Spreadsheet production tracking: when it works and when it breaks
Most factories start with Excel or Google Sheets, and for a while that is the right call. It is free, everyone knows it and it bends to fit. This page is honest about when a spreadsheet is enough, the moments it stops being enough, and what Skuflo does differently.
Skuflo is production, finished goods stock and dispatch tracking for make to order manufacturers: one label for every piece, scan stations locked to one job, and a free portal for every retailer.
When a spreadsheet is fine
A spreadsheet is a sensible choice when the work is small and simple. If one or two people know every order, products leave in one box, and you have a handful of customers, you probably do not need new software.
- You make a small number of orders a week and can see the whole workshop from one spot.
- Each order is one item in one box, so there is nothing to go missing between pieces.
- One person updates the sheet and everyone else reads it.
- Customers rarely ask where an order is.
If that sounds like you, keep the sheet. You can still use the free scanner test and our guides to see what scanning would involve before you decide.
Where spreadsheets start to break
- Updates depend on memory. A piece is only “made” if someone remembered to type it, so the sheet and the floor drift apart.
- Several people editing at once overwrite each other, or work from stale copies sent by email.
- Orders with several pieces need one row per piece, and then no one can see at a glance which orders are complete.
- There is no check at loading. Nothing stops the wrong piece going on the wrong retailer’s van.
- There is no evidence. When a retailer says a piece arrived damaged or never arrived, you have a cell, not a photo and a signature.
- Retailers email and phone for updates, because the only way to share a sheet is to send it.
Spreadsheet and Skuflo side by side
| Spreadsheet | Skuflo | |
|---|---|---|
| How a piece is recorded | Someone types or ticks it | Someone scans its label as it is made |
| Pieces of one order | Extra rows you must keep in step | One label for every piece, and an order is made only when all are scanned |
| Loading checks | None | Blocks loading a piece onto the wrong retailer’s load |
| Proof | Notes in a cell | Optional photo per scan, and a signed manifest with driver name, photo and signature |
| Production list | Built by hand | Built automatically from orders, grouped by product, size and colour, as PDF or CSV |
| What retailers see | A copy of the sheet, or nothing | Their own orders in a free portal, piece by piece |
| Cost | Free, plus the time spent | From £249 a month ex VAT, per piece tracked. Unlimited users and stations |
You do not have to throw the spreadsheet away on day one. Skuflo takes orders by CSV or Excel upload with a column mapping wizard, so your current sheet can be the way orders go in.
When to stay on spreadsheets, when to move, and using both
Stay on spreadsheets if
- Volumes are small and nothing ships in several pieces.
- You rarely lose track of an order and customers rarely ask.
Move to Skuflo if
- You spend part of every day finding out what is made and what is not.
- Parts of orders go missing between making and the van.
- You want retailers to check their own orders and stop calling you. See retailers.
Using both
You can keep costings, price lists and planning in spreadsheets and use Skuflo for tracking. Skuflo does not do costing, raw materials or accounting, so those can stay where they are. Our production tracking and SKU tracking pages show what moves across.
Questions people ask
Can I track production in Excel or Google Sheets?
Yes, and for small, simple operations it can be enough. It tends to break when orders have several pieces, several people edit, or retailers keep asking for updates.
Can I keep my existing spreadsheet?
Yes. Skuflo accepts orders as a CSV or Excel upload with a column mapping wizard, and the production list can be downloaded as CSV.
What does it cost compared with a free spreadsheet?
Skuflo starts at £249 a month ex VAT for 1,000 pieces, with unlimited users and stations and a 14 day free trial. The sheet is free, but the time spent chasing orders is not.
Do I need special hardware?
No. Any USB or Bluetooth barcode scanner that types like a keyboard works, as does a phone camera or a Zebra handheld. See hardware.
Will it work with products that ship in several boxes?
Yes. You set how many pieces each SKU ships as, every piece gets its own label, and the order is complete only when every piece has been scanned.