How many of you realize that Excel in its basic form is a
two-dimensional bit of software and that human error can be prevented if
treating Excel as such?
While Excel can be user-friendly with its
ready-made templates and the litany of tools, all that freedom doesn't
mean you'll always end up with what you want. Remember that it's two
parts that make up this bit of software. The top part which is the
screen that you see on your monitor and clicking away here and there,
moving this and typing that. And then there's the background part or
behind the curtain where all the mechanisms and settings are allowing
you to do that stuff...up to a point that is. Avoid getting a sense of
comfort when working on a spreadsheet that if a mistake was about to be
made, up pops a message that might say "Hey you there! You might think
that cut and paste you just did is a great idea, but sorry to say, it
might cost you a trip to the boss's office, so let's rethink that
plan."
Many errors can be avoided if you remember that a simple cut
and paste won't destroy your totals if you know that there are times
when you need to go behind the curtain and make a change so you will get
an accurate reading. Think of it this way, Excel is like a souped up
adding machine. An adding machine has switches to move things like
decimal points. And what happens when you're adding numbers with
decimals and the total is a nice pretty round number? A switch has to
be moved. Excel is the same way. There's a simple cut and paste and
there's a simple cut and paste that will make you see the errors of your
ways. Now it's time to dust off that old adding machine.
Debbie
Wallis and her husband Robert, are owners of AXbean, a guiding light to
all things Microsoft Access and Excel. They reside in the central
valley area of Sacramento, California between agriculture and government
central. When not working, you can see them running about outside,
exploring shops, chowing down at all kinds of eateries and whenever
possible, being more curious than a cat. Find out more at AXbean.com.
Labels: adding machine, cut and paste, Excel, Microsoft, templates, two-dimensional
