Using an office program to replace an adding machine and tape

[jimtmcdaniels]

Our business uses adding machines on desks next to computers to create
balancing tapes involving counting cash and checks (bookkeeping).

Is there a program in office that can replace these conventional adding
machines, creating a print out tape as well?

Someone said that excel's formula function taxcal may be used for this, does
anyone know what the best way it?

Thank-you!

 

[John W. Vinson]

Our business uses adding machines on desks next to computers to create
balancing tapes involving counting cash and checks (bookkeeping).

Wow.

So you're using 1950's technology 50 years later?

Is there a program in office that can replace these conventional adding
machines, creating a print out tape as well?

Of course. Access, Excel, even Word can perform all of the functions done by
an adding machine, far more easily. And if it's important (which I cannot
imagine it being, but I suppose it's possible) that the paper record be in the
form of long skinny strips, there are certainly printers on the market that do
so.

Someone said that excel's formula function taxcal may be used for this, does
anyone know what the best way it?

Can't speak to taxcal, but it would be only one small portion of the
application.

The task of recording cash and check transactions has come a long, long way
since calculators were the state of the art. I'd really suggest visiting some
other businesses in your line of work - or a bank - and see how they do it.
New is Evil, I realize... but some things are better now!

John W. Vinson [MVP]

 

[jimtmcdaniels]

Thank-you John, can you provide more specific detail about using word or
excel to replace an adding machine?

 

[John W. Vinson]

Thank-you John, can you provide more specific detail about using word or
excel to replace an adding machine?

That's what Lotus 1-2-3 and its successor Excel were designed to do, a
generation ago: to replace adding machines. Excel and other spreadsheets let
you enter numbers (by typing them on a keyboard), just as you would punch
numbers into an adding machine; and they let you put expressions in cells in
the spreadsheet to automatically add those numbers - or do any other desired
calculation, which can be very elaborate.

Please don't take this suggestion in the wrong light but... I'd really suggest
that you go to a bookstore and buy a copy of Excel for Dummies. Despite the
offputting name, it's probably a good choice for an introduction to how the
program works. If you have computers sitting next to your adding machines, I'd
assume that those computers have Excel installed; work through some of the
examples in the Dummies book.

It might also help if you describe what function the adding machine is
performing for you that you don't think that the computer can mimic.

John W. Vinson [MVP]

 

[Tony Toews [MVP]]

So you're using 1950's technology 50 years later?

Well, no, that would be 1960s technology. Dad can recall in the
1960's when electric adding machines were first available and he was
able to get rid of the crank operated manual adding machines. He was
able to "let go" one of the four female bookkeepers in his office.

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Please respond only in the newsgroups so that others can
read the entire thread of messages.
Microsoft Access Links, Hints, Tips & Accounting Systems at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm
Tony's Microsoft Access Blog - http://msmvps.com/blogs/access/

 

[John Nurick]

Well, no, that would be 1960s technology. Dad can recall in the
1960's when electric adding machines were first available and he was
able to get rid of the crank operated manual adding machines. He was
able to "let go" one of the four female bookkeepers in his office.

The first commercially available electric adding machines appeared in
the late 1920s, and electric four-function calculators in the 1930s.
Looks as if it took a few decades for them to penetrate the average
office - just like computers!

 

[jimtmcdaniels]

John, Yes yes I know Excel has so many wonderful features, conditional
formating, graphs, charts, linking, header, footer, pivot table, hyperlink,
bookmarks etc
I learned from my on line training and use many of them on a daily basis.

I wanted to first see if any of the brilliant minds at microsoft had created
a downloadable excel already formatted template with formula and or macros to
really resemble an adding machine and it's odd functions, memory ect, so that
our staff of 60, (many elderly and computer challenged), employees can use
the 10 key pad on the keyboard with it's plus and minus buttons and get
results like an adding machine.
Since there is not, I'll start from scratch, create a template using the
=sum formula at the bottom of the page and this will be much like an adding
machine. They can enter the amount and press enter to go to the next cell
and then print then done.

With an adding machine when you have multiple checks with the same amounts
you can press the plus and the previous amount is repeated quickly, I'll have
to try to teach staff to use the mouse autofill to similate that shortcut.
Hmm I'll see what other features I can add as I go along.

Currently our office uses adding machines for our clerks to create balance
tapes during daily procedures, mainly counting money or checks for deposits
and balancing cash drawers.
Our bank that receives our checks requires a tape to be attached to the top
of the checks that has a list of each check amount and the total.

 

[John Nurick]

If you google for something like
calculator tape download windows
you'll find several Windows programs that work like old-fashioned
printing calculators.

And here http://www.curta.de/kr34/curta_simulator_en.htm is a
beautiful Flash app that simulates or emulates a Curta mechanical
pocket 4-function calculator.