http://www.idkfa.com/v3 idkfa: syndicated http://www.idkfa.com/v3/v_thread.php?thread_id=3942&msg_id=3946 1. performing calculations, occasionally graphing. also, putting together equipment schedules to use with Xcel2CAD to put them into engineering drawings. 2. depends on the project i'm working on and where I am in the project. at times, i will work with excel for calculations for up to a full week, then only occasionally in a project after that. in general, its the same basic calculations with new data sets since the same calculations need to be done for each building or project i work on. 3. there are anywhere from 3 or 4, and up to 20, spreadsheets that are shared among my coworkers for review and/or input into xcel2cad. Most of the time, they are stored on our server (which has automatic backups), and we usually make incremental copies to show our progress on calculations. when i need to direct other coworkers to my spreadsheets, i usually email or IM them a link to the directory. some coworkers attach them to an email, a practice discouraged since it usually creates several working copies of a calc. 4. some of the calculation variables are measured or quantified from engineering documents, and some are brought in from codes, standards, manufacturer's information, or other sources. 5. yes. i've never programmed macros or scripts myself, but current and previous coworkers have. I use their spreadsheets and change the data as I see fit. usually the script compares an input cell to a table of data copied into another worksheet in the file, and outputs the answer from the table. the table is input by hand into the worksheet from a code, standard, manufacturer's information, or other sources. 6. minimal. we have enough copies of calculations and backlog of experience that it would not severely hinder our business operations. Now, if a whole server nuked itself, or we lost computing functions altogether, that's a serious issue and will cause delays. Ultimately, data could be tabulated and calculated by hand, but that would kitacek@idkfa.com (kitacek) Look down, look down... Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:07:45 -0900 http://idkfa.com/v3/v_thread.php?thread_id=3942&msg_id=3946 http://www.idkfa.com/v3/v_thread.php?thread_id=3942&msg_id=3945 1. I use Excel to conduct data exploration ('Is there something interesting going on here?' ) perform complex calculations, display results in organized tables or charts, and report information to others. 2. I use excel approximately half of my working day, maybe more. I used to use it exclusively, but I now conduct much more analysis using SQL and Tableau. Some of my reports are recurring (weekly, monthly, etc), and I have created dashboard like workbooks that dynamically update to minimize the work required to refresh data. But most of my work iis comprised of special data requests or long term, changing analyses. 3. About half of my workbooks get shared. Special requests are most often sent via email. Larger reports and recurring documents are posted to Sharepoint. 4. It is very, very rare that I store data in excel. I almost exclusively import it from SQL databases. The exception is census data found online. And even that is a paste at a moment in time. Data permanently stored in excel scares me. Seriously. 5. I have used quite a few docs with Macros (though I seem to use them less and less). They would run printing scripts, which would cycle through dynamic dashboard views; update formatting on large data sets; or import data directly from external data sources like other workbooks or SQL Server. 6. I don't have any workbooks that are single points of failure in any given process. My recucurring reports have many copies, and I have sql code to document my data pulls. Some analysis results could be painful to lose (a lot of successive calculations) but I could recreate them. Truly, the point of failure is me. I work alone for the most part, and other folks in the office probably couldn't pick up my work easily if I were hit by a bus. 7. Oh gosh. Excels best feature...I suppose it is the transparency of it's functionality. I can trace all its calculations, and 'watch' analyses happen visually, which I just katidid@idkfa.com (katidid) Look down, look down... Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:31:09 -0900 http://idkfa.com/v3/v_thread.php?thread_id=3942&msg_id=3945 http://www.idkfa.com/v3/v_thread.php?thread_id=3942&msg_id=3944 1. Format data, process data, organize data. 2. I use it many times a day. Typically for the same sort of shit. 3. I share a lot, using a shared drive. Only way we pass around data really. 4. It is stored in excel, but exported to Word for reports. 5. No macros at this point because I hate them, but probably should start implementing them. 6. It would suck, but ultimately the data is stored elsewhere. But backups are created daily. 7. Excel's best feature is that anyone can use it... and because of that it is necessary. It's worst feature is that it fucking sucks (ie data manupulation is difficult) Scrotor@idkfa.com (Scrotor) Look down, look down... Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:59:09 -0900 http://idkfa.com/v3/v_thread.php?thread_id=3942&msg_id=3944 http://www.idkfa.com/v3/v_thread.php?thread_id=3942&msg_id=3942 I need to know something regarding your workplace, specifically, how you work with Excel (or other spreadsheet applications). Generally, what do you use Excel for? Keeping track of something (inventory, contact information, etc)? Performing a calculation? Graphs? How often do you use it a day? And is it just repeated use (maybe same problem, different data set)? Or solving different problems entirely? How many Excel spreadsheets do you share with coworkers or groups? How do you share it (just passing around files, or a network drive, a versioning system, Sharepoint, etc.)? If you're working with a set of data, is that data ultimately stored in Excel? Or do you import it or copy it in from somewhere else? Have you used a spreadsheet that had "macros" or scripts running on it? If so, what did the script do within the spreadsheet? If a particular spreadsheet were to completely disappear, how critical would that be to business function? If you had to choose, what would you say is Excel's best feature? And the one you couldn't live without? And what would be its worst? Thanks for your time. kaiden@idkfa.com (kaiden) Look down, look down... Fri, 13 Jan 2012 02:37:41 -0900 http://idkfa.com/v3/v_thread.php?thread_id=3942&msg_id=3942