Use Other Forms of Templates to Ease Data Entry

Sage 100 Contractor often uses grid structures for data entry.  Grids look like your excel spreadsheets, with columns and rows.  In grids, users can copy data from excel or other spreadsheet sources and paste the data into the Sage 100 Contractor grid.  There are a few exceptions where the grid may have formulas embedded in specific protected columns, but the program will tell you if you attempt to paste data into a protected column.  Just like with copying and pasting in excel, after you have copied a block of cells from your source, put your cursor in the top left cell of the target range, right click and select paste.  In some circumstances, users may find it easy to assemble data in a spreadsheet and then copy and paste it into a Sage 100 Contractor grid.

Grids in several modules of the program permit the use of special files that function as templates.  When a user has a grid of data in one of these modules that the user may want to use again, the module permits the user to Export the grid into a template file specific for that particular module.  This Export is usually found in the Options dropdown menu of the module.  Then, when a user wishes to use a previously saved template, the Import function found in the Options dropdown menu will load the template data quickly and completely.  These exported grid files may also be used to temporarily save data while a user is performing what-if analyses or other testing – when the analyses or tests are complete, the user can import the saved grid file and bring the data back to the starting point.  Modules that employ these grid templates include:

• 6-2 Budgets
• 6-9 Proposals
• 6-10 Unitary Proposals
• 9-5 Takeoffs
• 10-3 Schedules

Contact Mathieson Consulting for additional information about these useful tools.