So Many Spreadsheets

MorganO

Active Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2006
Messages
483
Originally posted at TheDailyWTF.com but I thought the crowd here would enjoy.

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So Many Spreadsheets (submitted anonymously)
A few years ago, I had the misfortune to train a really nice, but really dim employee on our accounting system. I sat with her for several days, showing her the ins and outs of the admittedly complex system, but she could never quite figure things out on her own. I recommended that we have someone else do what she was supposed to do, but management insisted that she do those things.
Fast forward a year and several big screw-ups later, and management decided that she was better off as the receptionist, after all. Fortunately, we were able to get a really competent gal to take over her tasks.
When I was chatting with the new girl, she told me about all these spreadsheets that she had been sorting through from the previous employee. Dozens of them named things like Customers1.xls, Customers2.xls, and Customers3.xls. She said that she stared at these things for the longest time, trying to figure out why they were in separate documents, since they seemed to be continuations of the same data.
And then it dawned on her. Each of the documents had about 23 rows of data. 23 rows is what was fitting on a screenful in Excel on that computer. The previous employee didn't know you could scroll down.
 

Excel Facts

Can you sort left to right?
To sort left-to-right, use the Sort dialog box. Click Options. Choose "Sort left to right"
Each of the documents had about 23 rows of data. 23 rows is what was fitting on a screenful in Excel on that computer. The previous employee didn't know you could scroll down.

Whoa! :confused:

Should have got her a bigger monitor! :biggrin:
 
After pondering this story, I'm finding it a little hard to believe at face value - who doesn't know how to scroll in virtually any application?

I submitted a story for the the site in question, and the author embellished a little.
 
I'm finding it a little hard to believe at face value - who doesn't know how to scroll in virtually any application?
Nate, you've obviously never worked with "Instructionally Challenged Political Appointees"

lenze
 
Lenze is correct. I once had an HR Manager ask me for some excel help. I went over to her computer and listened to what she wanted, then entered her formula for her...

=B2+C2

:)
 
Lenze is correct. I once had an HR Manager ask me for some excel help. I went over to her computer and listened to what she wanted, then entered her formula for her...

=B2+C2

:)

First time I looked at a spreadsheet I'd absolutely no idea what it was and couldn't even have done that. Some would say not much has changed.
 
Definitely some are out there - I had someone ask me how for format a cell as $xxx's. Then when I taught classes they wanted to sign up for the intermediate class. :eek:
 
With training, people assume that if they've used Excel for a couple (maybe up to 6!!) years they must be ready for Advanced. Never mind that it's been a glorified list manager and they have never entered a formula in their life...
I still come across people who should know better, but just type over formulas and convert them to values. Then you get the call that the spreadsheet isn't working :eek:

Denis
 
I think I brought this one up recently, but before I left the PennySaver I created a consistent, company-wide expense report. Everyone signed off on it, but the day before distribution I get a call from the head of Accounts Payable that she can't send it out! She can't change the date and gets a warning that the cell's protected! She absolutely can't send it out this way and I have to fix it right now!

I calmly explain that when she opens it tomorrow the wb will show tomorrow's date. I then explain that it's a simple formula (TODAY).

She says "It will?!"

Yup...

"Wow, you're going to have to come down here and show us how to do some of this stuff!"

She's been using Excel for over 10 years...Go figger...
 
I've got a finance department that regularly uses a calculator and enters the result into the spreadsheet.
 

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