Comparing approaches, not brands
Spreadsheets, separate apps per department, generic ERP and Sawitara, compared by criterion, including our limits.
Four approaches, 11 criteria
We deliberately name no other products. Columns other than Sawitara describe general approaches, not any specific product.
| Criterion | Spreadsheet | Separate apps | Generic/global ERP | Sawitara |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Built-in palm oil terms and flows (harvest records, dispatch notes, grading, daily reports, sounding) | Built per file | Per department | Usually through customisation or add-ons | Built into Sawitara Estate and Mill |
| Data recorded once and reused | Copied between files | Export/import between apps | Yes, if every department is on the same system | Yes: dispatch → ticket → daily report → sales → journal |
| Formula consistency (grading deduction, period OER) | Depends on each file | May differ between apps | Depends on customisation | One formula on screen, print and server |
| Business rules per unit/mill | Manual | Limited per app | Usually through consultants | Business Parameters on screen, global or per unit |
| Audit trail and period locks | Hard to guarantee | Varies | Usually available | Before/after audit trail, closing locks the period |
| Field screens on phones | No | Sometimes | Depends on product | Yes; estate flows and fleet logsheets offline (HTTPS required) |
| Weighing indicator integration | No | Often in dedicated weighbridge apps | Through extra integration | Preview: RS-232/USB-serial/TCP agent, not yet tested on a real indicator |
| Growers and suppliers see their own data | No | Rarely | Depends on product | Tandan: no account, via PIN-protected link/QR (no OTP yet), installs on the phone and opens offline |
| Traceability to plantation for EUDR | Manual | Separate app | Through modules or partners | Sawitara Trace: GeoJSON plots from weighbridge tickets; no satellite analysis |
| Third-party integration ecosystem | Broad (file formats) | Varies | Usually the broadest | Limited: SAP/Accurate journal export and read API (not official integrations) |
| On-premise deployment | Yes (local files) | Varies | Depends on product | Yes (Docker) or managed |
When another approach fits better
Spreadsheet
Still reasonable for a very small unit with one data owner, given discipline on file versions and backups.
Separate apps
Fits when only one department has problems (e.g. only the weighbridge) and the rest is stable.
Generic/global ERP
Right when the group already uses it for other businesses and will fund palm oil customisation. Sawitara can sit alongside as the estate and mill system: journals go to SAP or Accurate as upload files or through the read API.
Questions to ask any vendor
We answer the same questions for Sawitara in the FAQ.
- Show with demo data: from harvest record to journal, how many times is the same figure retyped?
- Where is the grading deduction formula, and do screen, minutes and ticket use the same one?
- How is period OER calculated: total CPO over total FFB, or the average of shift percentages?
- Can grading weights, shrinkage tolerance and wage rates differ per mill or unit without code changes?
- Who can correct a ticket weight, must they give a reason and get approval, and where is the history?
- What happens when a transaction is posted to a closed period?
- How is initial data loaded, and is there an error preview before saving?
- Where is our data stored, how often is it backed up, and when was a restore last tested?
- Which features exist today and which are still planned? Ask for a written list.
- If AI is used: what data goes to the AI provider, and can the feature be switched off?
See Sawitara with demo data
In 15 minutes we walk you from estate to general ledger, then discuss the products you need.