This post is for systems & automation geeks like me, and business owners who’d want to automate their manual processes.

I’m on a mission today, to figure out how to convert maintaining a spreadsheet with 118 columns into modules in a customized HRIS.

As a web developer living in year 2026, I asked my favorite AI tool how to do it. 😅

For context, the spreadsheet is the manual tracking tool of the recruitment team that monitors nationwide recruitment activity of applicants.

What ChatGPT said makes a lot of sense. And I quote:

“A 118-column spreadsheet is often a sign that the team has accumulated many pieces of information over time, but it doesn't necessarily mean your HRIS should reproduce all 118 columns exactly. If you simply recreate the spreadsheet on a screen, you'll inherit the same complexity and user frustration.

I would approach this as a process redesign rather than a spreadsheet migration.

1. Start by grouping the 118 columns into logical modules

2. Convert columns into workflow stages

3. Automate what recruiters are manually updating

4. Use related tables instead of one giant table

5. Keep the spreadsheet import capability

6. Build dashboards instead of summary tabs

7. Consider an activity timeline

This design is much closer to how systems like Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, and BambooHR structure recruitment data, and it scales much better than reproducing a 118-column spreadsheet.

If you're building a customized HRIS for service contracting companies with nationwide deployment, there are some additional features I'd strongly consider, such as branch-level recruitment monitoring, recruiter productivity tracking, aging reports, and manpower request fulfillment metrics. Those requirements are common in staffing and deployment businesses and influence the database design from the beginning.”

A lot of tasks, I know! To say that it’s overwhelming is an understatement.

Anyways, hope you’re having a great week!