Peasy vs. Spreadsheets
Most small businesses start tracking inventory in a spreadsheet. It makes sense — you already know how to use Excel or Google Sheets, and when you're small, a simple list of products and quantities gets the job done.
But as your business grows, spreadsheets start to crack. This page helps you understand when it's time to switch and what you gain when you do.
When Spreadsheets Work
Spreadsheets are a reasonable starting point when:
- You have fewer than 50 products
- One person manages all inventory
- You buy from one or two vendors
- You don't need to track production or recipes
- You sell through a single channel
There's nothing wrong with starting here. Many successful Peasy customers began with a spreadsheet and switched when their business outgrew it.
Signs You've Outgrown Spreadsheets
If any of these sound familiar, it may be time to switch:
Your stock numbers are never quite right. Spreadsheets only update when someone remembers to update them. A sale happens, a delivery arrives, you use ingredients for production — and the spreadsheet is already out of date. In Peasy, every transaction updates inventory automatically.
Multiple people need access. When two people edit the same spreadsheet, data gets overwritten. Peasy lets your whole team work simultaneously — each action is tracked with a full audit log.
You can't connect buying to selling. In a spreadsheet, your purchase orders, receiving records, and sales orders live in separate tabs (or separate files). There's no automatic link between a PO, the delivery, and the inventory update. In Peasy, receiving against a PO automatically updates stock levels.
You miss reorder deadlines. Without automated alerts and restock points, you don't know you're running low until you physically check. Peasy notifies you before you run out.
You can't track production costs. If you make products from raw materials, calculating true cost of goods in a spreadsheet means manual formulas that break when recipes change. In Peasy, templates calculate costs automatically based on current ingredient prices.
You manage multiple locations. Tracking inventory across two or more warehouses, stores, or kitchens in a spreadsheet is error-prone. Peasy tracks each location independently with transfer orders between them.
What You Get with Peasy
| Capability | Spreadsheets | Peasy |
|---|---|---|
| Real-time inventory | Manual update after every transaction | Automatic on receive, sell, produce, and adjust |
| Purchase orders | Copy-paste into emails | One-click PO creation, send directly to vendors |
| Receiving | Log deliveries by hand | Receive against POs, auto-update inventory |
| Multi-location | Separate tabs per location | Per-location tracking with transfers |
| Production tracking | Manual formulas for ingredient deductions | Work orders auto-deduct ingredients, add finished goods |
| Customer invoicing | Create invoices in another tool | Sales orders and invoices built in |
| Low-stock alerts | Check manually or build complex formulas | Automatic restock alerts |
| Integrations | Manual data entry into each tool | Shopify, QuickBooks, Google Sheets |
| Audit trail | Hope nobody deleted a row | Full inventory history and audit log |
How to Switch
Switching from a spreadsheet to Peasy doesn't mean starting from scratch. Here's the typical path:
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Create your account — Sign up and explore with demo data, or jump straight into your own setup.
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Import your items — Upload your product list from a CSV file or Google Sheets. Peasy maps your columns and creates items automatically. See Add Your Items.
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Set your starting inventory — Run an inventory count to establish your baseline quantities. This takes minutes, not hours.
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Set up vendors and customers — Add your vendors and customers so you can start creating purchase orders and sales orders.
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Start using Peasy for your next transaction — Create your first purchase order or sales order in Peasy. From here, your inventory updates automatically.
For a detailed walkthrough, see the Peasy Onboarding Guide.
Common Questions
Can I import my spreadsheet data into Peasy? Yes. Peasy supports CSV import for items, and you can also import directly from Google Sheets. Your existing product names, SKUs, and quantities transfer over. See Add Your Items.
How long does it take to switch? Most businesses are set up and running in a day. Importing items takes minutes. The biggest time investment is your first inventory count to set accurate starting quantities.
Can I use Peasy alongside my spreadsheet while I transition? Yes. There's no requirement to switch all at once. Many businesses run both in parallel for a week or two until they're comfortable, then retire the spreadsheet.
What if I only need inventory tracking? Peasy is modular — use the parts you need. If you only want inventory tracking and purchasing, you can skip sales orders and production entirely. You're not paying for features you don't use.
Is Peasy harder to learn than a spreadsheet? Peasy is designed for business owners, not developers. If you can use a spreadsheet, you can use Peasy. The interface is straightforward, and the Getting Started Checklist walks you through setup step by step.
Related
- What Is Peasy? — an overview of the full platform
- Peasy Onboarding Guide — step-by-step setup walkthrough
- Add Your Items — importing items from CSV or Google Sheets
- Inventory Overview — how inventory tracking works in Peasy
- Getting Started Checklist — the fastest path to getting set up