When have you outgrown spreadsheets?

Planning October 2026 · 4 min read

In short

Spreadsheets are a fine tool for a small, stable range.
Growth in products, locations and people changes the equation.
Change one area at a time and keep what works.

There is no shame in spreadsheets. They are flexible, familiar and free to start. Many excellent supply chains ran on them for years. The question isn't whether spreadsheets are bad — it's when the cost of keeping them starts to exceed the cost of changing.

Five signals

Only one person understands the file. If that person is on holiday, ordering slows down or stops.
The weekly cycle fills the whole week. Collecting data and rebuilding the sheet leaves no time to think.
Versions multiply. Several copies exist, and no one is sure which is current.
Mistakes are found late. A wrong formula or a missed row surfaces as an empty shelf, not as a warning.
Growth is held back. Adding a product group, a supplier or a store means adding a planner.

What to keep

Moving to a planning system doesn't mean throwing away what you've learned. The rules planners apply in their heads, the special cases and the supplier knowledge are valuable. A good system lets you bring them in as adjustments and exceptions, rather than ignoring them.

What to change first

Pick the area where the pain is greatest — often ordering, or promotions — and change only that. Run the new way beside the old for a while, compare results, and expand once people trust it.

What to ask for

Works with the data and systems you already have.
Planners can see why every proposal was made and override it.
A record of changes and approvals.
A way to try changes safely before they go live.

If you recognise three or more of the five signals, a conversation is worth having. You can also take our two-minute quiz to see where your planning stands.