Forum Discussion
ldcrooks
Apr 20, 2021Copper Contributor
Excel Help!
Hi there, I was wondering if anyone could help me - we are moving all from Google sheets over onto Excel and my head is gone. I have used Google Sheets for that long I can't get something simple ...
mathetes
Apr 20, 2021Gold Contributor
I, for one, can't ignore what you're calling "the mess of it."
It seems to me, if I can say this gently, that what may be more important that getting a formula or two to work is getting a design that isn't such a mess. It's not clear to me that you need all the separate sheets, for starters. I didn't do an exhaustive analysis of the column headings, but since you want to bring data from all those sheets into the one "HOLDSOLD TRACKER" tab, I'm making the assumption that they must have a lot of overlap, and therefore could be consolidated into a single database, which would then be a lot more useful.
That may not be the case, I realize....but even with that disclaimer, were we sitting down face-to-face, I'd be starting with a focus on overall design first, and by design I don't mean aesthetics. That is to say, I'd leave the fancy colors and fonts till the very end, and use them sparingly. Focus on functionality first.
What is the basic data being collected on the "Input" end? Can it be meaningfully and usefully organized into one table, using columns to differentiate Kia from Renault or other brands, rather than creating different sheets, etc....
What is the end goal or "Output" desired.
The formulas can come later......they're simple (relatively speaking) once a good fundamental design is in place.
It seems to me, if I can say this gently, that what may be more important that getting a formula or two to work is getting a design that isn't such a mess. It's not clear to me that you need all the separate sheets, for starters. I didn't do an exhaustive analysis of the column headings, but since you want to bring data from all those sheets into the one "HOLDSOLD TRACKER" tab, I'm making the assumption that they must have a lot of overlap, and therefore could be consolidated into a single database, which would then be a lot more useful.
That may not be the case, I realize....but even with that disclaimer, were we sitting down face-to-face, I'd be starting with a focus on overall design first, and by design I don't mean aesthetics. That is to say, I'd leave the fancy colors and fonts till the very end, and use them sparingly. Focus on functionality first.
What is the basic data being collected on the "Input" end? Can it be meaningfully and usefully organized into one table, using columns to differentiate Kia from Renault or other brands, rather than creating different sheets, etc....
What is the end goal or "Output" desired.
The formulas can come later......they're simple (relatively speaking) once a good fundamental design is in place.
ldcrooks
Apr 20, 2021Copper Contributor
Thanks for your reply. I definitely understand the frustration of looking at this - it has been downloaded from Google Sheets and dumped on my lap to 'sort out'.
I do like the thought of it all being on the one database also - currently trying to put it together to see if it will work that way. I really appreciate your response - I will be back soon with a more condensed starting point.
I do like the thought of it all being on the one database also - currently trying to put it together to see if it will work that way. I really appreciate your response - I will be back soon with a more condensed starting point.