"File is locked for editing by another user." Someone makes a copy. Now there are two versions of the same number. Which one counts?
Excel and document platforms support co-authoring. That often helps, but formulas can affect each other, changes may lack a clear owner and copies sometimes need reconciling. Working together becomes more reliable when people share not just the file, but the truth inside it. Excel as a starting point: version control and collaboration with Datahub.
This is not a guide to co-authoring in Excel. The change is from separate spreadsheet copies to working from the Datahub company brain. The imported contents become a shared source with agreed meaning, roles and change history. Excel remains available as a view and export, but Datahub governs the source your team and connected systems rely on.
Why working together in a file still causes friction
A file is one object. Simultaneous work may result in a lock. Some teams then make copies. Even when editing together, changes to the same cell or formula may need discussion.
File history is not history for each value. An older file version shows what the entire workbook looked like. For a particular number, you also need to know who changed it, when and why.
Merging copies takes human judgment. When two files diverge, someone has to decide which change counts. Manual comparison takes time and context can get lost.
Copies need reconciliation; one governed source retains the origin of each value.
Working together from one governed source
- Import once. Choose a source file and agree on the meaning of its relevant columns. Everyone then works from the same governed asset.
- Work from one current source. Team members no longer have competing copies to merge afterwards.
- Trace changes by value. Keep who changed a value, when and why. A subsequent change gets its own history. The team still decides what the correct value should be.
- Agree on permissions by part. Decide who can read, propose an edit or approve it. Access is no longer all or nothing.
Import, work together, trace changes and agree on roles.
Excel remains available as a view and an export for anyone who wants to use a worksheet. The governed source is authoritative.
For teams that want to go further
When a team shares one agreed source, alerts, automation and shared definitions across teams can follow. Start small and take the next step when the agreements work.
The Team plan starts at €499 per month, excluding VAT. See pricing.
