Comments on: Collaboration Suggestion http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2007/11/27/collaboration-suggestion/ Daily posts of Excel tips…and other stuff Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:58:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: alderaic http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2007/11/27/collaboration-suggestion/#comment-29015 alderaic Wed, 28 Nov 2007 18:00:00 +0000 http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/?p=1769#comment-29015 <p>I would use access actually, with a form that would force a refresh from time time, though I think it already autoupdates upon changing records</p> I would use access actually, with a form that would force a refresh from time time, though I think it already autoupdates upon changing records

]]> By: fzz http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2007/11/27/collaboration-suggestion/#comment-29014 fzz Wed, 28 Nov 2007 17:32:00 +0000 http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/?p=1769#comment-29014 <p>I agree with the other respondent who mentioned this looks more like a database application. If the primary task is data entry, and if the after-entry analytical tasks could be performed using queries into a database, then it would seem foolish to try to use shared workbooks/spreadsheets to do this.</p> <p>With regard to alternatives, on-line spreadsheets may be nice, but does anyone here have any experience with multiple users trying to make changes to the same cell at the same time? What are the pick-and-choose features for selecting different users' entries like?</p> <p>Back to databases. If the goal is having all users' entries visible to all other users, databases would still be the way to go. Just use multiple windows. One for an entry form specific to each user. Another for a query or report, periodically refreshed, that shows all users' entries.</p> <p>That leaves the typical Excel scenario - companies too cheap to give Access to most users, and too timid or bandwidth parsimonious to give data entry employees database accounts/connections. If the data entry employees truly only have Excel, there's still an alternative - APPENDING records as plain text to centrally stored plain text, flat file databases, then reading those flat files. You'd need to include your own deadlock avoidance coding, but it may still be a more workable solution than shared workbooks.</p> I agree with the other respondent who mentioned this looks more like a database application. If the primary task is data entry, and if the after-entry analytical tasks could be performed using queries into a database, then it would seem foolish to try to use shared workbooks/spreadsheets to do this.

With regard to alternatives, on-line spreadsheets may be nice, but does anyone here have any experience with multiple users trying to make changes to the same cell at the same time? What are the pick-and-choose features for selecting different users’ entries like?

Back to databases. If the goal is having all users’ entries visible to all other users, databases would still be the way to go. Just use multiple windows. One for an entry form specific to each user. Another for a query or report, periodically refreshed, that shows all users’ entries.

That leaves the typical Excel scenario – companies too cheap to give Access to most users, and too timid or bandwidth parsimonious to give data entry employees database accounts/connections. If the data entry employees truly only have Excel, there’s still an alternative – APPENDING records as plain text to centrally stored plain text, flat file databases, then reading those flat files. You’d need to include your own deadlock avoidance coding, but it may still be a more workable solution than shared workbooks.

]]> By: Dennis Wallentin http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2007/11/27/collaboration-suggestion/#comment-29012 Dennis Wallentin Wed, 28 Nov 2007 16:38:00 +0000 http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/?p=1769#comment-29012 <p>Remco - Nice collection which I save for future use :)</p> <p>Kind regards,<br> Dennis</p> Remco – Nice collection which I save for future use :)

Kind regards,
Dennis

]]> By: RuggedSi http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2007/11/27/collaboration-suggestion/#comment-29011 RuggedSi Wed, 28 Nov 2007 16:33:00 +0000 http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/?p=1769#comment-29011 <p>Isn't excel services not supposed to handle this workflow type problem?<br> Otherwise surely this is a database application in hiding?<br> Just my tuppence!</p> Isn’t excel services not supposed to handle this workflow type problem?
Otherwise surely this is a database application in hiding?
Just my tuppence!

]]> By: tim http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2007/11/27/collaboration-suggestion/#comment-29008 tim Wed, 28 Nov 2007 15:44:00 +0000 http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/?p=1769#comment-29008 <p>a shared OneNote notebook residing on a network drive, or better yet on a sharepoint site<br> may not have the capabilitites of a spreadsheet, but the full on synching is great!</p> a shared OneNote notebook residing on a network drive, or better yet on a sharepoint site
may not have the capabilitites of a spreadsheet, but the full on synching is great!

]]> By: sam http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2007/11/27/collaboration-suggestion/#comment-29005 sam Wed, 28 Nov 2007 13:14:00 +0000 http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/?p=1769#comment-29005 <p>If multiple people need to read/write from a common file use ADo</p> <p>Sam</p> If multiple people need to read/write from a common file use ADo

Sam

]]> By: Jon Peltier http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2007/11/27/collaboration-suggestion/#comment-29004 Jon Peltier Wed, 28 Nov 2007 13:06:00 +0000 http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/?p=1769#comment-29004 <p>A "data conversion" sure doesn't sound like fun. I can't comment on the use of GoogleDocs and the chat tools (though I was going to suggest IM as a tongue in cheek suggestion for a collaboration tool). But I can say that GoToMeeting is the best screen sharing collaboration tool I've ever used. It helps greatly with remote troubleshooting and training, and saves me many hours a month with such tasks.</p> A “data conversion” sure doesn’t sound like fun. I can’t comment on the use of GoogleDocs and the chat tools (though I was going to suggest IM as a tongue in cheek suggestion for a collaboration tool). But I can say that GoToMeeting is the best screen sharing collaboration tool I’ve ever used. It helps greatly with remote troubleshooting and training, and saves me many hours a month with such tasks.

]]> By: Tom Gleeson http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2007/11/27/collaboration-suggestion/#comment-29003 Tom Gleeson Wed, 28 Nov 2007 12:52:00 +0000 http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/?p=1769#comment-29003 <p>I too worked on major data conversion projects in the past and very quickly gave up on any attempt to use shared workbooks. How I wish GoogleDocs had existed then, it would have been ideal!</p> <p>Another option particularly for budgeting projects is the free, excel-centric and open-source Palo OLAP tool <a href="http://www.palo.net" rel="nofollow">http://www.palo.net</a></p> <p>Tom</p> I too worked on major data conversion projects in the past and very quickly gave up on any attempt to use shared workbooks. How I wish GoogleDocs had existed then, it would have been ideal!

Another option particularly for budgeting projects is the free, excel-centric and open-source Palo OLAP tool http://www.palo.net

Tom

]]> By: doco http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2007/11/27/collaboration-suggestion/#comment-28997 doco Wed, 28 Nov 2007 09:46:00 +0000 http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/?p=1769#comment-28997 <p>We recently finished (Nov 15) a three year battle called a data conversion. ( For those of you considering such a venture - keep plenty of booze and drugs nearby, seal all upper story windows, hide all firearms and sharp instruments )</p> <p>That aside, we used GoogleDocs extensively along with GTalk voip and Google's chat tool. The combonation of these (and GoTo Meeting) was very helpfull even critical at times.</p> We recently finished (Nov 15) a three year battle called a data conversion. ( For those of you considering such a venture – keep plenty of booze and drugs nearby, seal all upper story windows, hide all firearms and sharp instruments )

That aside, we used GoogleDocs extensively along with GTalk voip and Google’s chat tool. The combonation of these (and GoTo Meeting) was very helpfull even critical at times.

]]> By: Rembo http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2007/11/27/collaboration-suggestion/#comment-28996 Rembo Wed, 28 Nov 2007 09:11:00 +0000 http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/?p=1769#comment-28996 <p>Judging from the first few sentences you'd actually need a shared calendar. The second part 'some Excel features' is somewhat of a question mark but I these online spreadsheets seem to be okay:</p> <p>Expresso<br> <a href="http://www.expressocorp.com/products.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.expressocorp.com/products.html</a><br> They have alerts, access control and an plugin for offline access as well. </p> <p>EditGrid<br> <a href="http://www.editgrid.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.editgrid.com</a><br> Their EditGrid Excel Plus does pretty much the same as Expresso above. Looks pretty slick.</p> <p>ZoHo Sheet<br> <a href="http://sheet.zoho.com" rel="nofollow">http://sheet.zoho.com</a><br> I spend some time looking over this one and I like the way it looks and works. </p> <p>ZoHo has my vote but I haven't really done much with online spreadsheets so my vote isn't much worth for that matter. Maybe someone else has a better solution.</p> <p>Remco</p> Judging from the first few sentences you’d actually need a shared calendar. The second part ‘some Excel features’ is somewhat of a question mark but I these online spreadsheets seem to be okay:

Expresso
http://www.expressocorp.com/products.html
They have alerts, access control and an plugin for offline access as well.

EditGrid
http://www.editgrid.com
Their EditGrid Excel Plus does pretty much the same as Expresso above. Looks pretty slick.

ZoHo Sheet
http://sheet.zoho.com
I spend some time looking over this one and I like the way it looks and works.

ZoHo has my vote but I haven’t really done much with online spreadsheets so my vote isn’t much worth for that matter. Maybe someone else has a better solution.

Remco

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