In short
A spreadsheet is enough as long as one person looks after a manageable stock and nobody has to prove who had which tool when. As soon as several mechanics borrow tools, test equipment has deadlines or special tools are searched for by several numbers, tool management software is faster and more reliable.
The comparison at a glance
| Question | Spreadsheet | Tool management software |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | included in the office package | subscription or licence |
| Setup | immediate | import the list, print labels |
| Who has the tool right now? | only if someone enters it | every issue booked, with history |
| Booking at the vehicle | awkward on the phone | scan with the phone camera |
| Search by OEM or supplier number | spelling has to match exactly | all numbers, any spelling |
| Inspection deadlines | date in a column, never reminds you | advance warning, email, note when issuing |
| Several people working at once | conflicts and several versions | everyone sees the same state |
| Proof in an audit | changes hard to trace | record and calibration certificates |
| Tool sets | a separate sheet per set | content list, completeness on return |
| Several sites | one file per branch | one search across all sites |
When a spreadsheet is enough
Honestly: in more cases than software vendors like to admit. A spreadsheet is fine if
- one person manages the tools and issues them personally,
- the stock is manageable and rarely changes,
- there is no test equipment that needs proof of inspection,
- there is only one site.
If you work like this, keep the spreadsheet tidy: one row per tool, fixed columns, a single version in a fixed place.
Signs that the spreadsheet is no longer enough
- Tools are searched for even though they are on the list.
- Nobody can say who had the special tool last.
- An inspection deadline has passed without anyone noticing.
- There are several versions of the list, and none is quite right.
- Calibration certificates or proof of when something was inspected are missing in the audit.
- Tools are bought twice because the existing one could not be found.
If two or more points apply, the spreadsheet costs more time than it saves. How much is worked out by the cost calculator.
What switching costs
The biggest effort is not the software but tidying up the list. If you put your spreadsheet in order, you can usually import it directly and do not have to retype anything. Then the labels go on the tools. How that works in five steps is described in the guide From spreadsheet to tool management.
Frequently asked questions
Can you build tool management in Excel with macros?
Yes, and some workshops do. The limits remain, though: several people cannot easily work at the same time, operating it on the phone is awkward, and maintaining the macros falls to one person.
Can the data from Excel be transferred to tool management software?
As a rule, yes. The spreadsheet is saved as a CSV file and imported; inventory number, name, additional numbers and storage location are assigned to the matching fields. Beforehand it is worth removing duplicates and standardising the columns.
Are online spreadsheets a good alternative to Excel?
They solve the problem of several versions, because everyone works in the same file. Scanning at the vehicle, deadlines that report themselves and a history per tool are still missing, though.
How it works with Tulz
Tulz takes over the Excel list by CSV import, including several numbers per tool. Tulz then prints labels with QR codes, issuing runs by scanning, inspection deadlines report themselves, and every tool has its history. The table can be exported as an Excel file again at any time.
Guides in the help centre: Import tools by CSV · Print labels · Issuing with a scanner · Inspections