Excel + WhatsApp vs Sighthem
Most trade teams run on Excel files, WhatsApp groups, and shared Drive folders. Sighthem turns that into one operational backbone. This page shows what changes feature-by-feature and the cost/time math of the migration.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Dimension | Excel + WhatsApp | Sighthem |
|---|---|---|
| Customer list | In one person's spreadsheet; when they leave, the relationship leaves. | Under the workspace, accessible to anyone with permission. One pipeline. |
| Lead follow-up | No reminders. A pending message in WhatsApp slips through. | Tasks attached to leads, cron-based auto reminders. |
| Order & quote | Manual Word/Excel; every quote looks different. | Generated from one form; multi-currency, Incoterm, terms, one click. |
| Proforma invoice PDF | Template file, filled by hand, 50 different versions over years. | System-generated, bilingual TR/EN, optional manager approval. |
| Shipment tracking | Ask the forwarder, screenshot to WhatsApp, then lost. | Shipment record across 6 statuses; B/L, packing list, CO in slot/version. |
| Letter of Credit | Bank PDF in email; unclear who sent what when. | 5 lifecycle (PREPARED → SUBMITTED → ACCEPTED → DISCREPANCY → CLOSED), deadline cron. |
| Sanctions screening | Not done. You find out about the risk afterwards. | OFAC + EU + UN lists, 3-mode automated check. |
| VAT refund | Few hours of manual data collection at month-end. | Auto-aggregated, 12-month chart, country split, pre-declaration single page. |
| Multi-currency | Manual FX, wrong totals, separate sheet. | EUR/USD/TRY/GBP auto FX, per-currency running balance. |
| Customer calls | From a mobile phone; no recording, no log. | Browser WebRTC, 206 countries, KVKK-compliant recording & playback. |
| Email campaigns | BCC out of Outlook; no tracking, no unsubscribe. | Managed email infrastructure + open/click tracking + unsubscribe + bounce handling. |
| Reporting | Excel pivots, a few hours of manual work at month-end. | Pipeline, sales, collection, performance, real-time. |
| Team permissions | File sharing; either everyone sees everything or nobody does. | Workspace + role-based + per-module toggle; audit log. |
| KVKK & backup | Backup on a laptop; no KVKK policy. | EU hosting, hourly backups, audit log, KVKK-compliant. |
| Onboarding time | New hires take 2-4 weeks to learn who-keeps-what-where. | System clarity, basic use in a few hours. |
3 Real Scenarios
1. "Key person left the company"
Excel + WhatsApp: Customer list and quote history were on that person's laptop and WhatsApp. The new hire spends 3 weeks asking customers "where were we?"; some relationships are lost.
Sighthem: Every interaction lives in the workspace, last touch, sent quote, payment terms, open task. The new hire picks up from day one.
2. "Month-end report for declarations"
Excel + WhatsApp: Three Excel files + two bank statements + an order list pulled from WhatsApp are merged. 4-6 hours of manual work, high formula-error risk.
Sighthem: VAT refund page: 12-month chart, country breakdown, per-declaration total, one page, auto-aggregated.
3. "A customer gets added to a sanctions list"
Excel + WhatsApp: You keep doing business unaware; you find out later, or when the bank rejects. Sanctions violations can cost millions of dollars.
Sighthem: The sanctions screening module scans OFAC + EU + UN every day; an alert fires the moment a match appears. Risk stops upstream.
ROI, rough math for a 5-person team
| Hours saved per person per week | 4-6 h |
| 5 people × 5 h × 4 weeks | 100 h/month |
| Operations hourly cost (assumed) | 200 TL |
| Monthly saving | ~20.000 TL |
Numbers depend on team size, sector, and current process maturity. On top of the saving: VAT refund discipline, prevented sanctions risk, and easier customer handoff.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to drop Excel entirely?
No. Excel stays for financial modeling and quick ad-hoc analysis; but lead, customer, order, shipment, and collection operations move to Sighthem. Sighthem exports every table to CSV/Excel anyway.
What about my existing data in Excel?
CSV import is supported for leads, customers, and orders. Onboarding support (data migration + team training) is available when needed.
How does the cost math work?
For a 5-person team: 4-6 hours saved per person per week on operations (follow-up, reporting, paperwork). 5 × 5 × 4 = 100 hours/month. At 200 TL/hour, that's 20,000 TL/month saved, many times the Sighthem subscription.
Will my team adapt to new software?
Sighthem is built with CRM clarity (not ERP complexity). Onboarding support is available when needed; a typical user is doing the basic flow within a few hours.