Compare
Excel vs shop software for a laptop shop
In short
Excel works for one person and a few dozen laptops. Once several staff edit, stock sits in more than one branch, or dues pile up, spreadsheets can't stop a duplicate serial, an over-refund or an unapproved discount, and profit starts to disagree.
Fair's fair
What Excel does well
Free
Already on most computers, with no licence to buy.
Flexible
Any column, any layout, changed in seconds.
Familiar
Everyone has used it, so there's nothing new to learn.
Where it breaks
Five places spreadsheets give way
“Two people edit, formulas drift”
One database: every sale, purchase and transfer updates the same stock.
Inventory by serial“A serial typed twice”
A serial already in stock can't be entered again.
Inventory by serial“Stock “disappears” between branches”
Numbered transfer notes, and every unit's history.
Branch transfers“Dues in a notebook”
Customer and supplier balances, with payments applied oldest first.
Sales & invoices“Profit is a guess”
One profit calculation behind every report, with repairs and returns in it.
Reports & profit
Compared
Excel vs serial-first shop software
| Criterion | Excel | Serial-first shop software |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to start | Free or already paid | A licence or hosting fee |
| Any layout you like | Yes | Partly |
| Refuses a duplicate serial | No | Yes |
| Several staff editing safely | No | Yes |
| One stock across branches | Partly | Yes |
| Refund capped at what was paid | No | Yes |
| Discounts need permission | No | Yes |
| Dues applied oldest first | Partly | Yes |
| Same profit figure everywhere | No | Yes |
| Fast checkout with a scanner | No | Yes |
Signs it's time to switch
- More than one person edits the sheet
- Stock sits in more than one branch or a warehouse
- A serial has been typed twice, or gone missing
- Dues live in a separate notebook
- Profit changes depending on who works it out
- Staff can see buying prices, or give discounts nobody approved
Moving
Moving from Excel
You don't copy old sheets across row by row. Opening stock goes in as purchases, picking each configuration from the catalogue, so every unit starts with its serial and its cost.
Most laptops are already there: the catalogue library holds 807 real configurations, and you can import your own catalogue with a dry run first.
Your catalogue imports with a dry run first. Opening stock goes in as purchases, so every unit starts with a serial and a cost.
See how it fits your shop
Tell us how you run stock, sales and branches. We'll show the workflows that match, and be straight about what isn't built yet.