Case Studies and Process Implementation
In each of the case studies described in this section, the first step was to review, clarify, and refine the process involved through collaboration with college staff, and understand how the users wished to interact with this process. Following this, software was developed to implement the process, primarily using Microsoft Excel, incorporating programming through Visual Basic for Applications (the embedded language behind all Microsoft Office applications).
Microsoft Excel as a Development Tool
The reasons that Microsoft Excel is employed by BEC as the preferred development platform for academic specialized tools are varied. Some of the primary considerations are given below.
- Microsoft Excel is ubiquitous; every college has Excel installed through an institutional license, making it a no-cost alternative to which all employees have access. Generally, Excel is most effective (and has the most available features) when employed on a Windows platform.
- Excel spreadsheets are familiar to almost all employees and Excel has an established user base, thereby eliminating a steep learning curve that could be a barrier to acceptance of other software applications.
- The workbook/worksheet format of Excel is well-suited to the structure of most college-level systems.
- Excel can accept any comma separated variable (csv) file as input, and csv files are nearly always an option for output from any commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) or third-party software application, such as Ellucian Colleague or Banner.
- Excel offers relatively sophisticated graphical user interface (GUI) options to ensure mistake-proofing of input and formatting of output for formal presentations and college reports.
- Excel provides a satisfactory adequate “flat file” database capability for storing information that does not frequently change (for example, course descriptions and numbers).
- Excel has a built-in programming language (Visual Basic for Applications – VBA) that is used to model the more complex college processes. Most Information Technology personnel are well-versed in this object-oriented language and are able to successfully troubleshoot or modify any underlying code as desired.
- Excel has extensive interface capabilities with external libraries written in other software languages or applications (for example, FORTRAN) and easily interfaces with other Microsoft Office products (Word, Access, Outlook, PowerPoint, Project, etc.).
- Using Excel workbooks provides a measure of version control for your process. Updating the workbook to a new version is easily accomplished (and named appropriately) and rolled out to users, archiving all previous versions.
- Building an application within Excel ensures repeatability; anyone using the tool will achieve the same results, meaning that cross-training of department employees is made far simpler when automated tools are employed for standard work.
Customization and Collaboration are Key
As you read through these case studies (all created specifically to support a unique community college’s needs) please remember that these tools are heavily customized to the institution and therefore are not designed to be universally applicable to all college systems or processes. However, the advantage of working within the Microsoft Office platform is that tools such as these can be readily constructed or adapted to meet the specific requirements and ERP system of an institution.
Each of these case studies represents a collaborative solution that was designed to fit the desires of a specific institution. As such, the distinctive methodology described in each case may not be directly applicable to your college. However, the value in using Excel is its extreme customizability; this case study group constitutes only a sample of the breadth of productivity enhancement tools that can be created by BEC to support your needs. If you would like more information regarding any of these tools, or have a more specific process that you would like to discuss, please contact me.
