| Microsoft Excel Templates are fantastic tools that | | | | like Microsoft Word, you always type the text in the |
| allow you to get your team to put in their data for | | | | lighter area and the darker area is the headings. |
| your business quickly and easily whilst still allowing for | | | | The flip side is that if your background is a light color |
| the consolidation of the data with very little work. | | | | then the text being entered must be a dark color |
| There is however five key issues you need to | | | | and for the headings, if your heading backgrounds |
| consider when developing the Excel Template. | | | | are dark then the text should be light. |
| Issue 1. Protect the Worksheet and Cells | | | | Always be carefully when using the colors Red, |
| The first issue when creating a template is to ensure | | | | Green and Blue on templates as people with color |
| that your worksheet and cells are protected. For | | | | blindness can find those colors confusing. The other |
| example the cells you want people to put data into | | | | issue to watch with formatting is to ensure that your |
| should not have protection applied and the headlines | | | | colors print out correctly, especially if you have used |
| you need to use to explain where to put the data | | | | color on the screen but it prints out in black and |
| into should in fact be protected. | | | | white. Some colors do not print out well on black and |
| Further to this in Microsoft Excel 2003 you can set | | | | white printers. |
| that cells that are protected cannot be selected and | | | | Issue 4. Hide Unused Cells |
| I recommend that all headline areas are set in this | | | | One of the biggest mistakes I see people do with |
| way. | | | | templates is to not hide any unused cells. Having |
| Issue 2. Lock the Workbook against Structural | | | | unhidden cells runs the risk that your team may put |
| Changes | | | | in information in the wrong position or they may |
| There are different levels of security in Microsoft | | | | believe they need to put more information in than |
| Excel, such as security at the cell level, worksheet | | | | they need to. Always hide your unused cells. |
| level and workbook level. Previous to this, I | | | | Issue 5. Use Formatted Gridlines |
| recommended that you use protection at the | | | | When ever you are setting up a spreadsheet where |
| worksheet and cell level to restrict the access people | | | | a range of data needs to be entered always use |
| can have to certain cells. The workbook also should | | | | dark gridlines to indicate exactly where the data |
| be protected to ensure that your users cannot | | | | should be entered. Generally I will use gridlines only |
| modify the underlying template. You can set two | | | | where I want my team to enter the data. I do not |
| levels of security which are the Modify option and | | | | generally use them around the headlines. |
| Read Only Option. The only time you would use the | | | | These five key issues will help ensure that your team |
| Read Only option is if your template was only being | | | | uses the template in the manner that you intended. |
| used to print out the data. | | | | To finish off I would like to outline in one list the Five |
| Issue 3. Use Formatting to make it easy to know | | | | Key Issues you need to consider when developing a |
| where to put the data | | | | Microsoft Excel template. |
| There are some basic fundamentals I always follow | | | | Issue 1. Protect the Worksheet and Cells |
| when it comes to formatting in Microsoft Excel. The | | | | Issue 2. Lock the Workbook against Structural |
| background of the area where I want my team to | | | | Changes |
| enter the data is always a lighter color, with the | | | | Issue 3. Use Formatting to make it easy to know |
| headings backgrounds being formatted with a darker | | | | where to put the data |
| color. This strategy is in line with that used in | | | | Issue 4. Hide Unused Cells |
| software development. You will notice in applications | | | | Issue 5. |