If you’re still keeping track of your containers in a notebook, this free spreadsheet will help you get organized today. It’s useful for water purification companies, seltzer delivery businesses, and any distributor that lends water jugs, jugs, siphons, or dispensers to its customers.
Download the free spreadsheet (Excel)
What’s Included in the Worksheet
- Customers: code, name, address, zone or route, and the number of containers each had at the start.
- Transactions: Each delivery includes the full containers you left and the empty ones that were returned to you.
- Balances: This is calculated automatically and shows how many containers each customer currently has. Those that exceed the limit you set are highlighted in red.
- Equipment Loans: Record of dispensers, pumps, and other equipment loaned out, including the dates of delivery and return.
It works in Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets, and doesn’t require macros.
How to Use It in 4 Steps
- Enter your customers’ unique codes and the number of packages each one has today.
- At the end of each day, record deliveries and returns on the “Transactions” sheet.
- Check the “Balances” sheet once a week and request a refund from the customers marked in red.
- Record each dispenser or piece of equipment you’ve borrowed on the Comodatos sheet.
When a spreadsheet Is No Longer Enough
The spreadsheet works well as long as only one person updates it. When you have multiple delivery drivers, routes, and customers, the usual problems arise: data that loads slowly, different versions of the file, and balances that don’t match reality.
At this point, it makes sense to switch to a system where delivery drivers record deliveries, packaging, and payments using their cell phones, and each customer’s balance is updated instantly. See how it works in the software for water refill businesses and in the software for seltzer delivery businesses.
Want to know how much your non-returnable containers are costing you? Calculate it with our profitability calculator, or try Yaku for free for 7 days.