Software Africa News - March 2025

Main Article ~ Online Business Tip ~ Excel Tip ~ Training Tip

Rick's Editorial:

I got back a few days ago from a 10-day trip to visit family and friends in the Eastern Cape, mainly Middelburg and Gqeberha (still known on most road signs as Port Elizabeth). The company was able to function pretty well remotely with a laptop, Wi-Fi, and an internet connection. Having QuickBooks Online as our accounting system certainly helped, as did the FNB App for banking.

It was good to lie on a beach again and swim, briefly, in the sea.  Kings Beach was almost empty and wonderfully clean.  The dogs were surprised by the waves at first, but took to the sea like, well, a dog to water... 

On the way back we had 5 stop-and-go road works between Nxuba (formerly Cradock) and Hofmeyr (formerly Maraisburg). Thanks to Google Maps, which thought that was the best route!  There must be some moral there about over-reliance on technology.

Speaking of technology:

Autodesk Prices Have Come Down!

Remarkably, during the month we had a price decrease of 3.1% on all the Autodesk products we sell, namely full AutoCAD (including specialized toolsets), AutoCAD Web, AutoCAD LT, AutoCAD Raster Design, AutoCAD Revit LT Suite, 3ds Max, and  Mudbox. We immediately passed this on the relevant customers.

Mathematically inclined readers with a good memory may have noticed that the decrease did not make up for the 4%-11% increase on 7 January, but it is nevertheless something.

Do you have an AutoCAD renewal coming up in the next 3 months? The Rand is volatile, even more so in a Trump era. Get current pricing and beat the next change, which will probably be an increase!

On-Line Business Tip #94 – NPO? Get Google Workspace Free!

Do you have a not-for-profit non-government organisation (NGO) in South Africa?  Did you know that you can get Google Workspace for Nonprofits gratis?  This gives your organisation:

Read more here.

The Excel for Engineers Online Course is Live

The Excel for Engineers course is on our online platform, systeme.io.  It has video in most lessons,  This is the most complete one we have produced. There are extra sample files and material we don't have time for on the regular two-day live course.

Why should you take the Excel for Engineers course?

The course is chock-full of benefits for any Excel user in a technical field.  Using 19 pre-built spreadsheets (yours to keep), we comprehensively cover using Excel as an Engineering and Scientific Tool.

Do it at your own pace at times that suit you.  Take half an hour a day and complete it in a month.  Spend an hour a day and finish it in two weeks.  Or dedicate two days –a weekend, perhaps?– and crack the whole course.  Then revise until your memory is solid.

Sign Up Now and get three Free Bonuses.

Excel Tip #241 – A Drop-Down List with Error Alert

In a previous tip, the customer had a spreadsheet where various issues were rated by severity as H (High), M (Medium), or L (Low)  The relevant part of the spreadsheet looked like this:

In the January edition, we introduced you to Data Validation to get that drop-down list on the right.  Read it now if you missed it then.  Last month, we left you on the Data Validation dialog box (Ribbon, Data tab. In the  Data Tools group, Data Validation), Input Message tab.

Let's now look at the third tab, Error Alert:

For the error alert to operate, the checkbox at the top must be ticked.  You have a choice of Icon Styles to use: (Stop, Warning, and Information).  You can change the title of the message, and the text of the message.

This produces the following effect when you enter a wrong value in a cell that has validation:

Retry lets you edit the wrong data, Cancel forgets what you entered.

Next time: A new topic: Error: Can't Perform Requested Operation!

Be More Fulfilled by Learning a Timesaving New Excel Skill

Do you use Microsoft Excel a lot?  Do you repeat the same actions every week or month?  You can record them and simply play those actions back –lightning-fast– at the press of a button.  Take the Excel Macros online course now and learn how!  Do the repetitive work in a flash, instead of repeating the same boring stuff by hand.  Save hours not working late, and spend more time with your family...  The Software Africa Quick 'n Easy Turbo-Start Excel Macros course is online.  Take it now, and lead a better life.

Computius Say:

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All the Best from
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