Grid Grouping

Before:

After:


When a grid exists as multiple boards, say one per year of account, Packola's Grid Grouping concept lets the user switch between looking at one and looking at all together. The instructions for grouping are subtle, but the screens above show a typical scenario. A title line is copied, here just the currencies, followed by a line from each board in turn, then a total. This is repeated for a selection of the lines on the boards.

Anatomy of a Packola Screen

Here is a typical, though fictional, screen shot from Packola.

We're looking at a board called Fees Analysis / All - you can see that title in the tabs just above the grid of data. We also have open the Trial Balance grid for years 2006, 2007 and 2010.

Cell L13 has just been clicked on, and shows as white on dark blue. It's a formula cell, so the formula is shown just above the grid, and the cells it uses are shown with heavy borders : C13, D13 and E13. The formula uses the WSGBPA method to do a GBP conversion at Average rates.

Cell colours are used to distinguish different types of cell. F3 is an entered figure. G3 is an entered figure that has not yet been set. C6 is a formula. J8 is a carry forward figure. A6 is a logic cell. C11 is a precedent figure copied from another board. C3 is a group precedent, summing a value across multiple boards.

F3 also has a comment attached, as shown by the red marker.

Workflows

A workflow can remind you what you're meant to do next, help you do that task, and let you show that you've done it.

In Packola we've a screen which shows a flow through any number of related steps. You can load the relevant board just by right-clicking on the step. Simple but effective.

Find Function

On the toolbar, there's a pair of binoculars which let you Find a number anywhere in the exercise. With a tolerance to allow for rounding errors. It's striking how often certain numbers are copied around.