When I started my vending business, Excel was my best friend. A simple spreadsheet to track inventory, another for locations, maybe one more for expenses. It worked great—for about three machines.
Fast forward to managing 15+ machines across multiple routes, and those spreadsheets became my biggest headache. If you're nodding along, you might be experiencing the same growing pains I did.
Here are the 5 signs that told me it was time to move beyond spreadsheets—and why I eventually built VendHub to solve these exact problems.
You're Spending More Time on Data Entry Than Actually Running Your Business
If you're spending hours each week manually updating inventory counts, copying numbers between sheets, and trying to reconcile your data, something's wrong. I used to spend Sunday evenings just updating spreadsheets instead of planning for the week ahead.
The reality: Every hour spent on manual data entry is an hour you could spend finding new locations, optimizing your product mix, or simply enjoying time off.
You've Lost Data or Made Costly Mistakes Due to Formula Errors
Spreadsheets are fragile. One wrong keystroke can break a formula. One accidental delete can wipe out months of data. I once lost an entire month of commission tracking because I accidentally overwrote a formula while updating inventory.
The cost: Beyond the time to fix errors, bad data leads to bad decisions—ordering too much of slow-moving products, missing commission payments, or underestimating expenses.
You Can't Quickly Answer Basic Business Questions
"Which machine is most profitable?" "What's my best-selling product this month?" "How much did I spend on inventory last quarter?" If answering these questions requires 20 minutes of filtering, pivoting, and cross-referencing multiple sheets, you've outgrown Excel.
What you need: Real-time dashboards that show you exactly how your business is performing at a glance—not after an hour of spreadsheet gymnastics.
Your Spreadsheets Don't Travel Well
Vending is a mobile business. You're at locations, in your vehicle, at the warehouse. But Excel on your phone? It's painful. Trying to update inventory while standing at a machine, squinting at tiny cells, accidentally tapping the wrong row—it's a recipe for frustration and errors.
The modern reality: You need something built for mobile-first operation, where you can scan a barcode, tap a few buttons, and move on to the next machine.
You're Managing Multiple Spreadsheets That Don't Talk to Each Other
One spreadsheet for inventory. Another for locations. A third for expenses. A fourth for commissions. Sound familiar? When your data lives in silos, you can't see the full picture. You can't easily see which locations are profitable after accounting for commissions and travel costs.
The integration problem: Spreadsheets weren't designed to be a connected system. Every time you need to cross-reference data, you're doing manual work that software should handle automatically.
The Solution: Purpose-Built Vending Software
After hitting all five of these walls, I looked for vending management software. What I found was either built for massive distributors (way too complex and expensive) or too basic to actually solve my problems.
So I built VendHub—specifically for operators like us who've outgrown spreadsheets but don't need enterprise-level complexity.
Here's what changed for me after switching:
- Data entry time dropped by 80% — Barcode scanning, quick-add buttons, and automatic calculations
- Zero formula errors — The software handles all the math
- Instant answers — Dashboard shows profitability, top products, and trends at a glance
- True mobile operation — Update inventory right at the machine from my phone
- Everything connected — Inventory, locations, expenses, and commissions all in one place
Is It Time for You to Make the Switch?
If you recognized yourself in any of these signs, it might be time to explore dedicated vending software. The good news? You don't have to commit right away.
VendHub offers a free tier that lets you manage up to 50 products and 2 locations—enough to test whether purpose-built software actually makes a difference for your operation.
Ready to Ditch the Spreadsheets?
Join hundreds of vending operators who've upgraded from Excel to VendHub. Start free, no credit card required.
Have questions about making the switch? Book a free demo and I'll personally walk you through how VendHub can work for your specific operation.