What are Excel Add-Ins?
Many of our products operate as Add-Ins to
Microsoft Excel. Excel Add-Ins
(*.xla files) are programs that add extra features to
Excel and are installed by default in
the Excel\Library folder. By selecting Tools Add-Ins from the Excel menu-bar, the Add-In dialog box
is displayed. Selecting an Add-In from this dialog loads the
Add-In file and makes its range of functionality available
to Excel.
Our range of add-ins provide a new set of menu options
which integrate into the main Excel menu-bar. For example,
choosing the Proceed add-in adds the name Proceed to
the menu-bar and
allows you to access Proceeds' full range of Statistical
Process Control features.
Many Add-Ins can be added to the
Excel menu-bar (you
are not restricted to a single Add-In) and so you can use different Add-Ins
at the same time.
What are the benefits of using an Excel
Add-In?
RSD Associates decided to develop its range of Quality
Improvement software products as Excel Add-Ins for several
reasons:
-
The critical hurdle of local
IT support is easily achieved - Excel comes with its
own set of add-ins, so company IT departments are
already set up to support your RSD Associates add-in.
-
Many companies, their suppliers and customers store
their data in Excel
-
The Excel environment is familiar to many people and
is a natural choice for SPC implementation in both
manufacturing and non-manufacturing (e.g. purchasing or
finance)
-
Data is not locked in a file format that is
difficult to access from other applications and so the
data can be easily imported, exported and shared.
-
All software Add-In products are contained within
Excel and so there are no additional software packages
to maintain
-
Networking is easy - just network Excel and the
Add-Ins are networked automatically.
-
You have access to a growing range of Quality tools
all within Excel
-
The tabbed sheets used in
Excel provide a convenient way to organize multiple
analyses and charts. The alternative is usually
a mish-mash of over-lapping windows which are
difficult to navigate through.
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