Comparison
Scout vs. Spreadsheets for mineral acquisition.
Most of the industry still runs on spreadsheets. Here's what that costs you.
The Real Cost
Free isn't free when it's costing you deals.
Every landman has the same story — dozens of Excel tabs, files emailed around the team, and PSAs copy-pasted from Word templates.
No pipeline visibility
How many deals are in term sheet? Waiting on signature? You don’t know without manually updating a chart.
Data scattered across files
Owner info in one tab, call notes in another, PSAs in a Word doc, permit data on the TRRC site. Nothing connects.
No call tracking
A column of notes is not call tracking. Missed callbacks cost deals. You can’t track daily outreach goals on a spreadsheet.
Manual permit checking
Checking TRRC for new permits every morning, then copy-pasting into your spreadsheet. Every day. By hand.
Version control nightmares
Which file is current? Who changed the NRA on that tract? Did anyone update the callback date? Nobody knows.
Can’t share across the team
Emailing Excel files around, hoping nobody overwrites each other’s changes. No real-time collaboration, no role-based access.
Capability Comparison
Side by side.
| Capability | Spreadsheet | Scout |
|---|---|---|
| Pipeline visibility | Manual charts | Real-time dashboard |
| Owner database | Rows in Excel | Structured with NMA/NRA |
| Call tracking | Notes column | Logged with outcomes + callbacks |
| Permit tracking | Manual TRRC checks | Automated daily updates |
| Team collaboration | Email files around | Real-time shared workspace |
| PSA generation | Word templates | Template engine |
| Price | Free | Starting at $99/mo |
Migration
Import your spreadsheet. Be live by lunch.
Scout's import engine handles CSVs, Excel files, and exports from other systems. It parses your columns, maps them to owner records, and builds your pipeline — history preserved, no manual re-entry. Most teams are fully operational within a single afternoon.
Honest Take
Spreadsheets aren't always wrong.
When spreadsheets work fine
Solo landman tracking fewer than 20 owners
No team to coordinate with
No outreach campaigns — phone only
You don’t need to generate PSAs from your data
When you've outgrown them
Managing 50+ owners across multiple projects
A team that needs shared visibility into the pipeline
Running mail or voicemail outreach campaigns
Generating PSAs and tracking deal flow from one place
Your next deal shouldn't live in a spreadsheet.
Import your data and be live by lunch.