Airtable

Avantages

When a co-worker recommended Airtable, I was predictably skeptical. Who needs yet another spreadsheet software I said, with an internal (ok, maybe external) eye roll. But this is no mere spreadsheet platform. It is the only one you will ever need. Ever. Again. The functionality that make it worth it to switch from Excel or Google Sheets might seem insignificant when you look at them on a features list. Colored labels, grouping, filtering, view options, etc. But you have no idea what a big difference they make! Airtable makes it possible to put in all the data you have, but the key to its success is it lets you filter it down to only the essential information you need to see to make the decisions in front of you. It's the database that actually helps with decision-making. And the more I use it, the more uses I find for it!

Inconvénients

There are very few cons to Airtable. It's simple to use, and the potential is limitless. Once you start putting bases together, you just don't want to stop! One thing that is slightly non-intuitive is the relationship (or lack thereof) between different "tabs" of data. Read up on those before you go that route. You can also start getting out of hand pretty quickly with creating lots of different views, but nothing a little intentionality can't address. We trained our entire team on using Airtable for project management, and it's been the best decision we ever made.

Avantages

Ease of use, basically a database without the complexity of being one. No more managing of tabulated data via spreadsheet or simple table in word processing software. I also like the fact that I can do data entry in expanded and table views (I have a base called “Ideas”, where each column correspond to an area of interest in idea generation, e.g. Problem, Market, Competition, Elevator Pitch etc. - which the preferred data entry method is in the Expanded Jew; where as for base such as my “Bank Transactions Tracker”, the table field is better.

I also like how they aren’t just focusing on being American (yay to company that bother to cater to ALL date format under the sky) although for some other colum type they haven’t got down to it yet (telephone number etc.).

Personally I am a big fan of the Pro feature Blocks, which I used to create performace dashboards for my freelance subscription business. The Blocks feature is the only reason I opt to pay, although I am paying mostly out of my credits accumulated during the earlier days of Airtable.

Also like the community that’s building on top of it, forum is very active and lots of power users to learn from.

Combine with with other IaaS tool such as Zapier and you get a really powerful tool.

Inconvénients

Insufficient control (can be easy to make mistake such as accidental typing etc.), lack of data validation (upon data entry), and interface could use more customization (e.g. lots of empty/white spaces in Card views, can’t have multiple lines in field header etc.).

Avantages

I like this software so much that I pay for it monthly, and I don't consider 25 a month "cheap" for me. But it has been so useful that I can't imagine not having access to all the features.

It's complicated to say what I like most because that entails an explanation of what it does. It basically combines spreadsheets with databases and then allows you to view your data in a multitude of customizable ways. And share just the parts you want to share, or all of it. You can also add collaborators or have clients input information directly through forms. You can take all of this and embed it on your website or on facebook.

The various views can be a gallery of photos, or a more standard spreadsheet, or you can output it to lists like an address list, or set it up to print labels of just the records you want to include.

You can use it for project management and production queues, keeping track of vendors or clients, sorting and updating inventories. It's really brilliant to the point that I've moved away from other spreadsheet programs, task management systems and photo gallery software in favor of using Airtable.

Inconvénients

It's not perfect! There are a few things I haven't figured out how to do or it's fairly clunky still. But much of that is my own lack of skill in certain areas. I'd love to utilize API but I'm still too much of a novice to really figure it out. Once I do, though, I feel like it will take my website to another level.

One of the features is the ability to take a group of records and output it into a format you create. It would be great if there were some templates available for this sort of thing, but I'm not even sure how that could be implemented. It could just be my own laziness!

Avantages

As an early adopter of Airtable, I've seen the program grow from a more functional and intuitive version of Excel to a full fledged application that can do anything from spreadsheet management to producing a CRM or project workflow. Initially, I used the application for QA and bug tracking, but now I use it for inventory for art I collect (I can even include photos for visual reference), lead tracking and generation, and a few other practical things. The more I use Airtable, the more I'm impressed with how much potential the application has to positively impact any business, organization, or individual.

Inconvénients

For first time users, it can be a bit intimidating, especially if checking out the application, casually. One great resource that Airtable introduced is Airtable Universe, which highlights and demonstrates working and real examples of how companies and industries are using Airtable to track deadlines, scheduling, and a slew of other use cases. I would recommend that as the starting point for any novice of the application or anyone interested in giving it a try.

Avantages

Spreadsheets are great because of their flexibility. But most of its power lies behind a vast library of functions that users must have a good understanding about its syntax and how to use it. Add to that the fact that they are not exactly pretty to look at. The solution lies with Airtable. Coined as part spreadsheet and part database, it provides a new way of displaying vital information without all the hassles of setting up a spreadsheet.

For starters, Airtable offers a vast array of templates and layouts to choose from. If you are proficient, or the templates simply do not provide you with the necessary layout, you can start one from scratch. Maybe even create your own template.

Airtable is like a high performance spreadsheet with a serious upgrade on its user interface. Even the user experience is something quite amazing. YOu add, remove or modify the columns and configure them to accept the data you need.

It does all a spreadsheet can do, except that its coolest feature is its ability to go from a grid appearance, like your typical spreadsheet, to a form appearance, which resembles more of a database.

Airtable offers a wide array of functionality in its free subscription level. Upgrades offer more customization options that enhance the functionality and appearance of your table. And to make the transition from regular old boring spreadsheets to Airtable, they offer importing of your data to start off with.

Inconvénients

It is much easier than your typical spreadsheet, but if you are a true spreadsheet power user, you may find a bit of a lack in its functionality. Again, only if you are a power user, which most of us are really not when it comes to everything spreadsheets can do. There are limited hover over hints for the buttons and fields, so you need to really click on them to find out what they are used for. Novice spreadsheet users will still find a similar learning curve with Airtable, but because the core functionalities are visible from the top ribbon, it does make it just a bit easier to use. But, remember, there will still be a slight learning curve, especially with more advance features.

Please note, it does well at importing those current spreadsheets, but Airtable is proprietary and online, and does not do well if you need to export it into a document for archival purposes.