Comparison · Excel vs Projavio
The hidden cost of Excel for construction cost reports.
Excel got you here. It probably won\'t get you to the next 50 projects. A practical, honest comparison of where Excel-based PCSRs work — and where they break.
The comparison
Eight dimensions. Excel, then Projavio.
None of this is hypothetical — these are the dimensions UK consultancies most consistently flag when they decide it's time to stop running their PCSR in Excel.
Three real shapes
Why consultancies are moving off Excel.
A 14-project QS firm reaching its Excel limit
The senior QS spends two days a month rebuilding the cost report. The graduate QS spends three days fixing the workbooks she didn't inherit cleanly. The director gets a portfolio summary every six weeks because building it takes a week. Projavio replaces all three workflows in week two.
A controls team responding to a near-miss
A formula error on one project workbook over-reported committed cost by £180k for two months. The client conversation when discovered was unpleasant. The team moved to Projavio four weeks later — cost report integrity is no longer formula-dependent.
A consultancy preparing for ISO 9001 audit
Auditor requested every PCSR revision for the last 12 months across 20 live projects. In Excel, that's a week of file-recovery and version-tracing. In Projavio, it's an export. Compliance teams find the audit trail is the most underrated part of the platform.
What switching looks like
From Excel to Projavio in two weeks.
The Excel-to-Projavio migration is well-trodden. We\'ve done it for every customer; the pattern is consistent.
Week 1
Workspace + first project
We set up your workspace, import your project list, and migrate one PCSR workbook. Your QS sees the live PCSR by Friday.
Week 2
Migrate the rest
Bulk import remaining PCSRs, variation logs, cashflows. Your QS team is fully on Projavio for new project work; legacy Excel files become read-only references.
Week 3+
Director dashboards
Portfolio variance, cashflow roll-up, variation rate. The Monday-morning brief becomes a 30-second scan of one screen.
Stop rebuilding the PCSR every month.
A 30-minute demo on a real PCSR workbook of yours. Bring an existing project; we\'ll show you what it looks like in Projavio.
Frequently asked questions
Will my QS team actually use it?
Most teams move off Excel in the first two weeks because the time saving is immediate. The pattern is consistent: senior QS first, then graduates, then the director conversation shifts to portfolio.
What happens to our existing workbooks?
They become read-only references. Projavio imports the data; the original files stay where they are for your archive. Most teams stop opening them within a month.
Is the migration disruptive?
It's structured to not be. Week one: one project moves over. Week two: the rest. New work goes into Projavio from day one; legacy work continues in Excel until each project hits closeout. We don't force a Big Bang.
How does Projavio handle our specific PCSR format?
PCSR layouts vary by firm; the underlying schema (committed/anticipated/forecast/out-turn × packages × projects) is universal. Projavio matches your column structure to the schema during onboarding.
Can we still export to Excel?
Yes — every PCSR exports to Excel for client packs, board packs, archive. The point isn't to stop using Excel; it's to stop maintaining the live PCSR in it.
Do you support our existing accounting tool?
Sage, Xero, and QuickBooks via export today. Projavio runs alongside accounting — project commercial reporting in Projavio, ledger / payroll in your accounting tool. Most consultancies run both.
What about projects that are 90% complete?
You can leave them in Excel until closeout. Projavio is best for active commercial projects where the PCSR is being maintained monthly. Closing out projects in Excel for the last 5% is fine.
See your PCSR in Projavio.
A 30-minute demo on a workbook of yours. We\'ll show you the time saving in the first ten minutes.