How do I fight the slow bulky workbook?

[seanburns76]

I am a restaurant manager who has taken a job for a state entity that won't spring for the appropriate inventory software and so I've set off to make my own replete with formulas and what-not's and what-have you's.
I'd say that my excel knowledge is passable and I've put together what I think is user friendly(for those who don't know computer ram from the wildlife ram) and visually calming.
My problem is that it is insanely bulky and takes about 2 minutes or so to open.
I know that the best thing would be to marry excel with access, but i don't have the time capital to spend on it.
At current the file is about 100 megs
What would be your suggestions..?

 

[Fazza]

Really need some more information to be able to give good advice, Sean.

If there are huge amounts of data, check it is efficiently organised - ideally in normalised tables like a database. If there are lots of formulas, look at removing them and operating like a database. Maybe separate the data and the reports. If the data is will set up, putting it in MS Access instead of Excel should be trivial: you can (connect to the data and) still keep the reports in Excel if you wanted.

 

[energman58]

Can you identify where the bulk is coming from? If it is formulas rather than data then you can probably be more efficient by separating the formulas and the data and calculating only as you require it - like a database.

You can also run SQL queries in your excel worksheet using Microsoft Query (which is part of Excel so doesnt require any fincnaial investment!) This is likely to be much faster than lots of formulas.