Still Running Your Workshop on Spreadsheets?
Spreadsheets, WhatsApp groups, paper job sheets, phone calls. It works - until it doesn't. We ran our workshop the same way for years before building CutFlow.
CutFlow vs Spreadsheets: Side by Side
An honest comparison so you can decide what's right for your workshop.
Copy-paste in Word/email
Branded quotes with online approval + deposit
Colour-coded rows
Real-time order dashboard with status history
Paper job sheets / whiteboards
Visual drag-and-drop production board
Manual counting
Automatic demand calculation + PO suggestions
Notepad addresses, hope for the best
Route planning, GPS tracking, driver app
"Where's my order?" calls all day
Auto SMS + self-service tracking portal
Manual in Xero/Sage
Auto-generated from orders + Xero & Sage sync
Manual copy-paste from emails
WooCommerce & Shopify real-time order sync
No idea until accountant says
Real-time margin tracking per job
Free (the software, not your time)
From £49/mo. Saves more in admin time than it costs
N/A (already set up... sort of)
1-hour onboarding call, live same day
Before & After CutFlow
See how workshops transform their daily operations - area by area.
Copy-paste quotes in Word
Email back and forth. No idea which version the customer saw. Chasing deposits manually.
Branded quotes with online payment
Professional quote pages. Customers approve and pay deposits with one click. Converts to order instantly.
Colour-coded rows in a spreadsheet
Someone forgets to update it and everything falls apart. No idea what stage each order is at.
Real-time order dashboard
Every status change logged automatically. Filter by customer, batch, or stage. Nothing gets missed.
Paper job sheets and whiteboards
Walk to the shop floor to check what's happening. Workers guess priorities.
Live production board with worker app
See who's working on what from anywhere. Workers update progress on their phones.
Manually count what you need
Order too much or run out mid-job. No link between orders and stock.
Automatic demand calculation
Purchase order suggestions based on real stock levels and open orders. Never run out mid-job.
Scribble addresses on a notepad
Plan routes in your head. Hope the driver remembers. Customers calling for ETAs.
Route clustering + driver app + GPS
Orders grouped by postcode automatically. Driver mobile app with navigation and proof of delivery.
"Where's my order?" calls all day
Phone rings constantly. Staff interrupted answering the same questions over and over.
Auto SMS + self-service portal
Customers get notified at each stage. Self-service tracking link so they check their own status.
Spreadsheet Problems, Solved
Every failure mode we lived through - and the feature we built to fix it.
Colour-coded spreadsheet chaos
Digital production board
Phone ringing constantly
Automatic SMS at every milestone
No idea where drivers are
Live GPS tracking + route optimisation
Manual invoicing and payment chasing
Auto-generated invoices with Xero & Sage sync
Free Software vs £49/mo
Spreadsheets are free. But the time you waste on admin, chasing updates, and fixing mistakes isn't.
Free (the software, not your time)
+ £19/admin + £5/worker
What Spreadsheets Are Really Costing You
The software is free. The time you waste isn't.
Spreadsheets or CutFlow?
Spreadsheets are fine if…
You're just getting started or running very small.
- You handle fewer than 5 orders per month
- You work alone or with one other person
- You don't need production tracking or delivery management
- You're just starting out and testing the market
CutFlow is right if…
You're growing and things are getting harder to track.
- You're juggling multiple orders and losing track of progress
- You have a team and need everyone on the same page
- Customers keep calling for status updates
- You're managing deliveries and need route planning
- You want to see which jobs are actually profitable
- You're spending more time on admin than making things
Common Questions About Switching
Can I import my existing spreadsheet data into CutFlow?
Yes. During your free 1-on-1 onboarding call, our team will help you import your existing orders, customers, and product data from your spreadsheets. Most workshops are fully migrated within a few days with no data loss.
How long does it take to switch from spreadsheets to CutFlow?
Most workshops are up and running within a week. The core setup takes under an hour. Create your account, add your team, and start creating orders. The onboarding call covers importing your existing data and configuring workflows to match how your workshop already operates.
Do I need to migrate all my old orders or can I start fresh?
Entirely your choice. Many workshops start fresh with new orders in CutFlow while keeping their old spreadsheets as a reference. Others prefer to import their full order history for reporting and customer records. We support both approaches during onboarding.
What if my team doesn't want to switch from spreadsheets?
Change resistance is normal, especially when your team has used spreadsheets for years. CutFlow is designed to be easier than a spreadsheet, not harder. Most workshop staff are comfortable within the first day. During your free 1-on-1 onboarding call, we walk your team through everything and answer questions live. And there's no pressure to go cold turkey: many workshops run CutFlow alongside their spreadsheets for the first week or two until the team sees the difference for themselves.
Can I still export data to spreadsheets if I need to?
Absolutely. CutFlow doesn't lock your data in. You can export orders, customer lists, production data, and financial reports to CSV at any time. Ready to open in Excel or Google Sheets. Many workshop owners still pull a spreadsheet export for their accountant or for ad-hoc analysis. The difference is that your day-to-day operations run on a proper system, and spreadsheets become an occasional tool rather than the backbone of your business.
We Ran on Spreadsheets Too
CutFlow was built inside a real 5-branch furniture and panel cutting operation running 130+ users daily. We built it because we lived the problem - no consulting firm, no ivory tower.
21-day free trial · No credit card · All features included