The sheet knows sales, not empties
Most depot Excel files track who was delivered and maybe what they owe. They almost never track bottles still sitting at the house. That gap is why a plant that 'made a profit' discovers a bottle shortage at year end.
Two riders cannot share one workbook honestly
The moment a second rider is on the road, someone is editing last night's file while the other is still adding stops. Software posts each stop to one ledger so the office sees progress without merging WhatsApp photos of a printout.
Move three things first, not the whole ERP
Customers with zones, deliveries that capture cash and empties, and a running balance. Production, purchases, and fancy reports can wait. If those three live in one system, the spreadsheet can retire without a six-month project.
A buyer's test you can run this week
Ask any tool: can a rider post bottles, cash, and empties on a phone, and does the customer's balance and empties update before they reach the next house? If the answer is 'export to Excel', you still have Excel.
FAQ
- When should a water depot leave Excel?
- When a second rider starts, when empties go missing, or when you cannot say what a customer owes without opening three files. That is usually between 80 and 200 customers.
- Can I import my Excel customers into Mashqi?
- Yes. Start with names, phones, zones, opening balances, and empties on hand. You do not need a perfect historical sheet.