Pushing the Limits: Managing a Global Program in Spreadsheets

Managing a global mobility program in spreadsheets? You are not alone. In a recent survey of over 130 global companies, 61% of teams said still rely on them. While spreadsheets are flexible and familiar, they weren’t designed to manage the complexity of today’s global programs.

Over the years, we have partnered with global HR teams who want to stay compliant, deliver an exceptional employee experience, and show leadership the ROI of mobility. In this post, we’ll share common challenges, practical tips, and a few resources to help you along the way

Where Technology Can Help Global Mobility Teams

Based on what we hear most often, technology tends to add value in three areas:

• Coordinating and automating processes
• Demonstrating ROI and the business impact of a global workforce
• Preparing tailored documents quickly

Let’s take a closer look.

Coordinating & Automating Repetitive Processes

Global moves involve countless steps: approvals, service updates, checklists, and employee communications. Teams need to track it, update statuses and send emails to keep things moving.

Doing that in spreadsheets works, but it takes time, and it’s easy for details to slip through the cracks. Those details can sometimes lead to a delayed move or compliance risk.

Tips & Tricks:

• Create a reusable move template: either a checklist or a simple workbook that tracks tasks and statuses.
• Use Outlook, Gmail, or your calendar tool to set reminders for approvals and deadlines.
• If you are coordinating with the same stakeholders repeatedly, try setting up a short weekly check-in call to clear bottlenecks.

Technology can enable: automated workflows, task assignments, and approval tracking so moves progress smoothly without constant follow-up.

Demonstrating ROI and Business Impact of a Global Workforce

Leaders often ask questions like:

• How many moves are in progress?
• What did we spend last year on mobile employees?
• Which benefits drive the most exceptions?
• How do we show ROI for mobility?

Some of this can be answered from spreadsheets, but as your program grows, it becomes harder to keep data current. Especially when key information lives in payroll, RMC platforms, and random spreadsheets.

Tips & Tricks:

• Focus on the metrics that matter most to your business, and link them to outcomes (e.g., spend vs. budget).
• Identify where that data lives and decide whether to pull it manually or create a process to refresh it regularly.
• Build simple charts or visuals in spreadsheets so updating your dataset automatically updates your reports.

Technology can enable: a single source of truth with real-time data, trend analysis, and saved reports for easy sharing with leadership.

Preparing Documents for a Move

Cost estimates, assignment letters, compensation worksheets are critical, but creating them often means copying and pasting data from spreadsheets. It’s repetitive and takes more time than it should.

Tips & Tricks:

• Use document merge functions if you are comfortable with them.
• Standardize templates for cost comparisons and approvals so you are not reinventing the wheel each time.
• Create an intake form to capture all the details you’ll need upfront, reducing back-and-forth later.

Technology can enable: instant document generation from your data, reusable templates, and centralized storage for easy access and consistency.

Is Now the Time to Switch?

Many teams are asking whether it’s time to move beyond spreadsheets. For some, they are still “good enough.” For others, the benefits of efficiency, reduced compliance risk, and improved employee experience are tipping the scale toward adopting technology.

That’s why we built Navi, AIRINC’s technology platform designed specifically for global mobility programs. It is intended to be affordable and grow with your needs, implemented quickly, and address common technology needs.

See for yourself how it is:

• Focused on helping global HR professionals make good decisions
• Lightweight and quick to implement
• Configurable without needing technical expertise

Because at the end of the day, global mobility teams deserve tools that match their impact on the business.

Learn more about Navi here

Final Thought

Spreadsheets may have carried mobility programs this far, but the demands on HR are growing. Whether you are looking for small ways to improve your current process or considering the shift to technology, there are smarter, faster ways to deliver the mobility experience your business and employees need. We would love to hear what your needs are regarding technology.