Compare your options side by side
All three methods can work for a personal record. This table describes typical spreadsheet and paper workflows and the tracking features available in My Pick Rate; it does not compare employer-issued systems.
CHOOSE HOW TO TRACK YOUR WORK
Pick rate app vs. spreadsheet vs. paper
Want to know your cases per hour before your shift ends? You can use a phone app, a spreadsheet or a notebook. The best method is the one you can update safely, consistently and within your workplace's rules.
| What matters | Pick rate app | Spreadsheet | Paper notebook |
|---|---|---|---|
| Getting started | Enter shift details and work totals | Build or adapt a sheet with formulas | Write down times and completed cases |
| Running cases/hour | Calculated from your entries | Formula-based once set up correctly | Calculate manually |
| Recording orders | Quick Entry for completed case totals | Add a row for each order | Write each order total |
| Looking back | In-app history and monthly summaries | Saved rows and tabs | Review previous pages |
| Working offline | My Pick Rate Android saves entries on the phone and syncs after reconnecting | Depends on the spreadsheet app and where the file is stored | Works without a device or connection |
| Potential drawbacks | Requires a compatible phone and device permission at work | Formulas and time fields need upkeep | Harder to total and compare many shifts |
Which option fits your shift?
Choose paper if devices are not allowed in your work area or you only need a few notes. Choose a spreadsheet if you like customizing formulas and reviewing your data at a computer. Choose an app if you want running pace calculations and shift history without building your own spreadsheet.
Try the same shift with each method
Imagine you completed 480 cases in three counted hours. Your personal raw pace is 160 cases per hour (480 ÷ 3). A notebook needs that calculation written out; a spreadsheet can calculate it with a formula; a rate-tracking app can update the result as you enter your work.
Whichever method you use, define your counted time consistently. Including breaks in one method and excluding them in another will change the result. Use our break-rate calculator to see why.
When a spreadsheet makes sense
A spreadsheet is useful when you want your own columns for shift date, cases, counted hours, work area and notes. You can calculate a daily rate with cases divided by hours, then calculate a combined rate from total cases divided by total counted hours. Do not simply average daily rates when shift lengths differ.
Remember that a spreadsheet's offline availability depends on its software and sync settings. Test it before relying on it without service.
When a notebook is enough
Paper works without charging or connectivity. It can be the simplest option when you only need a few totals or your employer restricts phones. The tradeoff is that repeated calculations and monthly comparisons take more effort.
When My Pick Rate is useful
My Pick Rate is designed for personal warehouse shift tracking. Its Android app offers Quick Entry, Live Pace, a break timer, work history and monthly summaries. It is not connected to your employer's warehouse management system and cannot verify an official incentive or engineered-standard score.
If your warehouse has little or no cell service, the Android app can save entries on the device during the shift, then sync them after the connection returns. You do not need an active signal for each case entry. Account setup and server-backed features still require connectivity. For the complete distinction, read how to track your rate without cell service.
Only record cases at a safe stopping point. Never use a phone while operating equipment, and follow your workplace's device policy.
Want to test your numbers before downloading?
Open the free cases-per-hour calculator and shift tracker to enter your own work totals without signing in. For a repeatable daily routine, read how to track your picking rate during a shift.