Can Google Sheets safely serve a dealer price network?

Google Sheets can help a small team collaborate on quotations. A dealer network adds a separate question: which company may see which prices, projects and customer details? Compare a shared spreadsheet and a configurator by testing access boundaries, not just whether both can calculate a total.

Separate editing protection from commercial access

A distributor may want dealers to enter dimensions while keeping its buying prices private. Those are different requirements. Protecting formula cells concerns editing; controlling access concerns what information the recipient can obtain. Google explicitly warns that protected sheets are not a security measure. Google Sheets help.

For a configurator, ask where confidential prices are calculated and which fields reach the browser. A hidden panel is not sufficient evidence that a dealer cannot retrieve the underlying value. Require a demonstrated account boundary for the information your business considers confidential.

Give two dealers the same product brief

Create dealer accounts A and B. Give them the same product configuration but different agreed selling terms. Check the quotation each can prepare, the projects visible in their account and the commercial fields included in exports. Then remove access from account A and repeat the checks with an existing saved link.

A useful result is specific: account B can continue its own project, while account A no longer receives protected records. Do not accept a presentation in which the operator merely changes a name in a dropdown while retaining unrestricted administrator access.

Include the employee who administers the network

Account administration is recurring work. Someone must invite dealers, assign price lists, handle a salesperson moving between branches and review exceptions. Ask that person to complete these tasks during evaluation. A system that calculates correctly but needs a developer for every account change may not fit your operating model.

The Configurix identity and access guide provides a starting point for defining account connections. In a custom project, agree the commercial permissions separately from sign-in. Authentication confirms an identity; your application still needs rules for what that identity can do.

Keep collaboration where it remains useful

A shared worksheet can still be useful for planning a catalogue update or collecting dealer feedback. It should not accidentally become an uncontrolled copy of confidential live pricing. Document which exports are permitted and how long the information remains current.

Can a configurator replace every shared spreadsheet?

It does not need to. Prioritize the places where product selection, confidential prices and accepted orders need application controls. Keep other collaboration tools where they have a clear purpose.

Is a login screen proof that dealer prices are protected?

No. Test record access and exports with ordinary dealer accounts, including saved URLs after permissions change. Define the expected result before choosing the software.