Excel, traditional ERP or FlowSystem?
An honest comparison to understand when Excel is enough, when a full ERP is needed, and when FlowSystem is the right choice for a small or mid-sized machine shop.
Excel / shared sheets
Cheap and immediate to start. But formulas break, files get duplicated, and nobody ever knows which version is the right one. Priority is set by whoever shouts loudest.
- + Zero upfront cost
- + Full freedom
- − No priority control
- − Human errors and lost files
Traditional ERP
Covers everything: accounting, warehouse, production. But it requires months of setup, dedicated consultants and a significant budget. Often oversized for workshops with 5–30 people.
- + Broad functional coverage
- + Structured multi-user
- − High cost and lead times
- − Complex training
FlowSystem
Designed for machine shops and SMEs. Starts in a day, computes priority and delay risk automatically, and gives the shop floor an always-updated monitor.
- + Automatic priority and risk
- + Shop-floor monitor included
- + Clear pricing from €29/month
- + Cloud or on-premise
Feature-by-feature comparison
The features that really matter to run orders and production in a workshop.
| Feature | Excel | Traditional ERP | FlowSystem |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup in less than 1 day | |||
| Low upfront cost | |||
| Real-time multi-user access | |||
| Automatically computed effective priority | |||
| Delay risk indicator per job | |||
| Dedicated shop-floor monitor | |||
| Order history and instant search | |||
| Updates included with no consulting | |||
| Operator training in less than 1 hour | |||
| Usable in the cloud too | |||
| Predictable price (clear monthly plan) |
You handle few orders per month, you're alone in the office, and you don't need to share job status with the shop floor.
You're a company with 50+ people, you already have structured industrial accounting and budget for a multi-year project with dedicated consultants.
You want to move from Excel to a real tool without waiting months, you need clear priorities for the shop floor and a predictable fee.
Want to see the difference on your own data?
In 30 minutes we'll show you FlowSystem with realistic orders and answer your questions.