What a spreadsheet does well
- Entry cost: it is already installed, and staff already know how to use it.
- Flexibility: each company builds the columns and reports it needs.
- Catalogs and price lists: organizing products, suppliers and prices.
- Analysis: combining data exported from other systems with pivot tables.
For a warehouse with one owner, few products and few movements per day, a well-maintained spreadsheet can be sufficient.
Where it stops being sufficient
| Need | Spreadsheet | WMS |
|---|---|---|
| Several people recording at once | Different versions of the same file, or locked files | Each operator records on a handheld against the same inventory |
| Knowing who made each change | Only if it is recorded manually | Each movement stores the user, date and document |
| Stock by location | A column updated by hand | Each put-away and each pick is confirmed with a scan of the location |
| Lot and expiration date | Columns without an outbound rule | FEFO allocation and rejection of lots with little shelf life |
| Data capture | Typing, with transcription errors | Barcode or RFID scanning |
| Validation | None when typing | Location, product, lot and quantity at each step |
| Counts | Print the sheet, count and type the results | Count on the handheld and compare on closing |
| ERP integration | Exporting and importing files | API or connector |
Signs that the spreadsheet is no longer sufficient
- Two people work on different copies of the file, and in the end they do not match.
- A broken formula or a deleted row changed the inventory without being detected.
- Discrepancies are corrected without knowing what caused them.
- Products that expire later ship first.
- A count requires stopping the warehouse and entering everything again.
How to move from a spreadsheet to a WMS
- Clean the catalog. One unique code per product, its unit and whether it carries a lot, expiration date or serial number.
- Code the locations and label them.
- Import the products from the file instead of entering them again.
- Run an initial count by zone to load the actual stock by location.
- Change the way of working, not only the file: receiving against a document, put-away with scanning and guided picking.
The guide how to control warehouse inventory describes the controls to apply from the first day.
How to start with Chainlink WMS
In Chainlink, products and inbound and outbound documents are uploaded from CSV or XLSX files with a template: Chainlink validates each row and returns an error report by row and column. Locations are generated by range, with a preview, and the Android app runs on handhelds and phones. The Essentials and Professional plans are purchased online; prices are on the pricing page.