Why You Shouldn’t Use Excel as a Data Source for PowerApps?

Why Excel Is Not a Good Data Source for PowerApps

Scalability

Excel is not designed for large-scale data management. As the amount of data increases, Excel’s performance may degrade, leading to slower app response times.

Concurrency

Excel does not handle concurrent access well. If you have multiple users trying to update information at the same time, it can lead to data loss or inconsistency.

Data Integrity

Excel does not have the same robust data validation and integrity checks that you would find in a relational database system. This can lead to data corruption, especially when you have multiple users interacting with the data.

Security

Excel files are not as secure as database systems. They are easier to hack, and there’s a higher risk of data leakage.

Reliability

Excel is not as reliable for long-term, continual data storage as a database system would be. Data can be accidentally or purposefully changed, moved, or deleted.

Version Control

Excel does not have built-in version control, which can be problematic if you need to track changes or revert to a previous version of your data.

When Should You Use Excel as a Data Source for PowerApps?

Although it’s not generally recommended to use Excel as a data source for PowerApps due to the reasons mentioned previously, there are certain scenarios where using Excel might make sense:

Prototyping and Testing

Excel is quite handy if you want to create a prototype or a proof of concept application with PowerApps quickly. It can serve as a quick and easy way to feed data into your app during the development phase.

Small Scale Applications

If the application you’re building is intended for a small number of users and doesn’t require handling large amounts of data, Excel could be a reasonable choice.

Non-Critical Applications

If the data in your app is not critical (i.e., losing or corrupting it wouldn’t cause significant harm), using Excel could be acceptable.

Simple Data Structure

Excel can be suitable if your data structure is quite simple and doesn’t require the relational integrity offered by a database system.

Familiarity and Ease of Use

Excel is a widely-used tool that many people are familiar with. It might be the most straightforward option for someone without a background in databases to create a data source for a PowerApp.

Keep in mind that while Excel can be used in these cases, it still comes with the caveats of potential data integrity issues, lack of scalability, and limited concurrent user handling. It’s always worth considering a more robust data source for your PowerApps as they scale and become more critical to your operations.

The Bottom Line

Instead of using Excel, it’s generally recommended to use a proper database system as a data source for PowerApps. Options include SQL Server, Azure SQL Database, SharePoint, or Common Data Service, among others, which are designed to handle larger amounts of data, provide better security and reliability, and support concurrent users.