How to move your test and tag register off spreadsheets

Almost every test and tag business starts with a spreadsheet. It's free, it's familiar, and for the first few clients it works. Then the file becomes register_FINAL_v7.xlsx, a formula breaks, and nobody is sure which copy is current.

Here's how to move across to a live register in an afternoon, without retyping anything.

Signs it's time to move

• You keep more than one copy of the register and they don't agree.
• You type results up at night after writing them on paper during the day.
• You find out something is overdue when the client tells you.
• A client asks "are we compliant?" and answering takes an hour.

If two or more of those sound familiar, the spreadsheet is costing you more than it saves.

Step 1: Tidy the columns you have

You don't need a perfect file. You need each column to mean one thing. Most registers have some version of:

• Client and site
• Location (kitchen, workshop, level 2)
• Asset code or tag number
• Description, make, model and serial number
• Last test date and result
• Next due date

Delete totals rows, merged header cells and notes typed into random cells. If you're starting from nothing, download our free register template.

Step 2: One file per client

Save each client's items as a separate .xlsx, .xls or .csv file. It keeps the import simple and lets you check each client as you go.

Step 3: Import and check the matches

In Koalaris, open the register and choose Import. Lyra AI reads your column names, even odd ones like "Tag #" or "Equip descr", and matches them to the register's fields. You review every match before anything is imported.

Watch the two-minute import tutorial.

Step 4: Check a few items, then stop using the old file

Open three or four imported items and compare them with the spreadsheet. If they match, save the old file somewhere safe and stop editing it. Two registers is worse than one.

Step 5: Test straight into the register from now on

From the next visit, results go straight into the field app on your phone, even with no signal. The register, the certificate and the client's portal update themselves.

What about the history?

Bring across the last test date and result for each item, and Koalaris works out the next due date. From then on, every test adds to the item's history automatically.

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