Coulter BIM Information Management

Poor Excel. It gets so much stick.
Every time I mention that most of my Information Management workflows run through Excel online, someone rolls their eyes and mutters something about “real databases.”

But here’s the thing — Excel works, and it works brilliantly for what most of us actually need. It’s flexible, fast, and — crucially — everyone already knows how to use it. That accessibility alone makes it one of the most powerful Information Management tools out there.

Excel: the database hiding in plain sight

I’ve seen plenty of BIM tools, dashboards, and platforms over the years, and most of them promise to make information management simple. Some do, but many end up locked behind specialist licenses, training requirements, or complex interfaces that make everyone else glaze over.

Excel, on the other hand, is already sitting on everyone’s desktop, quietly waiting to do the job.

If you treat it properly — with structured tables, clear relationships, and a bit of discipline — Excel becomes a perfectly capable mini database for managing project information under ISO 19650.

Linking it all together with Power Query

The secret weapon here is Power Query.

This is where Excel stops being a simple spreadsheet and starts acting like an information model in its own right.
Power Query lets me pull together all the project essentials — the Responsibility Matrix, the Task Information Delivery Plans (TIDPs), the Master Information Delivery Plan (MIDP), and even CDE exports — into a single, structured workbook.

Each source is linked, cleaned, and merged automatically.

When one file updates, I just hit Refresh All, and the entire workbook updates across every tab.It’s like running an ETL (Extract–Transform–Load) pipeline — but with no need for databases or code.

It’s like running an ETL (Extract–Transform–Load) pipeline — but with no need for databases or code.

XLOOKUP: the hero formula

For connecting and cross-checking data, XLOOKUP is the star of the show.

It’s perfect for linking packages to tasks, checking whether deliverables appear in the CDE export, or mapping responsibility from one table to another.
Add in a few COUNTIFs for quick statistics or FILTER formulas for isolating overdue tasks, and suddenly your Excel file starts feeling more like a database application than a spreadsheet.

Personally, I use XLOOKUP everywhere — it’s the backbone of my Responsibility Matrix and TIDP integrations. There’s something deeply satisfying about watching data cascade across sheets as everything aligns perfectly after a refresh.

Dashboards that actually tell you something

Once you’ve built your tables and connected everything with Power Query and formulas, you can start creating dashboards — not the flashy Power BI kind (though you can link to that too), but simple, clear Excel dashboards that tell you what you need to know right now.

I track things like:

Deliverables due this week

Overdue tasks

Expected vs actual issue dates

Completeness by discipline

A few PivotTables, some conditional formatting, and suddenly you have a live reporting system that updates every time new data lands in the CDE.
It’s simple, transparent, and — best of all — totally controllable.

The accessibility factor

This is one of the most underrated aspects of Excel: everyone can open it.
There’s no “special viewer,” no training portal, no subscription for someone to check a date.
You can share a structured Excel file with any team — design, client, or contractor — and they’ll immediately know what they’re looking at.

That universality matters.

It means your information system doesn’t just live in your BIM corner — it becomes part of the everyday workflow of the wider team. That’s real digital integration.

A modern tool hiding in plain sight

I’m not suggesting Excel replaces the CDE, or that it should manage 3D models or IFC files.
But for day-to-day Information Management — tracking tasks, responsibilities, and deliverables — it’s hard to beat.
It’s quick to set up, infinitely customisable, and, when used well, completely reliable.

So yes, people can criticise Excel all they want.
For me, it remains one of the most versatile, practical, and quietly powerful tools in the entire BIM toolkit.

After all, it’s not the software that matters — it’s the structure, logic, and consistency behind it.
And with a bit of care (and a few XLOOKUPs), Excel can do that job beautifully.