MDF Tracker
MDF tracking vs Excel: why spreadsheets leak margin
Most partner teams track marketing development funds in a spreadsheet: one tab per vendor, three columns per quarter, and a deadline column nobody checks until the budget has expired. It works, until it doesn't. Here is how Excel-based MDF tracking compares with a tracker built for the job.
Side by side
Excel / Spreadsheets vs VendorRadar
Claim deadlines
Excel / Spreadsheets
A date column you have to remember to check
VendorRadar
Deadline visibility per entry, so open budget gets claimed before it expires
Budget, submitted, paid out
Excel / Spreadsheets
Three hand-updated columns per vendor and quarter
VendorRadar
One live view per vendor and quarter, updated as you log claims
Overdue payouts
Excel / Spreadsheets
Invisible until someone reconciles the sheet against the bank statement
VendorRadar
Submitted-but-unpaid claims are flagged automatically after 30 days
Multi-vendor overview
Excel / Spreadsheets
One tab per vendor, no roll-up across the portfolio
VendorRadar
Every vendor in one dashboard with quarter totals
Version control
Excel / Spreadsheets
Copies in inboxes and shared drives; nobody knows which file is current
VendorRadar
One source of truth that is always current
Management reporting
Excel / Spreadsheets
Rebuild the summary by hand every quarter
VendorRadar
A clear, always-current view you can share in seconds
Why this matters for the business
Unclaimed MDF is margin you already earned
Expired co-op budget does not come back. Visibility on what is still open and claimable turns MDF admin into recovered margin.
Deadlines don't wait for the quarterly clean-up
Vendors run different claim windows and cut-off dates. A tracker that surfaces them per entry means you act on time instead of discovering the miss afterwards.
Management wants one number, not five portals
When leadership asks how much MDF is outstanding, the answer should take seconds. One live overview replaces the quarterly spreadsheet archaeology.
Stop chasing MDF through spreadsheets
The MDF Tracker is part of Pro and Team. The free plan covers 3 vendors, your dashboard, and the changelog.
No credit card required