I have a dilemma--my job as an engineer has me collecting physical data on our product as it is installed in a vehicle/semi/combine/etc. My group and I then take that data and calculate the life of that part and relay that information in the form of a report. Additionally, we may perform tests and calculations for customers each of which require a report. We may also issue memos internally and externally. So, as it stands, we have a massive amount of documents on our server. Each type (data collection, calculation, report, memo, test, etc.) are logged using Excel sheets. This is where my dilemma is.
You see, if I want to relate information from a data collection to a calculation, I need to open two Excel sheets, find the proper items, and type the data I want to relate into the respective Excel sheet. Being an engineer, I find this flawed. I have suggested that there needs to be a better way, so I've been saddled with finding a better way. In another life, I had some computer programming experience and enough wherewithall to understand MySQL and PHP and the like. So I naturally suggested some method of database. Of course, I'm at a loss to extend that into a working solution.
I've found an open-source project management called TACTIC that looks promising. Any other suggestions?
I have a dilemma--my job as an engineer has me collecting physical data on our product as it is installed in a vehicle/semi/combine/etc. My group and I then take that data and calculate the life of that part and relay that information in the form of a report. Additionally, we may perform tests and calculations for customers each of which require a report. We may also issue memos internally and externally. So, as it stands, we have a massive amount of documents on our server. Each type (data collection, calculation, report, memo, test, etc.) are logged using Excel sheets. This is where my dilemma is.
You see, if I want to relate information from a data collection to a calculation, I need to open two Excel sheets, find the proper items, and type the data I want to relate into the respective Excel sheet. Being an engineer, I find this flawed. I have suggested that there needs to be a better way, so I've been saddled with finding a better way. In another life, I had some computer programming experience and enough wherewithall to understand MySQL and PHP and the like. So I naturally suggested some method of database. Of course, I'm at a loss to extend that into a working solution.
I've found an open-source project management called TACTIC that looks promising. Any other suggestions?
Option 1 (yay!):
Take the requisite data in the excel sheets, save them as csv files, and import them into a database (MySQL, etc) as separate tables. You can then use SQL to update each table properly from the other tables programmatically.
You can then even export back out to CSV, and re-update the original excel artifacts. Or, if you are really into it, you could write a frontend for this thing in Django or php or Ruby or something, and never have to deal with excel again.
Option 2 (ugh):
Write vbscript excel macros that copy the data across spreadsheets when executed.
I leaned toward Option 1 a while ago. Importing CSVs broke things (more-than-likely my fault) and I found that a lot of this information hasn't been updated so relationships that should exist don't. Also, I'm only able to dedicate a limited amount of time considering my other job responsibilities. I'm thinking I need something turn-key.
In addition, my boss would like me to use Sharepoint--but fuck Sharepoint.
I thought I had finally broken free of help desk when I signed my offer letter for this job, and then I showed up and realized that there is no IT team so help desk fell right into my lap anyway.
So, my company's ISP: We're in a contract with them that's been going since before I started. When I did start, I opined that our pitiful 10Mb connection is not enough and must be upgraded. My boss agreed. So we shop around and everyone's prices suck, so we go back to our ISP and see what our options are within our contract and find out we can upgrade our service. So we decide to go with that so we don't have to pay to break the contract.
This happened in January. They said "March! We have to install some stuff!" We say okay. In February, they say "March! We have to install some stuff!" and they reinforce this by coming by a few times to look at wiring and whatnot. Two weeks ago, they say "March! Maybe the middle, maybe the end, but March!"
Today we e-mail for an update, because I just know these motherfuckers are going to screw us. "April! The end of April! All the circuits are full!" No fucking shit. We knew that you had to install things two months ago! Why the fuck do you keep telling us that you need to install this shit instead of actually doing it? God fucking damnit!
Fellow software developers or programmers or engineers or whatever the flipping hell we're supposed to call ourselves
For those of you who have to deal directly with customers, be it internal, company, or John Q Public, and be it part of your job description or not, I ask
Posts
Help desk is a good foot in the door but for myself and lots of people I've talked to, it wears thin quickly.
You see, if I want to relate information from a data collection to a calculation, I need to open two Excel sheets, find the proper items, and type the data I want to relate into the respective Excel sheet. Being an engineer, I find this flawed. I have suggested that there needs to be a better way, so I've been saddled with finding a better way. In another life, I had some computer programming experience and enough wherewithall to understand MySQL and PHP and the like. So I naturally suggested some method of database. Of course, I'm at a loss to extend that into a working solution.
I've found an open-source project management called TACTIC that looks promising. Any other suggestions?
Option 1 (yay!):
Take the requisite data in the excel sheets, save them as csv files, and import them into a database (MySQL, etc) as separate tables. You can then use SQL to update each table properly from the other tables programmatically.
You can then even export back out to CSV, and re-update the original excel artifacts. Or, if you are really into it, you could write a frontend for this thing in Django or php or Ruby or something, and never have to deal with excel again.
Option 2 (ugh):
Write vbscript excel macros that copy the data across spreadsheets when executed.
In addition, my boss would like me to use Sharepoint--but fuck Sharepoint.
This happened in January. They said "March! We have to install some stuff!" We say okay. In February, they say "March! We have to install some stuff!" and they reinforce this by coming by a few times to look at wiring and whatnot. Two weeks ago, they say "March! Maybe the middle, maybe the end, but March!"
Today we e-mail for an update, because I just know these motherfuckers are going to screw us. "April! The end of April! All the circuits are full!"
No fucking shit. We knew that you had to install things two months ago! Why the fuck do you keep telling us that you need to install this shit instead of actually doing it? God fucking damnit!
I think I'd like to do something like that again when I retire.
I have learned this.
For those of you who have to deal directly with customers, be it internal, company, or John Q Public, and be it part of your job description or not, I ask
does it ever stop hurting