how the workbook works, deadlines live in someone’s head, and officers wait a week for a simple count. Start by putting members in one shared record.
The five signs
Spreadsheets are flexible, free and familiar. They stop working quietly, one workaround at a time. Watch for these:
- The same member lives in three files: dues, the mailing list and the steward’s notes, each slightly different.
- Month-end takes days because employer files are matched to the workbook by hand.
- One person knows how the formulas work, and the office plans its holidays around them.
- Grievance and contract deadlines are tracked in someone’s calendar or memory.
- A simple question from the executive board, like “how many members in good standing?”, takes a week to answer.
What to fix first
Start with the member record. When every department works from one list of members, with employer, unit and status, everything else gets easier: dues post to the right person, stewards see who they represent, and counts stop disagreeing.
Then move the work that repeats every month, usually dues and remittance, so staff time goes back to members.