Computer-implemented techniques for using a spreadsheet as a compute engine in an online data management system. In one embodiment, for example, a computer-implemented method comprises the operations of: automatically causing first data items of a first named range triad to be set in a first named range of a spreadsheet; after the first data items are set in the first named range, automatically causing a spreadsheet program to calculate a cell value of the spreadsheet that is derived from one or more of the first data items as set in the spreadsheet; and after the cell value is calculated, automatically obtaining second data items from a second named range of the spreadsheet, the second data items including the cell value calculated. By doing so, quantitative models can be maintained in spreadsheets yet the data on which the models operate can be managed using an online data management system.