Comparisons
Spreadsheets vs. a management system
Spreadsheets are flexible and cheap, which is why they last longer than they should. We compare what breaks as the business grows.
Where the spreadsheet stops paying off
| Criterion | Spreadsheets | NAS |
|---|---|---|
| Several people editing | They overwrite each other or duplicate files | Each with their own user and permission |
| Stock and sales | Updated by hand, always lagging | The sale draws down stock on its own |
| Errors | A broken formula goes unnoticed | Validation and a trail of who changed what |
| History | Depends on who saved which version | Per-operation audit trail |
| Upfront cost | Practically zero | Monthly, predictable |
We compare ways of working, not other companies' products: naming competitors would require asserting things about software we don't control and that changes without notice.
When the other option is enough
For a one- or two-person business with few daily operations and no stock to control, the spreadsheet is the right tool. The problem isn't the spreadsheet: it's a spreadsheet holding up a business that outgrew it.
Signs it's worth switching
- More than one person edits the same file
- System stock doesn't match the warehouse
- You close the month reconstructing data from memory
- Nobody can say for sure how much you're owed