Procurepaddy vs Excel
Excel is a good file. It's not a stock system.
Many shops keep stock in a spreadsheet, and it works, until more than one person needs it, or a number changes and nobody knows who changed it. Here is what each does well, honestly.
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| Excel | Procurepaddy | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free if you already have Office | Free today; ₦10,000 a month from 1 February 2027 |
| Who changed a number, and when | Not recorded | Every change, with a name and a time |
| Several staff recording at once | One person, one file at a time | Everyone, on their own phones |
| Works with no network | If the file is on that computer | Yes, on every phone; sends itself later |
| Shows what is missing | Only if you build the formulas | Count a shelf; the difference is shown straight away |
| Bags, cartons and kilos | By hand, or with formulas | Set the pack once; 2 bags is 100 kg |
| Staff can only do what you allow | Anyone with the file can change anything | Each person gets only what you choose |
| A laptop that dies or a file that corrupts | The records may go with it | Kept safe on our servers |
| Flexible: any layout you like | Yes, its great strength | No: it is built for stock and nothing else |
Where Excel is the right answer
If one person keeps the stock, works at one computer, and the shop is small enough that they can count everything in an afternoon, a well-kept spreadsheet is fine. Use our free inventory Excel template: it has a product list, a stock in and out log, and a count sheet.
Where it breaks
The trouble starts when stock moves faster than one person can type. Sales happen at the counter, deliveries arrive at the gate, and the file is on the laptop in the office. Someone writes it on paper to type in later, and later becomes never. Two copies of the file appear. A quantity is wrong and there is no way to see who changed it, or when.
Excel was built for numbers, not for people. It can't tell you that Chidi recorded 10 bags at 9:14 this morning, or stop the new sales boy from editing the price list.
Moving from Excel to Procurepaddy
You don't start again. Procurepaddy imports the spreadsheet you already have: match your columns to ours, check the rows it flags, and your products and quantities are in. You can download everything back to Excel whenever you like.
Questions people ask
Can I import my Excel stock list into Procurepaddy?
Yes. Upload the file, match its columns to Procurepaddy's (name, pack, quantity, price), check the rows it flags, and your products are in. Founding shops can send us the file and we do it for you.
Can I still get my data out to Excel?
Yes, any time: download your products, quantities and prices to Excel in one tap.
Is Excel not free?
The file is free. What it costs is the stock nobody can account for, and the hours one person spends keeping it right. If Excel works for you, keep using it; our free template makes it better.
Can several people update Procurepaddy at the same time?
Yes. Every staff member records on their own phone, at the same time, even with no network. Each change is sent once, with their name and the time on it.
Your stock, counted and on your phone, this week.
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