By: Christian Ragland

June 30th, 2025

Introduction

In working with social sector organizations, we often see that Excel is treated as an assumed default for a wide range of projects from case management to data visualization. But what if the tool you’ve always used is actually holding you back?

Excel is a great tool for lower level data storage and organization. On top of that, it’s familiar, cost-effective, and flexible. Many organizations see it as a quick and easy way to save money: just cut out other software and use Excel as a one-stop-shop for all your data needs. But as we’ll see, this approach grossly overestimates Excel’s capabilities, and can actually end up costing an organization more money, time, and headaches than originally intended.

1. The Alternative: Clear Impact Suite

Clear Impact’s suite offers two distinct data management software- Scorecard and Compyle. You can use both software alone, but they are most effective when used together to handle all of your data management and collection needs. Here is a brief overview of what each software does:

  • Scorecard: Scorecard is a performance measurement and population accountability tracking tool designed to use the principles of Results-Based Accountability to help turn your data into tangible results.
  • Compyle: Compyle is a client level data collection software that can be used alone or alongside Scorecard to capture information about the individuals, families, and partner organizations served by your organization.

While each can stand alone, the power of the suite is unlocked when used together. You can think of Compyle as the origin of your data sets with all of the identifying information. In contrast, Scorecard is where you analyze and turn deidentified, aggregate data into actions and strategies for your organization.

2. Compyle vs Excel

Understanding the capabilities of Compyle should show clearly that its capabilities go beyond the scope of any reasonable Excel project. For starters, Excel offers no options for data collection; only storage. The only real option for an organization, then, would be traditional pencil-and-paper data collection methods. Manual collection methods limit an organization’s scope and waste valuable time in the form of labor and organizational headaches. Not to mention, automating repeatable surveys and forms is impossible.

That said, the immediate advantages of Compyle aren’t the only reason it should be seen as more than just an Excel competitor. Lets go over a few more reasons Compyle is an invaluable tool:

Security

Using Excel to store sensitive information about your clients isn’t just inefficient: it can be downright irresponsible and, in certain cases, illegal. Compyle is a HIPAA compliant software application, and we had our most recent external HIPAA compliance audit completed in 2022. All Clear Impact staff complete HIPAA for Business Associates training annually.
Clear Impact is willing to complete a HIPAA Business Associate Agreement with individual customer organizations as well.

Additionally, Clear Impact achieved initial SOC 2 Type 2 certification in December 2023. This certification is renewed annually through an external audit process.

Usability

It is true that Excel is a more complex system than meets the eye: advanced calculations and commands can increase its scope. However, this level of Excel mastery usually only comes with expensive classes and certifications. That said, Compyle is designed for ease of use, keeping the average user in mind. Without the need for classes, Compyle users can begin creating and sending surveys, creating calculations, managing participant records, and automating Scorecard feeds.

Referrals

Unlike Excel, Compyle is built for your work. Meaning, we know that participants are often referred to and from organizations for different programs and purposes. With referral networks in Compyle, this can be done with the click of a button.

Outcome Analysis

In Compyle, surveys don’t stop at respondent answers. Once a survey has run for one or more instances, and responses have come in, you can use the Analytics section to create compylations.

A compylation is aggregated data from a group of participants or organizations that have responded to survey questions. Compylations enable you to take a close look at the data, in order to chart trends, progress, or deficits.

3. Scorecard vs Excel

We’ve already explored how Compyle can do much more than Excel- and more efficiently. But Scorecard also offers advantages over Excel’s simple graph creations and data visualization tools. At first glance, Scorecard feeds (seamlessly and regularly important data collections from Compyle into Scorecards) set the two software apart. But Scorecard offers more than Compyle integration for organizations looking to upgrade their data tracking efforts from Excel.

Clear Visualization

Scorecard’s chart capabilities is a simple, one-click solution. Simply plug in the data (or import from other sources) and you’re done: Scorecard automatically creates a graph that can be visualized as a bar or line, display trend lines, and compare against/aggregate with other measures your organization is following. The best part? Scorecard is designed to work this way: the UI is built for ease of use and public accountability.

Framework Integration and Context

Scorecard is the only software in the world that was built with Results-Based Accountability (RBA) in mind. If your organization uses RBA, you’re already off to a great start with understanding Scorecard! The integrated “Story Behind the Curve,” distinction between performance and population accountability, and built-in terminology will make immediate sense to an RBA practitioner. Not into RBA or use a different framework? No problem. Scorecard allows for shared language customization to ensure that your software reflects the terminology, framework, and shared vision of your organization.

Accountability Tracking

Scorecard is designed with accountability tracking and personnel management features to streamline your team’s focus. Through Actions and Gantt charts, your team can successfully complete a project within a timeline by assigning tasks to individuals, sending email reminders, and tracking action completion. These actions can be linked to a specific performance measure, keeping your team focused and up-to-date on the timeline of your goals.

This feature is accessible through Scorecard’s partner connect, meaning, just like with Compyle, cross-organizational collaboration is possible with your partners.

Public Transparency

Scorecard encourages public accountability through embed links. Embed your Scorecard onto your website once and forget it; the data will reflect any future changes in real time! Share the public link with community members and stakeholders to keep your organization accountable and transparent on selected measures.


John Example lives at 1234 Example Road, Denver, CO 1234. He fills out an intake form and is added as a participant in your Compyle instance. A staff person creates a household form and links John to it, making him the head of household. The staff person sets the household to autofill the contact information, and it comes from John’s participant record. During his intake interview, John mentions his partner and their three children. The staff person uses the “Add Family Member > New Participant” option in the household folder to create participant records for each of the other family members, and the address and phone information automatically fills in from the household record. This auto population streamlines the contact info data entry, saving your users time and reducing duplicate information gathering from each family member! 

4. Why Settle for a Spreadsheet?

At first glance, Excel might seem like the most practical option. It’s already on your computer, it’s familiar, and it doesn’t come with a price tag. But when you start using it for tasks it wasn’t built for — like case management, outcome tracking, or strategic planning — the hidden costs begin to pile up.

Manual processes take time. Data errors are easy to make and hard to catch. Security gaps can put your participants at risk. And when it comes time to show results, you’re left scrambling to piece together insights from disconnected files.

Clear Impact Suite was built for this work — for collecting participant-level data, measuring performance, collaborating across teams, and turning information into meaningful action. And it’s all designed to be used by people who aren’t data scientists or IT professionals.

Excel may be good enough.
But if you want to move from tracking activities to achieving real impact, it’s time to level up.

See how Clear Impact Suite can support your mission.
Book a demo and let us show you what’s possible.

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