Spreadsheets are being stripped from business processes by AI-powered tools

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming business operations, threatening to displace spreadsheets as the fundamental tool for reporting and analysis. New research from Salesforce shows overwhelming momentum toward AI adoption in service organizations, with 83% of decision-makers planning to increase AI investments next year. This shift represents a significant inflection point for business intelligence tools, suggesting that AI’s ability to automate, analyze, and deliver insights will soon make traditional spreadsheet-based workflows obsolete.

The big picture: AI adoption is accelerating dramatically across service organizations, with spreadsheets predicted to be replaced as the dominant business reporting method by 2027 or sooner.

• Research shows that 83% of decision-makers expect to increase AI investment over the next year, while only 6% have no plans for the technology.
• Among organizations already using AI, 93% of service professionals report that the technology saves them time on the job.
• The most common AI applications in service organizations include customer-facing assistants, automated summaries and reports, service responses, agent-facing assistants, and intelligent recommendations.

Why this matters: Spreadsheets have long functioned as the “duct tape of operations” in professional services, but their limitations are becoming increasingly problematic as business complexity grows.

• Despite their flexibility, spreadsheets often require significant manual effort and are prone to human error in data collection and analysis.
• AI offers more sophisticated approaches to utilization tracking and revenue forecasting, two critical functions for service-based businesses.

The impact: Generative AI is already demonstrating measurable business value, particularly in time and cost savings.

• Twenty-four percent of service employees report using generative AI in their work.
• More than 90% of organizations with AI investments report both cost reductions and time savings.

Between the lines: The transition away from spreadsheets represents more than just a technology shift—it signals a fundamental change in how businesses approach data analysis and decision-making.

• By 2027, AI is expected to replace spreadsheets as the primary tool for utilization reporting and revenue forecasting in professional services.
• This shift will likely accelerate as AI systems continue to improve in capability and accessibility.