Arvia vs spreadsheets
When the spreadsheets start running the business.
Most consultancies and engineering firms start with spreadsheets, and many run surprisingly well on them for years. The cost shows up later: at month end, at handovers between people, and when someone asks whether a project is actually making money.
The problem
Where spreadsheets stop working.
Several versions, none current.
Everyone works from their own copy.
No approvals.
Anyone can change anything, with no record.
Month-end surprises.
Margin is only known once the accounts close.
Side by side
Spreadsheets and Arvia, topic by topic.
| Topic | Spreadsheets | Arvia |
|---|---|---|
| Project cost | Rebuilt by hand from timesheets, bills and purchase records. | Budget, committed spend and cost-to-date on every project, from approved transactions.Project cost control |
| Unbilled work | Found by cross-checking timesheets against invoices. | WIP report with ageing, filters and CSV export.WIP and project reporting |
| Approvals | Email threads, with no reliable record of who approved what. | Multi-stage approvals with a tamper-evident history.Purchasing and approvals |
| Charge rates | Copied between files; easy to get wrong. | Banded rates, locked when time is approved.Timesheets and charge rates |
| Xero | Invoices and bills typed in again. | Invoices, credit notes, purchase orders and bills sent to Xero once the sync is switched on.What syncs with Xero |
| Cost | No licence cost, but time spent maintaining files. | £20 per user per month paid annually, or £25 paid monthly, ex VAT.See pricing |
Last reviewed 5 October 2026.
Unbilled WIP£ · days since the work was approved
| Project | 0–30 | 31–60 | 61–90 | 91–180 | 180+ | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kestrel Lane officesAcme Homes | 6,240 | 2,180 | – | – | – | 8,420 |
| Substation surveyAcme Utilities | 3,150 | – | 1,460 | – | – | 4,610 |
| Brook Street flatsAcme Estates | 1,920 | 840 | – | 1,500 | 800 | 5,060 |
| Millrace bridge inspectionAcme Utilities | – | – | 610 | 1,180 | – | 1,790 |
| Total | 11,310 | 3,020 | 2,070 | 2,680 | 800 | 19,880 |
Is it time?
Signs you’ve outgrown spreadsheets.
If more than one of these sounds familiar, the spreadsheets are costing you margin.
- Timesheets are chased at month end
- Supplier bills turn up after the money has already been spent
- Purchase orders live in email and spreadsheets, so an overrun only shows up when the invoice does
- Billable hours and costs sit unbilled for months because nobody can see them in one place
- Margin is only known once the accounts are closed, which is too late to fix it
See your projects, costs and invoicing in one place.
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