Need to win excel argument v access - help please

[Emjaye]

Ladies and Gents, your help would be very much appreciated...

Having spent the last 12 weeks on & off upgrading an excel workbook "training recording application" for work - at their request, you can imagine my dismay at being told today that (excel) macro are unlikely to be allowed to operate on work computers as they "are able to be hijacked"

As I mentioned, I've been making the upgrade for the last 10 to 12 weeks - this is on top of the time and effort it took to create the workbook several years ago.

I'm certainly no expert with excel, more a capable(?) amateur. I would like to give the bosses and idea of what it would cost if they'd contracted a professional spreadsheet developer, with this in mind, would maybe £30 per hour (sterling) sound about right?

Also... I need good, sound reasoning to back up a business case to argue for allowing this workbook app, and it's associated macro to be allowed to run.
Work = an Agency of the UK Government; the Government(?) security experts have already banned the use of Access... now they appear to be going against Excel (macro) too but apparently the way to go is the use of SQL databases: odd, because I understand Access uses SQL, and they banned Access

Anyway, I digress... to summarise >
1) I would appreciate a 'ballpark' cost per hour for a pro spreadsheet developer
and
2) Some sound and reasoned argument for allowing Excel macro to be used - other than '"because I made what you asked for in Excel, if you ban it then I've wasted my time"

thank you, Mike

p.s. I thought about getting a digital sig and signing the VBA project with that - more reasons appreciated though

 

[SydneyGeek]

The Excel macros thing is a furphy. I reckon they're using it as an excuse... particularly based on the Access ban and the push for SQL.

I can't comment on rates but $100 per hour is typical for an experienced Excel developer in Australia, so 40-50 quid?

Building a SQL database and front end won't be quick or cheap. I helped build an Access db a couple of years ago; it took maybe 4-5 weeks of my time, and did what the user wanted. IT banned it, so we used the database as a prototype for SQL Server and they put 3 guys onto it. 6 months later it got to phase 1, and didn't go live for another year after that.

Consider creating the Excel code as an add-in. Then you can place it in an IT-approved network location, users can link to it, and none of their workbooks need contain any code. Another major advantage is that changes to the code need only happen in one place, rather than across multiple workbooks all over the system.

Denis

Denis

 

[Norie]

Emjaye

Check out the going rates here.

Denis

Did the reason it took the 'IT' people take so long because they had to fill out forms in triplicate?

First to get permission for the project, then decide which department would resource it, etc, etc

 

[SydneyGeek]

Maybe the forms thing was part of it but they decided to Web-enable the system so they had to build data, reports, and linking logic. Web-based reports take a lot of building to get them right, and this DB had quite a few.
They also did more stuff with the permissions by linking in to Active Directory but the point I was making is that the required time and effort to get something that replicated the Access database's look and feel, was huge by comparison. Of course they could claim that it cost them 'nothing' because it was internal labour and not paid to a consultant, but they had to pull 3 guys off other work to do it.

You may find this article useful...

Denis

 

[Emjaye]

thank you guys.

Norie - interesting site

Mike

 

[Colin Legg]

I think a very reasonable rate for pure Excel/Excel VBA development in the Shetlands would be £20-25 p/h. Might be tricky to find a developer though?

The rate is not remotely comparable to those in London which are more along the lines of Denis' suggestion. Pay is much higher in London anyway, and for those sorts of roles you'd need other languages and business knowledge.

How long would it have taken a pro developer (working full time) to complete the project? A couple of days? So, that comes to about £400 in total.


Your company may have another concern which they do not want to mention to you. You've developed this technology for them and if it becomes part of the standard company process then they become dependant on you and your Excel VBA skills. You say yourself that you are not an expert - more "a capable amateur" - so what happens if it breaks and you can't fix it? Or what happens if you leave the company and it breaks? This key man risk may be something your boss is keen to avoid.

 

[Emjaye]

Sorry Colin I think you're off the mark on several points. one of which is your view on "my company", it's not a company it's the Government. And it's not a development for Shetland, it's national, I just happen to be living here at the moment.
As for them becoming dependant on me - not at all, any fool could make it so if it breaks and I can't fix it (which is bizzare in itself as if I made it I should be able to mend it) besides which any fool with a little knowledge could repair it.

Oh, and don't assume that just because pay is higher in London the people are alot cleverer than the hicks in the outlands. Head for head, I expect Shetland can give the Londons a fair run for it's money in net worth, after all, we've got Sullom Voe - the largest on shore oil and gas terminal in Europe, all we got to do is keep the oil for ourselves

thanks anyway, Mike

 

[Norie]

Colin

Why would it be tricky to find a developer on Shetland?

As Mike has said there is a rather large part of the UK's oil industry there, and I would assume it might need a wee bit of technology support.

 

[xenou]

You've developed this technology for them and if it becomes part of the standard company process then they become dependant on you and your Excel VBA skills. You say yourself that you are not an expert - more "a capable amateur" - so what happens if it breaks and you can't fix it? Or what happens if you leave the company and it breaks?

I think its a fair point (I know nothing about Shetland though). There is a risk - whether it applies in your case or not, of course, is something else.

How about incorporating yourself and charging for your labors? Then everyone's happy - Government has a pro doing the job, and you have more money in your pocket One thing to think about no matter what is to fully document your work. Perhaps with a complete explanation of what the program does, how it works, and how the end-user interacts with it, you can satisfy the doubters...and leave something for those who might follow later and need to make modifications.

 

[Colin Legg]

Mike,

Sorry Colin I think you're off the mark on several points. .... As for them becoming dependant on me - not at all

I think this is a very fair point and I have seen it happen many, many times. You asked for other people's opinions and I gave you mine based on experience - please don't take personal offense to it.

Oh, and don't assume that just because pay is higher in London the people are alot cleverer than the hicks in the outlands.

I never said people in London are cleverer - you brought that into the discussion, not me.

Colin
Why would it be tricky to find a developer on Shetland?

Well, for example look on the site you referenced. How many Excel developer jobs have been listed in Shetland in the last 3 months? Excel development is not a thriving industry there, so I think it is fair to assume there isn't an abundance of pro Excel VBA developers.