How long does switching from Excel / Google Sheets actually take?

An evening for most accounts. The export from Excel / Google Sheets is the slow step - the import side runs in minutes once the field mapping is settled. Larger teams (50+ seats with custom field schemas) sometimes split it across two sessions: import first, reorganise the next day.

Will I lose data when I switch?

Nothing structural. The CSV/JSON export from Excel / Google Sheets preserves the data: records, fields, history, and attachments come over intact. What doesn't transfer is anything tied to Excel / Google Sheets-specific UI metadata (custom views, saved searches, in-app annotations) - those don't sit in the export, they sit in the source product's UI. Plan an evening to rebuild your most-used views once you're in.

What about my existing Excel / Google Sheets subscription?

Run both side-by-side until you're confident, then cancel Excel / Google Sheets from their side. We don't lock you in - export from KI BMS is one click in account settings, same as import.

Is the import path free?

The import button is open on every plan, including the free tier - we don't paywall the way out of a competitor. The data going in still has to fit your plan's per-type quotas (the free-tier caps are listed on /sales); paid plans raise those caps. If you're moving a large set, check the caps first or write to /support and we can advise.

Can I get help with the switch?

Yes. Write to /support - both founders see those threads directly. Reply within a working day. For the field-mapping itself we typically resolve things in one or two exchanges; if your dataset is unusually large or Excel / Google Sheets's export shape is unfamiliar, we'll say so up front.

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KI BMS: the alternative to Excel / Google Sheets

What moving from Excel / Google Sheets to KI BMS actually looks like in 2026.

Switching

ATS

Sheets

Recruiting

Finn GlasCo-Founder + Engineering

·April 13, 2026·

2 min read

KI BMS is what people use when Excel / Google Sheets stops fitting. Below is the honest side-by-side - same product surface, different posture: hosted in Germany, no third-party trackers, one honest price - plus the migration mechanics that decide whether the switch lands in an evening or in a quarter.

At a glance

A spreadsheet is a fine ATS for one person, one role, roughly 30 applications. The moment any of those three doubles, the workflow breaks. KI BMS is the answer for exactly that point - before you're force-migrated into an enterprise tool.

Switching

What moving from Excel / Google Sheets actually looks like

The switch goes in three rough phases: export from Excel / Google Sheets, import into KI BMS, and reorganise what came over. Most people allocate an evening for it. The export side is where the time goes - Excel / Google Sheets hands you a CSV/JSON dump and the field mapping isn't always obvious; once that's resolved the import is a couple of minutes. We don't paywall the import path or pretend it's a pro-only feature, and you can run both side-by-side while you decide.

KI BMS vs Excel / Google Sheets: feature comparison

	Ours KI BMS	Theirs Excel / Google Sheets
Auto-send emails
Drag-and-drop pipeline
KI fit-score
Multi-user edits, no conflicts		In theory
Automated GDPR retention
Public careers page
Who-changed-what audit log		Version history
Zero setup cost	Free + €1

When to pick which

Pick KI BMS when

Two or more people work on the same recruiting.

Three or more roles open at once.

Applications arrive faster than colour-coding the sheet keeps up.

You have a GDPR audit incoming or an open retention question.

Pick Excel / Google Sheets when

Exactly one open role, one HR person, no more than 30 applications.

You're in find-yourself mode and don't know if you'll ever hire again.

What a sheet structurally can't do

A spreadsheet is a data structure, not a workflow. That's not a design flaw, that's its definition. The consequence: anything behavioural - sending mails, detecting stage, honouring retention - you have to do yourself. At one application a week, fine. At ten a day, not.

The five structural impossibilities: 1) Sending email with variable substitution. 2) Conflict-free parallel editing with two people without 'you overwrote my row'. 3) An audit log capturing every stage change with timestamp + person. 4) GDPR retention with auto-anonymisation. 5) A public application form that writes directly into your pipeline.

The concrete migration moment

Migrate from sheets to KI BMS the moment one of these three happens: (a) You catch yourself wondering which column holds the current status. (b) You write the same mail by hand for the fourth time. (c) A candidate requests their GDPR file and you spend 20 minutes searching the sheet for their name.

Import is solved. CSV upload detects columns, auto-maps to candidate fields, you click confirm twice. In 5 minutes the sheet is a pipeline.

Step by step

Export from Excel / Google Sheets

Find the export option in Excel / Google Sheets's account settings. Most tools provide a CSV or JSON download. Save the dump locally - that's the source of truth for the next step.

Account settings → Export / Download data

Pick the broadest format the tool offers (usually JSON)

Map fields in KI BMS

Open the import tool in KI BMS. Excel / Google Sheets's field names rarely match KI BMS' 1:1; the import flags any unmapped columns so you can pair them up before anything commits.

Account settings → Import

Resolve the mapping prompts the tool surfaces

Run the import

Run the import. KI BMS shows a preview of the first parsed rows in the import dialog so you can sanity-check the column mapping + a sample of records before anything commits. If you're nervous about a large dump, import a small subset first, verify it landed the way you expected, then run the full file.

Re-create your views, tags, saved searches

Excel / Google Sheets-specific UI metadata (custom views, saved filters, in-app annotations) doesn't transfer with the data export. Spend an evening rebuilding the views you used most - usually a 30-minute job once you've done it once.

Cancel Excel / Google Sheets when you're confident

Run both side-by-side for a couple of weeks if you want to be sure. When you're confident, cancel the Excel / Google Sheets subscription from their side. KI BMS keeps your export option self-serve in account settings - no lock-in either direction.

Switching from Excel / Google Sheets

The five questions we get most often before someone moves their data over.

Start with KI BMS

Free plan, no credit card. We host in Germany. Export + delete are self-serve.

Written by

Finn Glas

Co-Founder + Engineering

Finn is one of the Co-Founders. He owns the engineering side, the infrastructure, and most of the late-night fixes that ship before anyone notices.

finn.glas at aicuflow dot comLinkedIn Website