Excel vs. Access: Focus of May 29 Main Street Institute
4/28/2009 (Kelley Indianapolis)
Participants in the next Main Street Institute seminar will learn practical examples of whether Excel or Access is the best tool to analyze data to allow business leaders to reach meaningful results.
The two data programs are more than just accounting tools and spreadsheets. Both are useful in their own way, but the key is to determine what you want to glean from the information, according to Patti Hammerle, an adjunct faculty member at the Kelley School of Business Indianapolis and the key presenter for the May 29th seminar.
“This will not necessarily be a how-to, in terms of a step by step here’s what you would do, but it’s more about identifying your data and determining what you want to get from it. I’ll show you which program will work best for that,” said Hammerle, who teaches computers and business at Kelley Indianapolis.
Hammerle will provide tangible examples of data analysis using both programs at the next Main Street Institute seminar planned for 8: 30 a.m. on May 29th at the University Library on the campus of Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis. The institute is an ongoing partnership between Kelley Indianapolis and the Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce to provide continuing education for regional businesses.
Chamber members can attend for $30 and non-members can attend for $40. To register, please visit the chamber website or call 317-464-2200. The event is free to Kelley students, staff and faculty.
Hammerle transferred her self-taught expertise of the data programs into her own business, U-Can Computer Manuals, which are distributed to libraries and businesses to help them train staff. She also does private training and consulting work utilizing Access and Excel.
“At the management level, it’s really important to understand the distinction (between the two programs) and to determine what you want to get from your data,” she said.
“Excel, for example, you use it for graphing and charting, you don’t use Access for that. Excel is truly an accounting program for crunching numbers,” Hammerle added. “Access is better at relating data, reducing data redundancy and doing your data entry. It’s better for reporting purposes.”
Hammerle said she is hopeful people will come away from her presentation feeling less intimidated when approaching either Access of Excel. The seminar will be designed for beginning to intermediate users, but she stressed the less-popular Access “is not beyond the reach of anyone.” She cited an example of her 11-year-old son using Access to sort and manage his football cards.
For more information about the event and help with registration on campus, please visit Kelley IUPUI or contact Dave Hosick, coordinator of communications and media relations with the IU Kelley School of Business Indianapolis, at 274-6856.
