Spreadsheets vs Software: When to Upgrade Your Maintenance Tracking
Every property management company starts with a spreadsheet. It's free, it's flexible, and it's easy to set up. You have columns for the property, the issue, the vendor, and the status.
But at a certain point, the spreadsheet that helped you get started begins to hold you back.
How do you know when you've reached that tipping point? Here are the signs that it's time to upgrade.
The Limits of the Spreadsheet
1. The Data Silo
A spreadsheet only works if you remember to update it. If a tenant calls while you're driving, you have to remember to log it later. If you forget, that request effectively doesn't exist. Software automates the logging process.
2. The Communication Gap
A spreadsheet can't send an email. To update a tenant or dispatch a vendor, you have to leave the spreadsheet, go to your email, copy/paste details, and send the message. Then you have to go back to the spreadsheet to mark it as "sent."
3. Lack of Accountability
Who updated the status on Unit 402? When was the vendor actually notified? Spreadsheets don't have an audit trail.
4 Signs You've Outgrown Your Spreadsheet
1. You're managing more than 100 units
At 100 units, the sheer volume of requests (typically 10-15 per week) makes manual entry a full-time chore. The risk of things falling through the cracks becomes too high.
2. You have a team
If more than one person is managing maintenance, "Version Control" becomes a nightmare. Who has the latest file? Did someone accidentally delete a row?
3. You're spending more time on "Admin" than "Action"
If you spend more than 2 hours a week just updating your maintenance log, the "free" spreadsheet is actually costing you thousands of dollars a year in wasted labor.
4. Tenants are complaining about "silence"
If "I never heard back" is a common complaint, it's a sign that your manual triage process is too slow.
The Benefits of Upgrading
Dedicated maintenance software isn't just a "digital spreadsheet." It's a communication hub.
- Automatic Ingest: Requests flow directly from email to your dashboard.
- One-Click Dispatch: No more copy-pasting into emails.
- Tenant Transparency: Tenants can be automatically updated as the job moves through the system.
The Bottom Line
A spreadsheet is a great way to manage 20 units. It's a dangerous way to manage 200 units. If you find yourself dreading the "update the log" task every Monday morning, you've already outgrown it. (If you're ready to upgrade, check out our Maintenance Software Buyer Guide).
OpsPilot Note: OpsPilot is designed to be the "next step" after a spreadsheet. It requires zero training and zero complex integrations. It simply sits on top of your existing email and turns that chaos into a structured, automated maintenance log.