Spreadsheet Advice, Consulting and Support from Codematic
Advice is available in any area of commercial spreadsheet usage. From basic formula advice through to security and intellectual property protection of various add-in deployment technologies.
Our knowledge is strongly focused around Excel, but that is not the only spreadsheet we can support. We also work with OpenOffice.org Calc regularly and also the Gnome spreadsheet Gnumeric. We are unable to offer this service for other spreadsheet applications (such as Lotus 123, Paradox etc) unfortunately though.
The main target of our advice service are people who can't use the online newsgroups for important support questions. That may be due to time constraints, or data sensitivity (our service is fully confidential). Or possibly to do with the nature of the query, eg non technical, more business related advice, or highly technical.
This is senior, expert level advice, not reading from a script 'is your pc plugged in' type stuff. Simon provides this service personally, you can see his profile here, some of his knowledge is published on this site, some on the Smurfonspreadsheets blog, other stuff is in the newsgroups, most is live in mission critical spreadsheet based systems around the world. Type of Service
There are two levels, both on a best endeavour basis. The choice is simply how urgent the issue is and how valuable the resolution is. The process is simple:
- Identify the issues you wish to discuss,
- Contact us (You will be dealing with Simon) with an outline of your issues
- If the issues can't be realistically dealt with remotely we will discuss other options, if they can -
- Agree a date and time and preferred technology, phone or email or live meeting etc
- Before the support time, buy a credit from the Codematic shop
- - here for standard priority
- - here for high priority.
- email any resources you want to discuss along with any None Disclosure Agreement you need us to sign
- At the support time talk through you issues and work out the next steps.
Standard priority response advice
Sub 48 hour response on a best endeavour basis available through the UK working week. 90 GBP per hour or part.
This service is ideal if you have a blocking issue, or a recurring problem that is difficult to resolve. Often a fresh set of eyes, especially experienced ones, can identify probable causes, and possible solutions, fairly quickly.
As well as basic support type advice this service could also be used for Pay As You Go technical coaching with regular planning and review sessions to help you develop your spreadsheet related skill.
Once we have arranged a time and place please purchase a standard priority credit from here. High priority response advice
Sub 1 hour response, continual full time attention through the UK workday, and minimum half time attention at other times. 200 GBP per hour or part.
This high priority service is great for those times when you can't hang around, perhaps a business critical live system has broken and the shit has hit the fan. We will drop everything else and get you back on track ASAP. And we'll keep working on your problem until its resolved.
Once we have agreed a time and place please purchase a high priority support credit from here.
Both subject to availability, and both ideal for short term urgent issues or problems or general advice.
Payment due at the time of advice. Please arrange a session time before buying the credit in case we are not available at a time to suit you.
The rates are detailed here.
We assume that most people will go with the standard priority option, and only those with blocking mission critical issues will go the high priority route. It's your choice of course.
Whichever route, the advice service aims to resolve the issue within an hour or two. For issues that are likely to take longer, a day or two consultancy probably makes more sense. Who uses this service?
Well, it's a fairly new service, but so far several independent spreadsheet tool developers, and several larger organisations have used the service to:
- understand deployment options
- understand security and protection implications of various add-in technologies
- Resolve complex, sensitive Excel Object model malfunctions
- reproduce specific error conditions as a precursor to raising a support call with Microsoft about a product bug (we are happy to organise and coordinate these directly too if preferred)
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