Changing Horses

   

This chapter has taken a brief look at overworking functions, ineffective data orientation, codes versus labels, and flat file workarounds that try to manage relational structures. There are more problems that you've probably run into already for example, managing multiple simultaneous users and working with data outlines instead of pivot tables. Subsequent chapters in this book deal with these issues in greater detail.

If this chapter leaves you with the sense that Excel is the wrong application for data management, it has misled you. Worksheet functions, transposed lists, code lookups, and other features are sensible, valuable tools for data management. Nevertheless, they can go wrong and often do. That happens usually, if not always, when you find yourself working with more data than your original setup anticipated.

You'll eventually save yourself a lot of time and grief if you're willing to recognize when your current data set has outgrown the data management setup that you started with. If you'll change horses when that time comes, you'll wind up with a system that works rapidly and smoothly, with a minimum of fits and starts.

Of course, the problem is in recognizing the need for a redesign. You get that only with experience, but subsequent chapters in this book will give you some pointers. A good place to start is with Excel's family of lookup and reference functions, coming up in Chapter 2.



Managing Data with Microsoft Excel
Managing Data with Microsoft Excel
ISBN: 789731002
EAN: N/A
Year: 2003
Pages: 134

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