How to track orders — step by step
Updated 2026-05-31
Order tracking means having a single place where you can see every order: who, what, for how much, its status and its delivery. You can start in Excel/Google Sheets (free, but done by hand), and when orders grow — move to a CRM, where statuses, stock and Nova Poshta waybills (TTN) are calculated automatically. Below are 5 steps to get organised without paying a thing.
What order tracking is and why you need it
Order tracking is the systematic handling of every order, from the moment a customer gets in touch to the moment they receive their parcel. Without it, orders “live” in messengers, notes and memory — which is how they get lost, duplicated or shipped late. The goal is that at any moment you can see: who ordered, what exactly, for how much, which stage it’s at and where the parcel is.
5 steps to get organised
1. Bring all orders into one place
Stop keeping orders in messengers, notes and your head. One list — one source of truth: date, customer, phone, products, amount, status, delivery.
2. Define statuses (your funnel)
At a minimum: “New → Confirmed → Shipped → Completed” (+ “Cancelled”). The status shows which stage each order is at, so nothing gets lost.
3. Track your stock levels
Record how much of each product you have and how much is reserved for orders. This saves you from selling something you no longer have.
4. Attach the delivery
Keep the Nova Poshta waybill (TTN) number next to the order, so you can see the shipment status and answer the customer quickly.
5. Analyse: revenue and top products
Once a week, review the total value of orders for the period, the funnel conversion and what sells best — so you stock the right things.
Order spreadsheet template (for a start)
If you’re starting with Excel or Google Sheets, set up these columns:
- No. — the order’s sequential number
- Date — when it was created
- Customer + Phone — to avoid mix-ups and spot repeat purchases
- Products + Quantity + Amount
- Status — New / Confirmed / Shipped / Completed / Cancelled
- Delivery + TTN no. — Nova Poshta
When to switch from Excel to a CRM
A spreadsheet works well up to a certain volume. As soon as you catch yourself with stock levels getting confused, statuses hard to track or forgetting to call back — it’s time for a CRM. In a free CRM, statuses move with one click, stock is reserved automatically, and the Nova Poshta waybill (TTN) is created straight from the order. You can compare your options in our 2026 CRM ranking.
FAQ
How do I track orders for free?
The simplest way is a spreadsheet in Google Sheets or Excel with columns: date, customer, phone, products, amount, status, TTN. When orders grow, a free CRM (such as Crm-systems) automates statuses, stock and Nova Poshta with no monthly fee.
Excel or a CRM for tracking orders?
Excel works for getting started and for small volumes, but it requires manual work and is easily broken by formulas. A CRM calculates stock and reservations automatically, won't let you sell a product you don't have, and creates waybills (TTN) — which saves time from a few dozen orders a month onwards.
What columns do I need in an order spreadsheet?
The basic set: order number, date, customer name, phone, list of products, quantity, amount, status, delivery method and TTN number. That's enough to make sure nothing slips through.
When should I switch from a spreadsheet to a CRM?
When the spreadsheet starts slowing you down: it's hard to track statuses, stock levels get confused, you forget to call back. Usually this is around 30–50 orders a month.