the mighty spreadsheet

Working in technology for a while, I find it interesting that with all the tech available to folks, the simplest approach is so often used.

Take data integration. In the process of creating requirements to be modeled (whether in Xml Schema or UML), mapping data to internal processes, or mapping data between systems, folks often gravitate to the simple spreadsheet as the primary work horse.

I've done this with many clients, using variations of similar spreadsheets to do mappings and requirements gathering. I've seen standards folks use this, in HR-XML, OAGi, UBL, and the CCTS folks. They all invariably use the spreadsheet over much more sophisticated tools.

Hail the humble spreadsheet!