Spreadsheets vs Auditara for ISO 27001 Programmes
A spreadsheet can hold any data you put in it. That is its strength and its problem.
The Spreadsheet Argument
Spreadsheets are universal, free, and infinitely customisable. Almost every team starts certification with a tracker. It lists the activities, has a status column, maybe a notes column and a RAG indicator. It works.
What a Spreadsheet Cannot Do
It Cannot Enforce the Methodology.
A spreadsheet does not know that activity 3.4 requires an internal audit report and auditor independence. Nothing in the file tells you, and nothing tells the person who picks it up after you.
It Cannot Gate Completion.
You can type Complete in a cell without uploading a single document. There is no system check. No evidence required. No sign-off captured. The discipline is entirely manual.
It Does Not Scale Beyond One File.
A tab per topic becomes a folder of files. Finding what is at risk this week means opening each one. There is no single view of your programme, no RAG dashboard, no one place your leadership team can look.
It Is Not Built for Sign-Off.
Sharing a spreadsheet around for approval means version control problems, accidental edits, and email chains. Auditara has sign-off built into each activity.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Auditara | Spreadsheet |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 27001 methodology built in | Yes, all 21 activities | Manual |
| Deliverable defined per activity | Yes | No |
| Completion gating | Yes | No |
| Sign-off tracking | Yes | Manual |
| Evidence upload or linking | Yes | No |
| One workspace, one view of progress | Yes | No |
| RAG status per programme | Yes | Manual |
| Phase auto-progression | Yes | No |
Keep Your Spreadsheet
Auditara does not require you to abandon your existing tools. If you have a gap analysis spreadsheet or a risk register in Excel, link it directly from the relevant activity. The evidence stays where it is. Auditara tracks the milestone.
Do not have one yet? Grab our free ISO 27001 gap analysis template covering all 93 Annex A controls.
Auditara also runs the gap assessment and generates the document set, including the Statement of Applicability, from your answers, with a PECB certified Lead Auditor and Lead Implementer on your onboarding call.