The sign that it is time
A spreadsheet is a fine place to start. It is flexible, familiar and free. The trouble begins when more than one person needs the same numbers at the same moment.
If you have ever asked “which version is current?”, or found two copies that disagree, the spreadsheet is no longer holding the work. It is holding up the work.
Start with orders
Orders are the best first move, because everything else follows from them. Give each order a status, an owner and a path forward, and you stop relying on memory to know what was promised.
When an order moves, the people downstream see it move. The warehouse knows what needs picking without being told.
Then stock
Next, bring stock into one view across every location. Variants and units of measure sit together, and the numbers change as things move, not at the end of the week.
Every correction, transfer and write-off should leave a trace: who, when and why. That trace is what makes a count worth trusting.
Keep the habits that work
You do not need to change how your team thinks. Keep the stages that match your process, skip the ones you do not need, and let the system keep the record.
Where to look next
Orders and Inventory cover both in detail. Every plan has a 14-day free trial, so you can try the move on real work before committing.