Computers on the Farm Conference
Getting the Most from Your Spreadsheet - Grain Bin Pricing Example
Alan Washburn, Lamar
January 5, 2000
In one of the concurrent sessions Wednesday evening, Alan Washburn spoke
about how to make spreadsheets work for you, the user. Washburn brought
with him an example, his own Excel spreadsheet which he uses to quote grain
bin construction prices over the phone. New price information, which he
noted comes out quarterly, is updated manually in a Lookup Table, but
the spreadsheet itself takes care of the rest.
| "Before, I used
to stay up 'til midnight figuring grain bin prices for people. Now I can
figure them while I'm on the phone." |
Washburn's spreadsheet calculates and displays costs and automatically
refigures once new data is entered in. Washburn explained that he was able
to accomplish this by using the Lookup Table. The spreadsheet he
used to figure prices pulled the information from this table and eliminated
the need for unnecessary inputs. Washburn's spreadsheet takes into account
and displays grain bin inputs such as:
- Parts
- Manufacturer's Discounts
- Labor
- Mileage
- Drying cost ($/bu.)
Washburn concluded his talk with a demonstration of his spreadsheet. He
changed parts, quantities, discounts, and labor costs to show how easily a
spreadsheet can make a business more efficient. "Before, I used to stay up
'til midnight figuring grain bin prices for people. Now I can figure them
while I'm on the phone."
[ Back to Computers on the Farm 2000 Program]