Equipment Maintenance Log: Excel vs Dedicated Software
Many businesses start tracking maintenance in Excel. It's free, familiar, and flexible. But at some point, spreadsheets start holding you back. Here's how to know when.
The Case for Excel
Let's be honest - Excel is a powerful tool. There are legitimate reasons businesses use it for maintenance tracking:
- It's already installed on most business computers
- Most people know how to use it (at least basically)
- It's flexible - you can track whatever you want
- It's free if you already have Microsoft Office
- No learning curve for new software
If you have 1-2 pieces of equipment and one person responsible for maintenance, Excel might be fine.
Where Excel Falls Short
As your equipment list grows or your team expands, Excel's limitations become painful:
No Automatic Reminders
Excel can't email you when maintenance is due. You have to remember to check the spreadsheet, calculate what's due, and take action. Things fall through the cracks.
Terrible Mobile Experience
Try updating a spreadsheet on your phone from the job site. Zooming, scrolling, typing in tiny cells. It's frustrating enough that people just... don't do it.
Version Control Nightmares
Which file is current? "maintenance_log_FINAL_v2_UPDATED.xlsx"? Who has the latest version? Who overwrote your changes? Multiple people can't reliably work on the same file.
Formula Fragility
One wrong keystroke can break formulas that calculate due dates. Insert a row in the wrong place and your references break. "#REF!" errors are common.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Excel | Dedicated Software |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic reminders | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mobile-friendly | ✗ | ✓ |
| Multi-user access | Limited* | ✓ |
| No formulas to break | ✗ | ✓ |
| Auto-calculate due dates | Manual | ✓ |
| Searchable history | Ctrl+F | ✓ |
| Setup time | Hours | Minutes |
| Cost | Free* | Free-$10/user |
* Excel requires Microsoft 365 for cloud features. Google Sheets is free but has the same limitations.
When to Switch from Excel
Consider switching to dedicated maintenance software when:
- You're tracking more than 5 pieces of equipment
- Multiple people need to view or update the log
- You've missed maintenance because you forgot to check the spreadsheet
- You need to update records from the field (mobile)
- You're spending more time managing the spreadsheet than using it
- Formula errors have caused problems
Ready to Move Beyond Excel?
MaintainLog gives you automatic reminders, mobile access, and team sharing - without the complexity of enterprise software. Start free with up to 5 assets.
What About Google Sheets?
Google Sheets solves some of Excel's problems - it's free, cloud-based, and allows real-time collaboration. But it still lacks:
- ✗Automatic email reminders
- ✗Mobile-optimized interface for data entry
- ✗Built-in maintenance tracking logic
- ✗Work order management
If you're choosing between Excel and Sheets, Sheets is probably better for team access. But you're still fighting against a tool that wasn't designed for maintenance tracking.
The Bottom Line
Excel is fine for getting started or for very simple situations. But if you're serious about preventing equipment failures through proper maintenance tracking, purpose-built software will save you time and catch things that spreadsheets miss.
The good news: you don't need expensive enterprise CMMS software. Simple, focused tools like MaintainLog offer the benefits of dedicated software at a fraction of the cost (and free for small operations).