Why Excel Still Matters in a RightAngle World

For all the talk of modern analytics platforms and dashboards, Excel remains one of the most heavily used tools in energy trading and risk management. And despite how often it gets dismissed as “old school,” Excel isn’t going anywhere — especially in RightAngle environments.

The real question isn’t why people use Excel.
It’s how they’re forced to use it today.

Excel Is Where Decisions Still Happen

RightAngle excels at managing complex data, risk, and transactions. But when it comes time to analyze, validate, or share that data, many business users naturally turn to Excel. It’s familiar, flexible, and fast — especially when deadlines loom. And, if you don’t know how to do something, Google will tell you.

Excel is often used for:

• Ad-hoc analysis

• Exception review

• Management reporting

• Cross-team collaboration

• Multi-report analysis

The issue isn’t Excel itself. The issue is how data gets there.

The Risk of Copy/Paste Reporting

In many organizations, Excel reporting still relies on manual exports and copy/paste workflows.  

This introduces real risk:

• No audit trail

• Inconsistent data

• Time wasted revalidating numbers

• Loss of confidence in results

Ironically, the more critical the report, the more fragile the process often becomes.

Excel Doesn’t Compete with RightAngle — It Complements It

Excel isn’t a replacement for RightAngle. It’s an extension of how people work with the data RightAngle manages.

When Excel is connected properly:

• Data stays consistent

• Reporting becomes repeatable

• Business users stay productive

• IT retains control

The goal isn’t to eliminate Excel — it’s to make Excel safe, governed, and reliable.

A More Sustainable Approach

Modern RightAngle teams are rethinking Excel not as a workaround, but as a supported interface. When Excel reporting is structured, automated, and connected directly to RightAngle data:

• Manual effort drops

• Errors decline

• Confidence increases

Excel still matters — but only when it’s treated as part of the ecosystem, not a side channel.

That’s the mindset behind how Triangle Software approaches RightAngle innovation: meeting users where they are to preserve what they rely on, while removing the risk that comes with outdated workflows.  

Innovation doesn’t always mean replacing tools — sometimes it means connecting them better. Learn how Triangle’s tool X-RA seamlessly connects the complexity of RightAngle reporting with the simplicity of Excel.

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