Comparison · Excel + papier
From paper to digital work order — when does the switch pay off?
An honest comparison — no bashing, no invented downsides. We check the claims below against Excel + papier's public website. Found a mistake? Email privacy@koldwerk.nl — we correct within 3 business days.
BRL 100 and STEK are Dutch national certification schemes — full support today is NL-only. See our honest country-coverage disclosure.
Excel + papier
The de facto 'old way' — paper work order on a clipboard, Excel for F-gas balance, a binder for archiving.
- Target audience
- Installers who haven't yet made the switch to specialized software.
- Price indication
- €0 software costs — but hidden costs in time, errors and audit risk.
Koldwerk
Specialized platform for refrigeration installers in the Netherlands.
- Target audience
- Installers with BRL 100 or STEK certification, 1-50 installers.
- Price indication
- €49 / €69 / €89 per month (public) — cancel monthly.
Feature comparison
Per feature: why it matters for a refrigeration company, and what Koldwerk vs Excel + papier offers.
| Feature | Koldwerk | Excel + papier |
|---|---|---|
BRL 100 / STEK audit trail Without a demonstrable audit trail, any refrigeration installer fails their next Kiwa audit. Essential, not optional. | Present Native audit trail, one-click export for Kiwa. | Not present Manual logbooks — editable, so not demonstrable in an audit. |
F-gas balance + GWP calculation EU 2024/573 requires a closed balance per refrigerant type. Excel never hits zero — the auditor will ask why. | Present Live balance, automatic GWP, alerts on deviation. | Not present Excel spreadsheet — rarely comes out at zero without manual searching. |
Time lost per work order Direct effect on profitability. | Present ≈ 3 minutes per work order (customer + 3-step flow + signature). | Not present ≈ 15-25 minutes per work order (filling out the form + retyping + filing). |
Loss risk (paper lost) One lost work order = lost invoice + audit finding. | Present Real-time sync to the cloud. Broken phone ≠ lost data. | Not present One case of water damage in the van = a stack of work orders gone. |
Honest price + cancel monthly No annual-contract lock-in. Our price is public (from €49/month) instead of 'request a quote'. | Present €49/€69/€89 public on /en/prijzen. Cancel monthly. | Partial €0 software costs, but hidden costs in time + errors. |
When Excel + papier is the better choice
- Your company handles ≤ 20 work orders per month and growth isn't a priority.
- No BRL/STEK certification — no external audits, no pressure on the audit trail.
- No installers on site — all administration happens at the office.
When Koldwerk is the better choice
- ≥ 20 work orders per month: paper pays for itself faster than you'd think.
- A BRL/STEK audit is coming — an Excel balance never reaches ≥ 99% closed.
- Customers ask for PDF/digital history — paper is a churn reason.
- Installer lost = paper work order lost = invoice 3 months later = cashflow problem.
Still not sure?
Send us your situation — we'll tell you honestly which tool we'd pick ourselves. No sales pitch, no empty demo.
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