What Gluu replaces: Excel, SharePoint, Visio and one-process tools
Most organisations run their processes across a patchwork of tools: procedures in Word files on SharePoint, process maps in Visio, checklists in Excel, registrations on paper and a separate app for every process someone once needed to fix. Each tool has its own interface, licence, integration and training. Gluu brings the process, the instructions, the tasks and the data into one platform, so the people who know the work can design and run it themselves. This page shows what Gluu typically replaces, what it does not, and how to consolidate without a big-bang project.
Key takeaways
- Tool sprawl is a process problem: when the steps live in one tool, the instructions in another and the records in a third, nobody sees the whole process.
- Gluu typically replaces process maps in Visio or Lucidchart, procedures in Word and SharePoint, Excel checklists and trackers, paper forms and single-process apps.
- Gluu does not replace your ERP, CRM or specialised systems – it describes how people use them, and it works alongside SharePoint as the document store.
- Consolidate one process at a time: map it, move it, retire the old tool.
Why tool sprawl hurts your processes
Every extra tool adds an interface to learn, a licence to pay for, an integration to maintain and a place where information can go stale. Worse, it splits the process. The process map in Visio says one thing, the procedure on the intranet says another, and the real work happens in an Excel sheet one person maintains. When that person is away, the process stops.
“It’s not in one or two shared systems where we can all go in and access it, and that’s incredibly vulnerable.”
Mia Blaabjerg, Senior Process Consultant & Change Manager, Norlys
The fix is not another point solution. It is one place where the process is described, executed and improved – and where every role sees their part.
What Gluu replaces
| Tool today | Typical use | Where it breaks | In Gluu |
|---|---|---|---|
| Excel and spreadsheets | Process lists, checklists, onboarding trackers, RACI matrices | Versions multiply, no owner, no link to the actual work | Processes with roles and tasks; checklists run as tasks with a full log. See replace your Excel sheet with onboarding software |
| Word and SharePoint intranet pages | Procedures, manuals, quality handbooks | Hard to find, rarely read, out of date | Work instructions linked to each activity, with versioning and approvals |
| Visio and Lucidchart | Process maps | Drawings no one executes; maps and reality drift apart | Process maps that are also the work instructions and tasks. See the Visio and Lucidchart alternatives |
| Paper and standalone form tools | Registrations, inspections, incident reports | Re-typing, lost records, no overview for audits | Forms and data inside the process, filled in on the frontline app |
| Single-process task and ticket tools | One workflow such as onboarding, approvals or requests | One more tool per process | Task management and case management across all processes |
| Standalone QMS and compliance tools | ISO documentation, deviations, audits | Documentation separated from daily work | Quality and compliance built into the processes people already use |
| Heavyweight BPM suites | Enterprise modelling and automation | Expert-only tools, long projects | See the ARIS, SAP Signavio, Appian, Kissflow and Nintex alternatives |
“They were on a SharePoint intranet that stores could access… It has improved with Gluu because it is now something implemented throughout the entire company.”
Mia Holck Dencker, Retail Assistant, Sport24
What Gluu does not replace
Gluu is a process platform, not a replacement for every system you own.
- ERP, CRM and specialised systems. Gluu describes how people use them, step by step, and links to them from the activity where they are needed.
- SharePoint and OneDrive as a document store. Gluu syncs case folders to SharePoint and links to existing files, so documents stay where they are and the process lives in Gluu.
- BI and reporting. Gluu data can feed your BI tool; it does not replace it.
“We see big-time savings by not having to handle our record keeping on paper anymore. Our registrations happen inside the app now..” Read case
Jakob Lund,
Factory Manager
How to consolidate tools in 4 steps
- List the tools behind each process. For every core process, note where the map, instructions, tasks and records live today. The overlaps show you where to start.
- Map the process first. Put it in your process hierarchy with an owner, roles and activities – before you move any data.
- Move one process at a time. Attach the instructions, forms and tasks to the activities and run it in Gluu alongside the old tool for a short period.
- Retire the old tool. Switch off the licence, point links and bookmarks to Gluu and tell users where things moved.
If you are comparing platforms more broadly, our guide to business process management software covers what to look for.
Want to see which of your tools could go? Try Gluu free and move your first process in an afternoon.
Gluu free 30-day trial. No credit card required. Start from €24 / year.
FAQ – Replacing Excel and SharePoint
Gluu replaces SharePoint as the place where procedures and process descriptions live, because instructions in Gluu are tied to the activities, roles and tasks they describe. It does not replace SharePoint as a document store – Gluu syncs case folders to SharePoint and links to existing files.
For process work, yes. Checklists, trackers and RACI matrices in Excel become processes with roles, tasks and a log in BPM software. Excel remains useful for analysis and calculations.
Tool sprawl is when an organisation uses many overlapping applications for related work, each with its own licence, interface and data. It raises costs and splits processes across systems so nobody sees the whole.
Gluu integrates with SharePoint and OneDrive for case files and documents, and can link to any file or system from the activity where it is needed. See the integrations and API features page for details.
A simple process can be mapped and running in a day. Most organisations move one process at a time and retire the old tool once the new process is in use.
