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Real-World Project Profile |
Problem:
Bechtel Corporation needed weeks to produce design specifications
for vessels and heat exchangers used in chemical refining projects.
Each project involved dozens of such components with a myriad of
complex calculations needing to be run one by one and produced on
a single datasheet along with a corresponding schematic drawing.
The entire necessary process was expensive and tedious, demanding
scarce time from highly paid engineers. |
"An Engineer-in-a-Box"
Bechtel Corporation streamlines
chemical plant design using
Microsoft® Excel.
![Microsoft Excel Visual Basic for Applications [ VBA ] Software](img/profile_bechtel.gif) |
Solution:
Beyond Technology worked with Bechtel on a set of applications to
automate the design process by taking the sophisticated design
principles used by their engineering team and incorporating them
into a reusable software tool. They chose the already familiar
environment of
Microsoft® Excel.
We made it possible for a single member of the engineering staff
to populate a simple table listing some basic information. Then,
he or she was able to import data from a Microsoft Access database
simulating stream flow properties of various liquid and gaseous elements.
The design specifications for each part were matched automatically with
a corresponding technical drawing created with Visio. Finally, with
the simple push of a button hundreds of variables could be brought
together in the model and weeks of labor needed for sizing an entire
project were reduced to just minutes. Was it reliable? Yes! - In fact,
if a user happened to make an input error, the model would detect it
and flag that component for review by an engineer.
The outcome was a set of easy to use tools that made the valuable time
of Bechtel's engineering staff much more efficient. We used
Microsoft® Visual Basic for Applications [ VBA ]
to automate hundreds of time-consuming manual tasks, freeing their
professional staff to concentrate on other important aspects of the
project. Furthermore, this enabled the company's engineers to standardize
on a set of design specifications. So, even if a new junior engineer
runs this process in the future - they are confident that it will always
both consistent and reliable. Altogether, this saves the company untold
thousands of dollars on each project and employees are more satisfied with
the convenience of the process and the quality of the output they are able
to create.
If you only see
Microsoft® Excel
as a shrink-wrapped answer to the business world's spreadsheet needs,
look closer. You'll discover a fully programmable platform that makes
it possible to create analytical solutions for even the most highly
specialized needs.
Beyond Technology can help you by developing custom workbooks with
unique and controllable behavior, to build graphical presentations from
databases, and to leverage the power of
Microsoft® VBA
to integrate Excel's interface into a departmental or enterprise
application. Whatever you can imagine. You are in control - and
Beyond Technology supplies all the tools and services you need.
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When the time arrives that you need a real Excel VBA professional, I'll
be delighted to talk with you about developing your project. Remember,
my goal is to help you reach yours.
Rodney POWELL
Microsoft MVP - Excel
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"Making It Easier"
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![Microsoft Office : Excel - Visual Basic for Applications [ VBA ] Software](img/1ptrans.gif){kind=small}
