Solved: Excel 101 "Show me how's"

[Aussiebear]

A couple of the guys at work are required to enter data but are reluctant to do so since they are either unfamiliar with basic Excel procedures or computer illiterate. So I'm wondering if there's a simple way of creating a workbook with
individual sheets that have some show me how to examples contained upon them.

By this I mean that the examples would carry instructions and have sections which require the user to take some form of action, ( cut & paste cells to another location, drag a value or formula down a range to show how each are different, Inserting new columns or rows, using consistant formating, Use of shortcut keys etc).

Can this be done within Excel or do we need to be looking at an outside set of software? We had a classic case on Friday, where the Workshop Supervisor told me he spends an hour a day re-entering the same formula by hand when trying to caclulate total hours per equipment used. When I showed him how to simply enter the formula once and then drag down to the required range. He said "I simply didn't know, and didn't know who to ask".

Perhaps a workbook with basic examples, depending on the needs of the company, that I can add to from time to time might remove the inefficiency in his work time.

Ted

[Jacob Hilderbrand]

It depends on what you want to show how to do. You could easily text boxes or autoshapes to show the procedures, then have the examples in a cell.

Or maybe you just want to record a video of your actions, there is software for that as well.

[XLGibbs]

The examples you seek would be far reaching and many.

What I would do is troll the following for free downloads..

http://www.tushar-mehta.com/excel/
http://www.puremis.net/excel/
http://peltiertech.com/Excel/Charts/index.html
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/te...s/default.aspx

the last one is MS and has some pretty cool stuff.

These free tempaltes often have tutorials. There are GREAT ones at the Tushar-Mehta site with printable instructions and sample files that are very clear.

is also a good resource for tips....and of course our site here.

[Aussiebear]

He does not have access to the internet at work, and I doubt he would want to spend his private time here. He's just "not that into Excel", and from his normal attitude as expressed, he thinks he has better issues to deal with. (Cars, speedway, and more cars)

I could try, but I really don't think he'll come.

Ted

[XLGibbs]

I meant for you to be his hero and get some sample files and some printouts together. Otherwise, just ask him if there are any tasks in excel that really eat up his time....then be his hero and show him the better way.

[RobertBC]

if you could send us samples of your file, maybe we can give you some techniques or better way to do things work...

just keep practice and explore....

[Aussiebear]

My file? Its not my file that requires the help. More of an operator needs to come up to speed type issue here RobertBC....

[Bob Phillips]

As Pete says, he needs mentoring, he clearly doesn't have the nous to go out and do it himself. Your company either has to accept that fact and allocate someone some time to help him, accept that he will work inefficiently, or sack him. It is a management issue.

[Aussiebear]

XLD, whilst I understand your point, that's not my nature to stand by and watch a guy who is for all intents and purposes a fellow team member, and watch him get wasted by management, without making an effort to assist him.

Today I managed to locate a book of mine, hidden away under bundles of others, called "MS Office Excell 2003 Quick Steps", this should get him into action mode if nothing else. You should have seen the look on his face when I said study the adding data and editing data section, and your exam will be on Friday afternoon..... at 5pm.

[Bob Phillips]

I understand your concern mate, and I empathise. But the guy has clearly demonstrated a lack of initiative, so he needs help. My fear is that by taking the (weel-meaning) action you have taken, he will panic, and actually appear less competent than he is.

Could you not organise something between you and some mates to share mentoring in his lunch hour. If he refuses, he is beyond help. If he jumps at it, you will benefit as well as he.

ANd by management, I don't just mean your superiors, in today's world we all have to take a management responsibility, our company depends on it.

Good luck with him.

[XLGibbs]

I agree, while I respect your wishes to help a team member, it is not your job to tell him that there are more efficient ways to populate data then retyping a formula. Anyone who is required to use excel frequently should at a minimum understand the concept of either the help file, or a simple copy/paste operation. Otherwise he might as well use Word and a calculator to prepare information.

I see a lot of places for help with my team members, and I offer to provide help if they want it. Conceptually, if a team member doesn't see the need to improve his own time management (even from a self -sanity issue) then it can't fall on other team members to force the issue.

[Aussiebear]

I am unable to mark this thread Solved. Thread tools only gives me three options Show printable version/ Email this page/ Unsubscribe from this page.

Where's my option to mark this issue 'Solved"?

[XLGibbs]

Some of the updating of the board is not yet complete...once available we will get it marked for you Ted.

[johnske]

Some of the updating of the board is not yet complete...once available we will get it marked for you Ted.

In the meantime I'll edit the thread title to mark it solved for you - OK?

[Aussiebear]

Ahhh... and here I was thinking that whilst some of you already know I'm mentally challenged, I had hoped to keep it secret from everybody else..... until my Solved buton went missing.