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Make this convoluted system easier?
Our take
Navigating a convoluted spreadsheet system can be frustrating, especially when it demands manual checks and updates for each of your 40 rooms. Imagine transforming this tedious process into a streamlined experience where colors change automatically based on service dates. By leveraging simple automation—like a script or formula—you can quickly visualize which cabins need service without the constant back-and-forth. Dive into this guide to discover how to simplify your workflow, enhance accuracy, and reclaim valuable time for more important tasks.
Basic Excel user here....nothing more than basic formulas.
I inherited a convoluted system and am trying to see if there is a better way of doing things than the current manual process.
I have a spreadsheet that tracks about 40 different rooms/cabins and which ones are granted access to services (eg: internet, TV, premium TV).
Currently we using a spreadsheet with a main tab for all cabins, and then a separate tab for each room/cabin.
The main tab basically just tracks the room/cabin, service, and start and stop dates.
The info from the main tab are then transferred to the individual room/cabin tab. The tabs are then color coded for whether they should have a service currently turned on/of (green/red)
Right now it's all done manually - basically we log in and check each tab to see what needs to be done for the week.......so, open it on Monday, check each tab to see if any need to be turned on.....check on Friday to see what needs to be turned off. Then we go into our other system to actually activate/de-activate services....and change tab color as needed.
Is there a way to automate the checking of each tab to see if it falls within the current date (or within a few days) and automatically change the tab color? At least that way we could have a quick and easy visual on which cabins should have service.
I'm envisioning something that basically works like this:
open the spreadsheet, run something (script, formula, vba ???) that will check each tab - is there anything listed for the current date range (maybe it even prompts for a date range ??), if so turn that tab green. Is there a tab that is currently green but doesn't have anything for the current date? if so, then turn that tab red.
Hopefully that all makes sense. I know it seems a bit convoluted and it can be a bit time consuming, especially when multiple people are accessing the sheet and may or may not (usually may not) actually follow the instructions.
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