IncidentKit vs paper and spreadsheets
Paper variance forms, a binder, a shared drive and an Excel log.
Short answer
Paper and spreadsheets cost nothing in software and work for very small sites. They struggle with late reports, routing, corrective-action follow-through and survey evidence. IncidentKit keeps the low barrier (free to start, reportable from a phone) and adds the structure.
Feature by feature
“Not stated publicly” means we found no public statement either way. It does not mean the product lacks the capability.
| Capability | IncidentKit | Paper and spreadsheets |
|---|---|---|
| Self-serve start | YesStart free and report your first incident the same day. | YesNothing to buy or set up. |
| Public pricing | YesFree Open plan; Regulated listed per site per month; Network by quote. | YesNo licence fee. |
| Free plan | YesOpen plan: unlimited reporters, 50 incidents a month, for non-patient incidents. | YesNo software cost. |
| AI-assisted intake | YesLauren asks follow-ups and drafts the report; a person always reviews and signs. | NoA person types or writes everything. |
| Voice reporting | Rolling outVoice intake is rolling out. | NoNot available. |
| Mobile and QR reporting | YesInstallable web app, QR quick report, offline queue for quick reports. | PartialPhotos of paper forms and shared drive files on a phone, with no workflow. |
| Investigation and RCA tools | PartialContributing factors and five whys today; fishbone and fault-tree templates rolling out. | PartialWorksheets can be printed. Nothing links them to the incident. |
| Corrective action (CAPA) workflow | YesOwner, due date, evidence, effectiveness check; closure requires verification. | PartialPossible in a spreadsheet. Owners, reminders and verification depend on discipline. |
| QAPI and accreditation reporting | YesQAPI summary and per-incident packets; survey packets rolling out. | PartialPossible by hand in a binder; assembling it is manual. |
| OSHA 300, 300A, 301 support | Rolling outOSHA 300, 300A and 301 outputs are rolling out. | PartialOSHA publishes blank 300, 300A and 301 forms. Completing them is manual. |
| Multi-site and roles | YesOrganizations, facilities, six roles, SSO. | NoEach site keeps its own files. Roll ups are manual. |
| Open API | PartialRead API and signed webhooks; write API on the roadmap. | NoNot applicable. |
| HIPAA BAA available | YesBAA included on Regulated and Network plans. | Not stated publiclyNot applicable. Paper and shared drives carry their own privacy risks. |
About Paper and spreadsheets
Most small facilities and many plants start with paper incident forms, a binder or filing cabinet, and a spreadsheet log. It costs nothing in software. It works until volume, turnover or a survey exposes the gaps. Forms get filled in days later, from memory. Incidents never reach the right person. Corrective actions have no owner. Staff scramble to assemble evidence.
- Best for
- Very small sites with few incidents and one person who owns the process.
- Pricing model
- No software cost; staff time (published). The real cost is staff hours: rebuilding incidents, chasing owners and building survey and audit packets.
What to weigh
Where Paper and spreadsheets is strong
- Zero licence cost and no setup time.
- Everyone already knows a form and a pen.
- Works with no signal and no login.
- A fair stopgap for a very small site with a handful of incidents a year.
Trade-offs to consider
- Forms are often filled in hours or days later, from memory, so details are lost.
- No routing: a serious incident reaches the right person only if someone walks it over.
- Corrective actions have no owner, date or check unless someone builds that habit.
- Trends stay hidden until someone retypes the data into a spreadsheet.
- Survey and audit prep means gathering evidence by hand, usually under time pressure.
Which one fits you.
Choose Paper and spreadsheets if
- You are a very small site with a few incidents a year and one owner who reviews each.
- You need a stopgap this week and will revisit tools next quarter.
Choose IncidentKit if
- Staff report late, skip near misses, or hand the form to a supervisor to file.
- You cannot say which corrective actions are open, overdue or verified without asking around.
- Survey or audit season means a week of binder building.
- You run more than one site and want one standard.
Moving off paper and spreadsheets
Why teams move
- Reporting takes seconds on a phone, not a desk later.
- Severity routes the incident to the right person at once.
- Packets, logs and trends come from one record, so nothing is retyped.
How migration works
Import past incidents from your spreadsheet with the CSV wizard, or send us the file and we will map and load it. Scanned paper logs can be keyed in or extracted. Keep the binder until the new records cover a full survey cycle.
See switching from legacy incident software and import and migration.
IncidentKit and Paper and spreadsheets: frequently asked
Something we missed? Ask us, and a person answers.
Is paper incident reporting compliant?
Paper can meet the requirement. Regulators care that incidents are recorded, investigated and acted on, not whether the record is paper. The risk is gaps, delays and missing evidence. See replacing paper incident forms.
What does paper actually cost?
There is no licence fee. The cost is staff time: completing forms, retyping logs, chasing corrective actions and assembling survey or OSHA evidence. Teams often miss it because the hours are spread across many people.
When should a facility move off spreadsheets?
Common triggers are a second site, a missed reporting deadline, a survey or audit scramble, a recurring incident nobody connected, or staff avoiding the form. Any one is a fair reason to move.
Can we keep our spreadsheet during the transition?
Yes. Many teams run both for a few weeks, import the history, and retire the spreadsheet once reporting has moved.
Where this comes from.
- OSHA: Recordkeeping forms (300, 300A, 301)
- OSHA: Injury and illness recordkeeping and reporting requirements
Public information verified Oct 5, 2026. Products, pricing and ownership change. We are a vendor, so verify details that matter to you directly with the sources above. See a mistake? Email hello@incidentkit.ai with a source and we will correct it.
Try IncidentKit alongside your current process.
Free to start. Import your history, run both for a few weeks, and decide with real incidents.