8 Reasons it's time to move on from asset management spreadsheets

Spreadsheets might feel like the quickest way to build an asset register, cheap, familiar, and good enough for now. But when your entire maintenance history, compliance proof, and audit readiness depend on a file that can be broken by one mistyped date or accidental overwrite, the risks add up fast.

Here are eight reasons it’s probably time to move on from asset management spreadsheets for good.

Summary

Spreadsheets may look like a cheap asset register, but small mistakes and fragile setups can cascade into missed maintenance, compliance gaps, audit failures, and costly downtime. Excel requires advanced upkeep, breaks easily with multi-user use, works poorly on mobile, and cannot reliably preserve audit trails, attachments, or secure access. Without robust links between physical assets and records, data quality erodes into ghost/zombie assets. Dedicated asset management software centralises documentation, automates workflows and reminders, improves security and accessibility, and helps prevent these unintended consequences.

What is an asset register?

1. Human error can quietly derail everything

Spreadsheets rely on people getting every detail right, every time. One mistyped number, a deleted service date, or broken formula might seem minor, but it can trigger much bigger problems later.

A missed maintenance visit can lead to unexpected asset failure.
A missing compliance record can create serious audit gaps.
And for safety-critical assets (like fire alarms), incomplete inspection evidence can even impact insurance claims or legal responsibility.

How CAFM fixes it:

Dedicated asset management software reduces manual risk by automating reminders, approvals, and required compliance steps, so tasks don’t disappear just because someone accidentally changed a cell.

2. Spreadsheets demand “Excel experts” to stay usable

Asset registers start simple and then grow fast.
Once you’re tracking hundreds (or thousands) of assets across multiple sites, spreadsheets become hard to manage without advanced skills:

• Complex formulas

• Pivot tables

• Conditional formatting

• Linked documents

• Depreciation calculations

• Custom reports

And the more complicated the spreadsheet becomes, the harder it is for others to maintain.

How CAFM fixes it:

CAFM asset management software is built specifically for facilities teams, with structured asset records, automated reporting, and no need for spreadsheet engineering.

3. Multi-user spreadsheets are fragile

Spreadsheets aren’t designed for busy teams updating asset data in real time.
When multiple people access the same file, the risk increases:

• Data gets overwritten

• Fields are filled inconsistently

• Links break

• Rows are deleted

• Version control becomes messy

Over time, the spreadsheet becomes unreliable, and no one is confident it’s accurate.

How CAFM fixes it:

Facilities software provides one secure, central source of truth, with controlled access and live updates, no duplicated files or broken versions.

How can better data quality and automation, like in CAFM platforms, improve asset performance and longevity?

4. Excel doesn’t work well on mobile (or in the field)

Most asset data is needed on-site, not at a desk.
Engineers and contractors need to view and update records while working:

• Service history

• Manuals

• Warranty info

• Compliance documents

But spreadsheets are awkward on phones and tablets, making field updates slow and frustrating.
And if people can’t easily record work in real time, the asset register quickly falls behind.

How CAFM fixes it:

Modern CAFM or facilities software is mobile-first, so teams can scan, update, and complete jobs directly from the site, with everything logged instantly.

5. Spreadsheets break easily as they grow

Excel might feel stable at first, but as asset registers expand, spreadsheets become surprisingly easy to damage.
A single change to a formula, dropdown, or linked tab can break reporting across the whole file.
And often, problems aren’t spotted until something goes wrong:

• Missed inspections

• Incorrect asset values

• Incomplete maintenance history

How CAFM fixes it:

Asset management software replaces fragile spreadsheet structures with purpose-built workflows that don’t collapse when the register scales.

6. Audit trails are almost impossible to manage properly

Facilities teams need more than current data; they need history.
Spreadsheets struggle to preserve a complete, tamper-proof record of:

• When an asset was installed

• Where it’s been used

• Every repair and service outcome

• Inspection frequency

• Compliance documentation

Old data is often overwritten instead of properly logged, making audits stressful and risky.

How CAFM fixes it:

CAFM asset management software automatically stores full service histories, enforces required fields, and creates reliable audit trails for compliance and reporting. Giving you a true understanding of the cost of asset management, beyond the false economy of spreadsheets.

7. Attachments and documentation become scattered

A strong asset register isn’t just a list; it should include everything connected to that asset:

• User manuals

• Warranty details

• Condition reports

• Photos and videos

• Meter readings

• Maintenance records

Spreadsheets can’t store this neatly, so teams end up relying on messy links across shared drives or folders.
Over time, documentation gets lost, outdated, or impossible to find.

How CAFM fixes it:

Dedicated facilities software keeps all asset documentation in one place, attached directly to the record — searchable, secure, and always available.

8. It’s hard to link physical assets to the right records

One of the biggest spreadsheet risks is knowing whether the record matches the real asset on the ground. With a CAFM you can link physical assets to digital records with QR/NFC/RFID.

Asset tagging: pros and cons of QR codes, NFC, RFID and GPS tags.

Without a reliable connection, organisations end up with:

• Ghost assets (records that don’t exist physically)

• Zombie assets (real assets with no accurate record)

This leads to wasted spend, missed servicing, and poor decision-making.

How CAFM fixes it:

Asset management systems generate QR codes or labels so engineers can scan an asset and instantly access the correct record, reducing errors and keeping data clean.

Spreadsheets create false confidence

Spreadsheets feel low-cost, but they often come with hidden operational risk.

Over time, manual updates, missing data, broken links, and audit gaps can lead to:

• Unexpected downtime
• Compliance failures
• Expensive catch-up work
• Poor lifecycle planning

A dedicated CAFM asset management software platform helps facilities teams stay in control, automate the important work, and build a register they can actually trust.

For the full lifecycle view, from onboarding to disposal, see how CAFM supports every stage. CAFM solution for asset lifecycle management.

FAQs

Question: Why are spreadsheets risky for managing an asset register?

Answer: Small, easy-to-miss errors in spreadsheets can trigger big consequences. A mistyped date or broken formula can lead to missed maintenance, unexpected failures, and even audit or insurance problems. Because spreadsheets rely on manual updates and brittle links, they struggle to maintain accurate schedules and histories. Over time, this creates compliance gaps, increases the chance of downtime, and can result in regulator fines or disputed insurance claims if required records aren’t available.

Question: Isn’t Excel “good enough” if we use templates and strong formulas?

Answer: Even with templates and advanced formulas, Excel demands ongoing expert upkeep; macros, dropdowns, conditional formatting, pivots, internal/external links, and depreciation calculations all have to be built and maintained. In real-world use, multiple users, differing devices, and ad-hoc edits can break links, corrupt formulas, and delete data. The result is a fragile system that’s hard to keep accurate, scalable, and user-friendly across teams and locations.

Question: How does Excel fall short for audits and compliance?

Answer: Spreadsheets don’t reliably preserve a complete, tamper-resistant service history with required fields and outcomes. Old data often gets overwritten, and there’s no robust, consistent audit trail across assets. When you can’t prove inspection frequency, work outcomes, or service dates, you risk failing audits and facing legal or insurance challenges, especially for safety-critical assets like fire alarms, where missing documentation can lead to disputed or refused claims.

Question: What about mobile use, attachments, and external contractors? Can Excel handle that?

Answer: Not well. Spreadsheets are awkward on mobile, so field teams may miss or fail to capture vital info in real time. Storing manuals, warranties, photos, videos, and maintenance records typically requires scattered links across servers and third-party folders, making data easy to lose or render obsolete. Sharing a single spreadsheet with external contractors is both impractical and risky; you can’t easily restrict access to only the data they need.

Question: How do dedicated asset management systems solve these problems?

Answer: Purpose-built systems centralise documentation, enforce required fields, and keep immutable histories. They support mobile access for on-site updates, automate workflows with approvals, notifications, and reminders, and offer role-based access so external engineers can contribute securely. Features like QR code labels link each physical asset to its exact record, reducing “ghost” and “zombie” assets and helping ensure maintenance, compliance, and audits don’t slip through the cracks.