A spreadsheet can support a small process with one informed owner. As participation grows, the file can begin carrying responsibilities that are not visible in its columns.
Parallel work changes the problem
Different people may need to update the same record or work from separate copies. A merged file can contain the latest values without explaining which observations or decisions produced them.
Identify where the process relies on agreement outside the sheet: which copy is authoritative, which edits are permitted and who resolves a conflict.
Hidden rules become dependencies
A colour may mean “waiting for review”. A formula may depend on a particular sort order. A person's knowledge may be the only explanation for why a row was excluded.
Write these rules down before migrating. Copying the columns into a form without the rules simply changes the interface around the same uncertainty.
Choose the responsibility to move
A database-backed workflow can model record identity, transitions and permissions explicitly. That does not require abandoning spreadsheets for analysis or exports.
Move the operational responsibility that needs control, then verify that the team can still inspect and correct the records. The database-backed workflow guide provides a fuller migration path.