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Welcome to my site. I'm Bob Buckles, a software developer and systems
consultant focused on
improving the productivity of the information worker.
I offer tools such as
xlWorkbench
for Microsoft Excel that help turn the standard user desktop into a tuned, efficient workspace, and I
craft solutions that pull together all the pieces—technical, functional, and organizational—required
for a successful departmental or workgroup application. I leverage
diverse business experience and solid technical
expertise with an integrative development approach, adding value through moderate-scale, high-impact
projects: from basic administrative and tracking applications for the average user, to comprehensive processing and reporting
systems for the corporate analyst.
Typical Projects
Please browse the site to learn more about how I can put my skills to work
for you. I've worked extensively with a range of information workers—from administrative
and support staffers, to accountants and business analysts, to managers and
executives—to deliver superior solutions in the desktop
productivity, business intelligence, and decision-support spaces, including
Core Skills
I'm a strong Microsoft Access
developer, with excellent practical experience in database design and data
access coding. I also specialize in Microsoft Excel
development, offering
- advanced spreadsheet and financial modeling techniques,
- in-depth knowledge of the MS Excel, MS Forms, and
MS Office object models,
and
- expert VBA programming skills.
Excel Add-ins
My application framework, X-Frame
for Microsoft Excel, addresses obstacles inherent to spreadsheet-based development,
providing a big
head-start for many Excel projects, while my line-up of Excel
add-ins meets common user needs with proven feature sets:
- xlWorkbench makes it easy to
navigate precisely
and print selectively within even the largest workbooks.
- xlRollUp consolidates data
scattered in multiple
workbooks for flexible calculations and reports.
- xlDataLink
adds powerful database access and
integration functionality to the spreadsheet toolset.
In addition to enhancing and extending the Excel environment, these
add-ins also serve as pre-built platforms for custom integration features that
reach out to other systems and databases in the organization.
Integrated Solutions
While straight-ahead technical competence is fundamental to every development
effort, a softer kind of expertise often makes the
difference between an isolated program and an integrated solution: one that engages the
information worker and transforms a process. In the course of many projects, I
transfer knowledge to the organization by working with users to:
- document and streamline workflows,
-
master new techniques for using existing
software packages more efficiently,
- exploit internal IT infrastructure and services
for improved productivity, and
- devise longer-term strategies for making the department
or workgroup a more effective processor of information.
My personal experience as a user of technology allows me to take the information
worker's perspective and make his needs or her goals my own. I've been
there as the business analyst charged with delivering high-quality results under
deadline, and I know first-hand the challenges of functioning in a setting of
diverse information systems and complex software tools.
Accounting & Financial Applications
In particular, my background in the
corporate accounting and finance functions helps me relate to the work
environment and objectives of accountants, financial analysts, controllers, and
other financial managers. With an understanding of accounting and planning
cycles and analysis
and reporting processes, I
can employ my technical skills to meet specific needs while ensuring that the
resulting application integrates effectively with other systems in the organization.
Contact Me
I welcome the opportunity to discuss your project needs or answer
questions about my products and services. You can reach me at this email
address: bob(at)rsbuckles-dot-com.
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