This user's question is a perfect example of how legacy spreadsheets fail people who need them most. The problem isn't complex, a running total that breaks when you delete a column, but the solution in Excel requires workarounds that shouldn't exist in the first place. The fact that someone has to ask "Is this possible?" reveals a fundamental gap between what spreadsheets promise and what they deliver.
The core issue here is structural fragility. Traditional spreadsheets treat columns as fixed positions, so when you remove one, every formula referencing that column collapses into a #REF! error. The user is building a tracking system that will grow over time, with columns being added and removed as needs change. That's not an edge case, it's how real data workflows operate. Yet Excel forces you to either avoid deletions entirely or rebuild formulas each time. The workaround involves using INDIRECT or OFFSET functions, which are fragile in their own way and add complexity that most users shouldn't have to manage.
What this user actually needs is a spreadsheet that understands intent, not just cell coordinates. An AI-native spreadsheet can track the *meaning* of a column, like "AMOUNT", rather than its letter address. When you delete a column, the running total formula automatically adapts because it knows what data to sum, regardless of where it sits. The grand total becomes a simple aggregate of that same semantic reference, not a brittle range like B2:B100. This isn't about adding more features to an old architecture; it's about rethinking how spreadsheets interpret user goals.
The practical takeaway is that you shouldn't have to become a formula engineer to keep a running total intact. If your tool punishes you for reorganizing your data, the tool is the problem. The next generation of spreadsheets should handle column changes the way a human would, by understanding that "running total" means "sum everything in this category, wherever it ends up." That's the standard we should expect, and it's the one we're building toward.