Arc Manager vs Excel for Fabrication Inventory & BOM Costing
Excel is one of the most common tools used in fabrication and welding shops. For simple lists and quick math, it works — until the shop grows.
Once you're tracking real inventory, assemblies, and BOM-based costs, spreadsheets start to show their limits. This page breaks down where Excel works, where it breaks down, and how Arc Manager approaches fabrication inventory differently.
Where Excel Starts to Fall Apart in Fabrication Shops
Excel was built for flexible calculations, not structured inventory systems. In a fabrication environment, that difference matters.
As soon as you're tracking materials, hardware, sub-assemblies, and finished products, spreadsheets rely on:
- Manually built relationships
- Nested formulas
- Cell references across multiple tabs
- Careful handling to avoid breaking calculations
One misplaced edit or copied formula can quietly throw off your numbers. That's how profitable jobs turn into losses without anyone noticing.
Spreadsheets vs Purpose-Built Inventory Systems
In Excel, you are responsible for building and maintaining the system. Tabs, formulas, references, and workarounds all need to be designed, protected, and updated manually.
Arc Manager works differently. The structure is built in.
Materials, hardware, and assemblies are entered once, and their relationships are handled automatically. There are no formulas to maintain, no cells to protect, and no risk of breaking your data with a bad edit. This enables structured BOM costing that updates automatically as your inventory changes.
Arc Manager vs Excel: Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Excel | Arc Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Fabrication-specific design | General-purpose | Built for fabrication shops |
| BOM cost calculation | Manual formulas | Automatic |
| Assembly relationships | Manual references | Built-in |
| Risk of breaking data | High | Low |
| Offline operation | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | File-based | Local database |
| Scalability | Fragile | Designed to grow |
| Cost | Included, but time-heavy | $49 one-time |
Offline by Design — Not by Accident
Both Excel and Arc Manager run locally, but they handle data very differently.
Arc Manager stores your data in a local database designed for consistency and reliability. There's no cloud sync, no server dependency, and no subscription tying your data to an account.
You own the software. You own the data. It keeps working regardless of internet access or company changes.
Offline operation isn't a fallback — it's the core design decision that keeps Arc Manager fast, reliable, and fully under your control.
When Excel Might Still Be Enough
Excel can work if:
- You're tracking a small number of items
- You don't use BOMs or assemblies
- You're comfortable maintaining formulas
- Cost accuracy isn't critical
For very simple setups, spreadsheets may be sufficient.
Who Arc Manager Is Built For
Arc Manager is built for fabrication and welding shops that:
- Track real inventory and assemblies
- Need accurate BOM-based costing
- Are tired of maintaining spreadsheets
- Want to own their tools and data
- Prefer offline, no-subscription software
If Excel feels fragile, stressful, or untrustworthy — that's the gap Arc Manager fills.
If you've outgrown spreadsheets, Arc Manager gives you a structured alternative without subscriptions or cloud lock-in.
Explore the Arc Manager Demo →Desktop only