Macro Robots

Although the topic of Excel Macros is a bit overly ambitious for a blog of this type, it is a subject about which many individuals are interested. Macros are not part of most Excel users skillset, but they can help make your day-to-day tasks much easier and the basics should not be intimidating.

Many of us have workbooks which we need to continually update with new data and repeat certain tasks over and over. A Recorded Macro can be your ticket to lessening your repetitious work and simplifying your routine chores.

A Macro can record your mouse clicks and keystrokes while you work, and then allows you to play them back in future renditions of your workbook. When you run the macro, it will play the commands in the same order that you recorded them. It’s like having a Macro Robot at your command!

For example, let’s say you track the performance of the representatives in a call center. Every week a report must be created for management, and it involves routine updates. Here's how to record a macro to apply these updates:

1.   In the report workbook, click the start of the cells you are going to update.
2.   Point to the Developer tab, and then click Record Macro.
3.  In the Record Macro dialog box, enter a Name that applies to your operation. For ease of operation later on, assign a custom Shortcut Key.
4.   Now perform the calculations, formatting, moving, etc that applies to the repetitive and monotonous update.
5.   Finish recording the macro by clicking the Stop Recording button.

To Run your Macro, simply go to the update start cell and enter your Custom Shortcut Key.

Bamm! Instant update! Your newly created Macro Robot has just done all of the work that may have taken you several minutes or an hour to complete. Give it a try – Totally worth the effort!