How to Manage Print Shop Orders Without Excel

Most print shops still use Excel, diary, and WhatsApp to manage orders.

This creates problems:

Orders get missed

Status is unclear

Staff confusion

Customer complaints

You need a simple system. Not more Excel sheets.

Why Excel fails for print shop order management

Excel works at the start. It breaks as you grow.

Common problems

No real-time status

No job tracking stages

No team visibility

No alerts or reminders

Hard to manage multiple orders

Result:

You lose control of your operations.

What a proper order management system should do

You need a system built for print workflow.

Basic requirements

Order creation

Job status tracking

Staff assignment

Delivery tracking

Customer updates

Excel cannot handle this efficiently.

Simple system to manage print shop orders

Use a structured workflow instead of files.

Step 1. Create order in one place

Every order should include:

Customer name

Job details

Quantity

Deadline

File link

No scattered information.

Step 2. Track job stages clearly

Use fixed stages:

Pending

Design

Printing

Finishing

Completed

Delivered

Everyone should know current status instantly.

Step 3. Assign responsibility

Each job must have:

Assigned staff

Clear deadline

This removes confusion and delays.

Step 4. Track progress daily

Check:

Which jobs are pending

Which jobs are delayed

Which jobs are ready

This gives daily control.

Step 5. Link files with orders

Do not search folders.

Attach file path to each order:

Artwork file

Design file

Final print file

One click access saves time.

Step 6. Update customer automatically

Instead of repeated calls:

Send “Work started”

Send “Ready for pickup”

Send “Delivered”

This improves customer experience.

Real example

A small print shop managed orders in Excel and WhatsApp.

Problems:

Missed deadlines

Repeated customer calls

Confusion between staff

After moving to a structured system:

All jobs tracked in one place

Clear workflow

Faster delivery

Result:

Better control and more repeat customers.

Key benefits of moving away from Excel

No missed orders

Faster job processing

Better team coordination

Clear business visibility

Less stress for owner

This is how modern print shops operate.

What to use instead of Excel

Use a simple print shop management system with:

Live job tracking board

Order status updates

Customer tracking

File linking

Dashboard view

This replaces:

Excel

Diary

WhatsApp tracking

Common mistakes to avoid

Using multiple systems together

Not updating order status

No clear workflow

No responsibility assigned

Fix these first.

Daily workflow you should follow

Add all new orders

Assign staff

Update job status

Check delayed jobs

Notify customers

This takes minutes but saves hours.

Final takeaway

Excel is not built for managing print shop operations.

You need:

Structure

Visibility

Control

Switch to a proper system and run your business efficiently.