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Any Excel Experts Around Here?

Gameface

Gameface

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I'm not. I can do some basic stuff, but not what I want.

I need an Excel spreadsheet to use for equipment breakdown, troubleshooting and repair tracking. I need to be able to differentiate separate parts of the equipment and be able to use the same format for several different pieces of equipment. It has to have a clear way for one shift to document what they have done during that shift but also needs to be easily searchable for a given window of time and/or for a specific section of the equipment.

I don't know what that type of work is worth. If it's not too much I'll pay out of my pocket. If it's too much for me to pay for I could find out if my company would pay for it.

We have a system right now that is pretty universally despised and not useful at all, especially not past a day or so.

I've given a pretty vague outline but can provide more specifics if you're interested in taking this on.
 
What you have described isn't really an ideal excel application.
Using a database software would work better, I think.
Like Microsoft Access for example.

I'm great in excel but not in Access.
I could do what you're looking for in excel... just letting you know it's kind of a round peg square hole fit.
 
In College I took the class that taught Excel 4 times. I was convinced Excel was pointless at the time, so I just stopped going to class the first 3 times, and the 4th time I think the teacher passed me because it was a small University and it kinda looked bad for him to fail a student 4 times. Or maybe he just felt bad for me, I dunno.

Now it's like, the main thing I wish I'd learned lol. Might take an online class for it soon. Bet it's not that hard.
 
I am master of all excel! And I know it. Thank you. And also cheap book on amazon can alwys help. no need expensive classes.
 
Gameface said:
I'm not. I can do some basic stuff, but not what I want.

I need an Excel spreadsheet to use for equipment breakdown, troubleshooting and repair tracking. I need to be able to differentiate separate parts of the equipment and be able to use the same format for several different pieces of equipment. It has to have a clear way for one shift to document what they have done during that shift but also needs to be easily searchable for a given window of time and/or for a specific section of the equipment.

I don't know what that type of work is worth. If it's not too much I'll pay out of my pocket. If it's too much for me to pay for I could find out if my company would pay for it.

We have a system right now that is pretty universally despised and not useful at all, especially not past a day or so.

I've given a pretty vague outline but can provide more specifics if you're interested in taking this on.
Click to expand...

Thanks for ratting out your company's maintenance record keeping issues. Please give me the name of your environmental health and safety manager so I know who to ask for in 20 minutes.
 
franklin said:
Thanks for ratting out your company's maintenance record keeping issues. Please give me the name of your environmental health and safety manager so I know who to ask for in 20 minutes.
Click to expand...
We have all the records, they just aren't useful in real time and not easily sortable.
 
So do you plan to have a shared workbook so that everyone can update as needed?
Or is it one person's data entry responsibility?
 
I'll look at the access program and see if that'll work
 
If you need help with either excel or access I could help with both and I have some time on my hands. I have taught classes on excel and access as well as visual basic. I could probably get it done. PM if you still need help.
 
LogGrad98 said:
If you need help with either excel or access I could help with both and I have some time on my hands. I have taught classes on excel and access as well as visual basic. I could probably get it done. PM if you still need help.
Click to expand...

Sounds to me excel is the wrong program.
I'all duck out because I don't mess with Access or VB.
 
Gameface said:
We have all the records, they just aren't useful in real time and not easily sortable.
Click to expand...

I figured as much and was obviously joking. What has me scratching my head is most companies your size that I deal with and even municipalities have reliable PM databases based on a work order system. Why are you building an excel database instead?
 
franklin said:
I figured as much and was obviously joking. What has me scratching my head is most companies your size that I deal with and even municipalities have reliable PM databases based on a work order system. Why are you building an excel database instead?
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We have a program for our PMs, it's MP2. But it is a very old version and it has not been set up well. It works for PMs and I've been told it could be used for our shift notes but it isn't. Our shift notes are supposed to document any adjustments or repairs we perform during our shift. But it's more of a justify yourself thing.
It's currently done on an excel spreadsheet with a template that we just copy from a master and create a whole new file every shift. So to search it you have to open each file, three per day, and scan through to see if the production line you are looking for is mentioned and then read the entry to see if it is related to whatever problem you're working on.

I haven't been tasked with fixing this, I just want to for my own sanity.
 
franklin said:
I figured as much and was obviously joking. What has me scratching my head is most companies your size that I deal with and even municipalities have reliable PM databases based on a work order system. Why are you building an excel database instead?
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This kind of **** happens way more than you think. I was creating the same types of things for eBay for hells sake. You'd think they could program something.
 
LogGrad98 said:
This kind of **** happens way more than you think. I was creating the same types of things for eBay for hells sake. You'd think they could program something.
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Yep. I created a very complex excel program that included macros, automatic multi-user integration, etc., that was used by a large apartment company to manage inventory for over a decade, and I created another one that was used by a multinational supplement company for at least five years. In both cases I was told they just needed a temporary bandaid until they got a proper database built, but in both cases they turned their attention to other projects once a workable system was in place.
 
LogGrad98 said:
This kind of **** happens way more than you think. I was creating the same types of things for eBay for hells sake. You'd think they could program something.
Click to expand...

I'm not. I see a whole lot of the tracking side being compiled into excel spreadsheets. I actually prefer it for many applications in the "if it isn't broke don't fix it" vein. Excel's simplicity does a great job for certain projects. I've seen a ton of money dumped down the tube needlessly in attempts to develop tracking software that is not needed.
 
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