Why Microsoft Excel is a sensible way of solving this problem
Microsoft Excel is a sensible way of solving this problem because it is much more accurate, faster then doing a log book (all the calculations are done for you etc) and it is much cheaper then buying a complicated financial programme. Microsoft Excel is easier in many ways, here are some of them. If you decide to create back ups of all the data in a log book, you would have to scan the whole lot and print them out, but even scanning all the data from a log book takes far more time then simply saving a Microsoft Excel Document onto a portable hard drive (Flash Disk). A Microsoft Excel spreadsheet can also automatically generate highly accurate graphs, rather then having to draw them out yourself. There is also a disadvantage of using Microsoft Excel, this is that they require training to use and understand. But once you have learnt how to use Excel, you will find out how much more easier it is then writing out all the data your self etc.
Quantitative objectives
- For My End users to know how much money they have saved up for the new car they want.
- To create a graph that will show my end users exactly what they spend their money on and how much they have left over a certain period of time.
- A Graph to show my End users how much money they have saved up at the end of the year, and if they have enough money to buy the car.
Section 2: Analyse
Hardware
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Keyboard: The keyboard will be used to input data into specific cells on the excel spreadsheet; some of the data it will input is formulas, numbers, titles etc. The Keyboard is major, without it nothing would be able to be imputed onto the Excel spreadsheet.
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Monitor: The monitor I will use will allow me to view the excel spreadsheet (The data I am imputing etc). The Monitor is very important, without it nothing would be able to be seen for example the data being imputed.
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Mouse: I will use the mouse to open up applications; it is on of the key Hardware on a Computer and without it would make using a computer impossible.
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Printer: I will use the printer to print of final versions of the spreadsheet to show my end user what the final results are and will allow them to be able to print of each month’s final
All Documents will be saved onto the computers Hard drive but for back up the work will be saved onto a Flash disk. For this the user will use the USB Port on a computer to be able to open the files from the Flash Disk.
Software
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Excel is a Software that allows the user to produce spreadsheets in which data can be enterend into, this data is inputted into cells which divides up the spreadsheet. Microsoft Excel can also carry out many calcuations at a high deal of accuracy.
Certain areas of the spreadsheet can be locekd by the user to protect his/her data from being deleted, misused or hacked. These areas of the spreadsheet can then be unlocked by the user when needed. The User can also apply a password to protect the whole spreadsheet. By doing this, the information can only be accessed by the user and no one else.
Microsoft Excel is the Software that has been chosen to use with this situation because it is able to solve all the problems in this situation.
The data of this spreadsheet will contain of both Numbers and Text. The text will be for the Headings, Subheadings etc. The Numbers will be used as Currency, Quantity etc, calcuations done in the spreadsheet will also be displayed in Numbers.
The spreadsheet will create graphs for the data to be easy to understand. Graphs will also be made for comparison, many diffenet graphs will be created for comparision to be made eaiser eg Line Graphs, Bar Charts.
The data will be backed up in several ways , the user can have a hard copy (Print out) and file it somewhere safe. The data is going to saved onto the computers hard drive but the problem with this is that if the computer is infected with a virus, all the data in the Hard Drive will be wiped out. So just incase this does happen, the data will be saved externally onto CD-ROMs, Flash Disks, Floopy Disks.
To demonstrate how good Microsoft Excel is, I will help a mother of two children both aged 13 and 12. She needed help in keeping track of how much money she gave them, so by using Excel this is how it could be done.
This only shows one of the functions of a formula but there are far more options than this that Excel provides. Excel allows you to use formulas that will: add, subtract, divide and multiply. Outside of formulas Excel allows you to create things such as drop down bars, graphs, spinners and macros.
Microsoft Word
Microsoft word is a word processing application that I will use to draw Flowcharts to illustrate the flow of data. The Flow Chart will show the inputs, outputs and processes, what the data is, where it comes from and what I am going to do with it.
I will use Excel to draw and write up tables that will I refer to when creating my Excel spreadsheet to show me what data I will be inputting, the type of data that I am inputting , the source of the data, its format and entry method.
I will use Microsoft Word to Produce a Systems Flow Chart to show the process of creating the excel spreadsheet and another diagram to show the flow of data.
Section 3- Design
For my initial ideas I have created a series of hand drawn spreadsheets by printing out Excel spreadsheets and inputting data by the use of writing. This is to give my end users an idea of what the final product would like and get the approval from them. I will then redo the hand written spreadsheets once again changing them to the specifications of the end user and represent them to make sure that they meet the end users requirements.
My initial idea will include a template of the spreadsheet and a series of graphs that show specific data from the spreadsheet. Possible graphs that could be used are as follows:
Year graph of total expenses: This graph would take all the outgoing values from each month, this will show my end users which months they had spent the most and least amount of money on and all those in between.
Expenses graph: This will basically show the data from expense types and amount spent in a graph format.
PARENTS FINANCES 2005
This spreadsheet will basically show my end users the amount of money they spend and what they spend it on, it will also show them the total amount of money saved at the end of the year (Profit). Formulas have been used in this spreadsheet for many reasons some of which to work out totals.
USER FEEDBACK
The end users said that this spreadsheet was very clear and easy to understand. They said that it showed them all the information they needed like what they spent their money on and how much they had left at the end of the month/year. The End users gave the go ahead for this spreadsheet and couldn’t wait to see the Final Design.
PARENTS SAVINGS AFTER ENDS OF MONTHS
This spreadsheet shows the end users how much money they have saved up at the end of each month. This spreadsheet will help them by giving them the information of how much money they have in total at the end of the Year so they know if they have enough money for the car they want.
USER FEEDBACK
The End users thought that this spreadsheet was ‘satisfactory’, they said that the spreadsheet could be improved by adding extra information in the spreadsheet like ‘Monthly Savings Expected’. They also said that an image of the car they wanted could be added to the spreadsheet to show them what they are saving up for and to make the spreadsheet look good.
PARENTS SAVINGS AFTER ENDS OF MONTHS (CHANGED)
I changed the original spreadsheet to my user’s requirements; I added another column ‘Monthly savings aimed’ which shows the amount they were expecting to have saved up. I also added another column ‘Aim achieved’. This basically shows the user if the aim was achieved or not. I have also added a picture of the car they want to make the spreadsheet look good.
USER FEEDBACK
The end users were very impressed; they said that the spreadsheet was changed ‘dramatically’ and that the extra information I added made the spreadsheet look very professional.
Subtasks
Task 1
Objective: Create the ‘PARENTS FINANCES 2005’ spreadsheet.
Task: This requires taking my final ideas and implanting them.
SUBTASKS
Explain the procedures and steps you will undertake to complete the task
1) Open up Microsoft Excel.
2) Make headings and Subheadings and enter all data into relevant places.
3) Change the cells that will have currency formatted data into the currency format of British (United Kingdom currency Pounds).
4) Add all required formulas (E.g. to work out totals)
5) Validate that all data types are assigned to there correct columns and cells.
6) Run a spell check to validate all letter data is spelt correctly.
7) Save the spreadsheet as PARENTS FINANCES 2005
8) Close Microsoft Excel.
Task 2
Objective: To create the spreadsheet ‘PARENTS SAVINGS AFTER ENDS OF MONTHS’
Task: This requires taking my final ideas and implanting them on to a Excel spreadsheet.
SUBTASKS
Explain the procedures and steps you will undertake to complete the task
1) Open up Microsoft Excel.
2) Make all Headings and Subheadings and enter all data in relevant places.
3) Change the cells that will have currency formatted data into the currency format of British (United Kingdom currency Pounds).
4) Add all required formulas (E.g. to work out totals).
5) Insert Image of the car.
6) Validate that all data types are assigned to there correct columns and cells.
7) Run a spell check to validate all letter data is spelt correctly.
8) Save spreadsheet as ‘PARENTS SAVINGS AFTER ENDS OF MONTHS’
And then Close Microsoft excel.
Task 3
Objective: To create graphs for spreadsheets ‘PARENTS FINANCES’ and ‘PARENTS SAVINGS AFTER ENDS OF MONTHS’
SUBTASKS
Explain the procedures and steps you will undertake to complete the task
1) Open up saved spreadsheets PARENTS FINANCES 2005 and PARENTS SAVINGS AFTER ENDS OF MONTHS
2) First highlight all data in PARENTS FINANCES 2005 and then click on chart wizard.
3) Select graph type and preview graph to see if it looks ok.
4) Go through the setup; enter chart title, category X axis category Y axis etc. Place chart as a new sheet.
5) Save the graph.
6) Do all the same for PARENTS SAVINGS AFTER ENDS OF MONTHS.
7) Go through the setup and place the chart as a new sheet.
8) Save the graph.
Section 4: Implementation