Where the spreadsheet breaks
The tracking number has to be typed in, so it isn't. The status has to be checked by hand, so it's stale. There's no link between the order confirmation, the dispatch email, and the parcel, so a cancelled order sits in your list as if it's coming. And nothing tells you when something's gone quiet for a week.
What a real setup needs
Orders should appear on their own, pick up their tracking when they ship, and drop off if they're cancelled, without you touching anything.
Every parcel should have a live status from the carrier, grouped so you can see what's out for delivery today, what's late, and what's been stuck at a depot for three days.
It should tell you when to worry. A parcel that hasn't moved in a week is a claim waiting to happen, and you should hear about it before the claim window closes.
Minted's order tracker does all of this for members. Connect your inbox once and your orders and parcels appear and keep themselves up to date, with redirects, groups and late alerts on top.
Retailers that don't email tracking
Some do it late, some never, and some send a tracking number that isn't live until the next day. A good tracker handles that by waiting rather than failing: the parcel sits as awaiting dispatch until the carrier has it, then picks up on its own.