The reality of CAE management with Excel
Most delegated subjects in Spain still manage their CAE files using Excel spreadsheets. This situation is understandable: the CAE system is young (RD 36/2023), the market is in a structuring phase and many delegated subjects started out with the resources at hand.
However, as the volume of files grows and the annual obligation increases, the limitations of Excel become apparent. Let us examine them point by point.
Saving calculation: manual formulas versus automatic validation
With Excel
- The formulas for each datasheet are implemented manually in the spreadsheet
- There is no automatic validation of regulatory thresholds (e.g. LED >= 130 lm/W)
- The risk of formula errors is high, especially when copy-pasting between files
- The reference values (default efficiency, conversion factors) must be checked manually
- There is no traceability of who modified which calculation and when
With a SaaS platform
- The formulas are built in and referenced to Orden TED/845/2023
- Regulatory thresholds are validated automatically when entering the parameters
- Each calculation is versioned with an audit log
- The regulatory references are incorporated into every field
Document management: folders versus an integrated checklist
With Excel
- The D1 to D5 documents are stored in local or shared folders (Google Drive, OneDrive, network folders)
- There is no automatic checklist to verify that all documents are present
- File names are inconsistent ("foto_hotel.jpg" versus "D4_TER040_cliente23_v2_final.pdf")
- The risk of sending an incomplete file to the ENAC verifier is high
With a SaaS platform
- A D1-D5 checklist built into each file, with a visual completeness indicator
- Documents attached directly to the file, with automatic naming
- An alert if you try to generate the verifier dossier with missing documents
Generating the verifier dossier
With Excel
- The D5 document (justification calculation) is prepared manually, copying data between the spreadsheet and a Word or PDF document
- The complete dossier is assembled manually, compiling documents from different sources
- The average time to prepare the dossier for the verifier: 2 to 5 days per file
- The risk of inconsistency between the calculation and the dossier is significant
With a SaaS platform
- The complete verifier dossier is generated in one click, including the D5, the parameters, the regulatory references and the checklist
- Consistency guaranteed between the calculation and the dossier (a single data flow)
- Generation time: seconds
Portfolio tracking and reporting
With Excel
- Portfolio tracking is done in a separate summary sheet, updated manually
- The KPIs (total MWh, portfolio value, projects by status) require complex formulas and ongoing maintenance
- A consolidated multi-client view is hard to keep up to date
- The reports for obligated parties are prepared manually
With a SaaS platform
- A real-time dashboard with automatic KPIs
- A kanban view to visualise the status of all files
- An Excel export of the complete portfolio in one click
- Multi-client management in a unified panel
Scalability and volume limits
The fundamental problem with Excel is that it does not scale. A delegated subject who manages 10 files a month can get by with spreadsheets. But when the volume rises to 50 or 100 files per month, errors multiply, coordination becomes complicated and the time per file does not decrease.
With a SaaS platform, the time per file decreases as the team becomes familiar with the tool, and the management capacity can be multiplied without adding human resources in proportion.
The real cost of management with Excel
Although Excel appears to be "free", the real cost of manual management includes:
- Calculation time: 1 to 3 hours per file (versus minutes with a platform)
- Verifier dossier time: 2 to 5 days (versus seconds)
- Calculation errors: each error generates a back-and-forth cycle with the verifier (weeks)
- Rejected files: lost or deferred revenue
- Lack of traceability: audit risk
For a delegated subject who manages 30 files per month with an average value of 15,000 EUR per file in CAE, saving 50% of the processing time represents tens of thousands of euros per month of freed-up capacity.