THE CONTINUING RELEVANCE OF VISUAL BASIC FOR APPLICATIONS (VBA) IN COMPANIES: A ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS
THE CONTINUING RELEVANCE OF VISUAL BASIC FOR APPLICATIONS (VBA) IN COMPANIES: A ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS

Summary/Abstract: Despite Microsoft’s efforts to replace it with cloud-based alternatives such as Ofice Scripts and Power Automate, Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) remains the central automation tool in many companies. This root cause analysis shows that, in addition to the well-known lock-in effects (legacy code, low willingness to migrate, IT restrictions), LLM-supported “vibe coding” is now also significantly extending its lifespan: Generative AI facilitates the refactoring, documentation, and maintenance of existing macros, which tips the cost-benefit balance in favor of VBA. Furthermore, Office Scripts still lacks deep integration with Outlook and PowerPoint—a crucial criterion in industrial workflows. The study shows that VBA remains indispensable in the short term, but recommends training for end-user developers in particular in order to comply with governance requirements. All in all, VBA is often simply the right tool for end user development, as it can quickly provide highly customized solutions that alternative tools could only offer after a long development period and at high cost. If awareness of governance is now raised, VBA can and will remain in use for a very long time and continue to be of great benefit.

• Details
• Contents