What is an Excel Application?

Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet developed by Microsoft for Windows, macOS, Android and iOS. It features calculation, graphing tools, pivot tables, and a macro programming language called Visual Basic for Applications.

Excel is the core spreadsheet application within the Office suite. Using VBA (Visual Basic for Applications), the user can create programs in what is a subset of the Visual Basic programming language.

Microsoft Excel has the basic features of all spreadsheets, using a grid of cells arranged in numbered rows and letter-named columns to organize data manipulations like arithmetic operations. It has a host of supplied functions to answer statistical, engineering and financial needs. In addition, it can display data as line graphs, histograms and charts, and with three-dimensional graphical display. It allows sectioning of data to view its dependencies on various factors for different perspectives (using pivot tables and the scenario manager).

It has a programming aspect, Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), allowing the user to employ a wide variety of numerical methods, for example, for solving equations and logic and then reporting the results back to the spreadsheet. It also has a variety of interactive features allowing user interfaces that can completely hide parts or the whole spreadsheet from the user, so the spreadsheet presents itself as a so-called application, via a custom-designed user interface, for example, a mortgage analyzer, or in general, as a design tool that asks the user questions and provides answers and reports.

In a more elaborate realization, an Excel application can automatically poll external databases and measuring instruments using an update schedule, analyze the results, make a Word report or Power Point slide show, and then e-mail these presentations on a regular basis to a list of participants. Excel was not designed to be used as a database, but can be a demonstration of possibilities.

If this sounds very techie, Excel VBA can be useful in creating many business processes.

1. Client Reporting of Individual Projects
   
2. Financial Keeping Systems
   
3. Trading Systems
   
4. Retail Systems
   
5. Customer Records Systems

... the list is endless.

There are many applications for sale to do any number of normal business processes. The question you must ask yourself, can you find one close enough to your process where it is isn't going to cost you so much to change your process and retrain your staff to use the new purchased application. Or is it better to design and build a custom application, specific to your company's processes, that may give your company a competitive advantage.

If you choose the latter, a custom Excel VBA application, let's have a conversation. Netmajic offers a free hour consultation.

Learn more about Netmajic's Excel VBA Capabilities on these pages

Excel Application Design

Excel Database Development

Excel VBA Programming

Existing Excel VBA Applications

VBA for Excel Portfolio

Netmajic - Excel Application VBA Programmer

Netmajic has extensive experience designing and maintaining MS Excel VBA Applications, Call, 612-581-0332 today to discuss your Excel VBA needs.