Managing multiple international orders and consolidations can be a logistical challenge. The GTBuy Spreadsheet is a powerful, free tool designed to bring clarity and control to this process. This guide will show you how to use it to monitor item status, warehouse storage, and shipping deadlines across all your packages.
Getting Started: The Core Dashboard
The spreadsheet's dashboard provides a real-time overview. Key columns include:
- Item Status:'Ordered''Arrived at Warehouse'.
- Warehouse Location:
- Storage Entry Date:
- Consolidation Group:CON-01-MARCH).
- Storage Entry Date:
Planning Consolidations Efficiently
Strategic grouping saves money on shipping. Follow these steps within the sheet:
- Tag Items for Consolidation:'Arrived at Warehouse', assign them the same Consolidation ID.
- Calculate Deadlines:Storage Entry Date'Submit Consolidation By'orange
- Estimate Weight & Cost:
Monitoring and Proactive Management
The spreadsheet becomes your command center. Implement these practices:
- Color-Coding:Green for shipped, yellow for in warehouse, red for delayed.
- Link Everything:'Order #''Tracking #'
- Dedicated Notes Column:
Pro Tips for Power Users
Leverage built-in formulas to automate tracking:
=IF(TODAY() [Deadline Date], "OVERDUE", "OK")Create a separate summary tab using SUMIF