davidpolberger
New Member
- Joined
- Sep 19, 2013
- Messages
- 2
[Cross-posted from Excel Forum.]
Wouldn't it be preferable to distribute some calculations as apps instead of spreadsheets? I'm specifically thinking of "spreadsheet templates" that are typically created by one person or one team for use by others. In these spreadsheets, some cells are designated as input cells and other cells (containing formulas) display results. Unless cells are protected, users can easily edit the formulas and potentially ruin the spreadsheet. While VBA, forms and Automation can be used to create better user interfaces, users are often expected to enter data in the standard grid, which arguably isn't very user-friendly. These types of spreadsheets are even more awkward on mobile devices (think of a cramped smartphone screen).
Apps are the obvious answer and provide user interfaces tailored to a specific device family (such as iOS, Android, desktop computers and the web) and provide better safety. Of course, spreadsheets are a lot easier for the layperson to produce, whereas apps generally require costly software developers to get involved.
Do these issues resonate with you guys? Have you ever produced a spreadsheet for use by others and wished that you instead could have sent an app? Has anyone taken the plunge and asked to have a spreadsheet converted to an app?
Full disclosure: I work for a small company producing calculator apps for use by healthcare professionals and we get sent spreadsheets that people wish to have converted to apps. (I would like to spur discussion with this post and not have it come across as an ad, so I'll refrain from linking to our web site.) We have considered making our technology more widely available, enabling people who normally use Microsoft Excel and who aren't software developers to create professional-quality calculator apps for various platforms, and we're curious as to whether there is a market for such a solution.
What I'm proposing is a web-based tool allowing apps to be easily designed. From a usability point-of-view, this would be as easy to use as Excel. Users would be able to press a button and have apps generated for various platforms, including iOS, Windows Phone, Android, the web and various desktop platforms (such as Windows). Would such a service be useful to you?
Best regards,
--
David Polberger
Neosupport AB
Wouldn't it be preferable to distribute some calculations as apps instead of spreadsheets? I'm specifically thinking of "spreadsheet templates" that are typically created by one person or one team for use by others. In these spreadsheets, some cells are designated as input cells and other cells (containing formulas) display results. Unless cells are protected, users can easily edit the formulas and potentially ruin the spreadsheet. While VBA, forms and Automation can be used to create better user interfaces, users are often expected to enter data in the standard grid, which arguably isn't very user-friendly. These types of spreadsheets are even more awkward on mobile devices (think of a cramped smartphone screen).
Apps are the obvious answer and provide user interfaces tailored to a specific device family (such as iOS, Android, desktop computers and the web) and provide better safety. Of course, spreadsheets are a lot easier for the layperson to produce, whereas apps generally require costly software developers to get involved.
Do these issues resonate with you guys? Have you ever produced a spreadsheet for use by others and wished that you instead could have sent an app? Has anyone taken the plunge and asked to have a spreadsheet converted to an app?
Full disclosure: I work for a small company producing calculator apps for use by healthcare professionals and we get sent spreadsheets that people wish to have converted to apps. (I would like to spur discussion with this post and not have it come across as an ad, so I'll refrain from linking to our web site.) We have considered making our technology more widely available, enabling people who normally use Microsoft Excel and who aren't software developers to create professional-quality calculator apps for various platforms, and we're curious as to whether there is a market for such a solution.
What I'm proposing is a web-based tool allowing apps to be easily designed. From a usability point-of-view, this would be as easy to use as Excel. Users would be able to press a button and have apps generated for various platforms, including iOS, Windows Phone, Android, the web and various desktop platforms (such as Windows). Would such a service be useful to you?
Best regards,
--
David Polberger
Neosupport AB
