 |
Training Background
Software Africa has always been involved in high quality skills
development for users of Lotus, Microsoft and Maximizer software.
Courses can be custom-written to meet specific user needs and are
usually run at your premises to a schedule that suits your company.
Individual attention is ensured by keeping the group small –a
maximum of 8 users per session– and by evaluating participants
beforehand. Workflow and presentation of documents can also be
studied so that the course accurately reflects the reality of the
work environment.
Each trainee receives a comprehensive manual (typically 60 to 80
pages) containing step-by-step instructions, a diskette of examples,
a certificate of completion, and three months' free telephonic and
e-mail support on the course material. Final assessment of trainees
can be done if required.
Most courses cost (South African Rand) R6 000 plus VAT per day. The
courses on Microsoft Access, Excel Advanced, Excel for Engineers and
Scientists, and Visual Basic are R7 000 plus VAT per day. These
prices are subject to change without notice.
Our training manuals are available under license for you to run
in-house training using your own trainer.
We can write training manuals to suit your needs. The cost varies
depending on complexity, how much already exists, and who holds
copyright. We've created training courses for Quest International
(Pty) Ltd; Lonrho Platinum Mines; MAPP Healthcare; PG Autoglass as
well as many others.
Courses are available on the following software packages:
(Click underlined links for more information)
Microsoft
Maximizer CRM
Beginners, Administrator, Opportunity Manager and Strategy Library,
Customer Service, Marketing Campaign.
Below are some course outlines:
back to top
Microsoft Excel Beginners
Who should attend?
Anyone interested in working with Excel including those who have
been previously using Lotus 1-2-3. A working knowledge of Windows
and how to use a mouse is required.
Duration: Two days
Content
The Beginners course consists of a full introduction to Excel’s
screen layout and the menus. It then continues with the following:
- Starting Excel and an overview of the screen.
- An explanation of the menus
- Creating a worksheet
- Editing cells, cutting, copying and pasting
- Using the high speed copying methods to run series of
information across a range in the worksheet
- Calculations - simple and function driven
- Saving and printing the worksheet
- Presenting the data in different ways
- Handling ranges and selections, including range name
creation and usage
- Linking worksheets
- Sorting
- Using the right mouse button
- Using date format
- Using absolute references
- Formatting the worksheet's text and numbers for various
effects.
- Working with grouped spreadsheets and linking between sheets
- External file links
- Graphing
back to top
Microsoft Excel Intermediate
Who should attend?
Users who have considerable experience of Excel. Advanced 1-2-3
users can take this course following covering the Beginners course
Duration: One day
Content
This course consists of the following:
- Working effectively with databases and multiple
worksheets
- Complex functions and their uses, including nesting
functions and troubleshooting
- Rounding and statistical functions
- Worksheet protection
- Data analysis
- Database handling for reports including subtotal and
grandtotal techniques
- Data Query including What-If Tables
- Database functions with and without data table
- Using worksheet manipulation tools
- Pivot Tables
- Solver and Backsolver
- Advanced graphing
- Scenario Manager and its relation to other Excel
function - how to use it to tap Excel's forecasting power
- An introduction to Macros
back to top
Microsoft Excel for Engineers and Scientists
Who should attend?
Technical users with experience in recent versions of Microsoft
Excel who now wish to upgrade their skills with specific focus on
engineering and scientific problems.
Duration: Two days
Contents
- Excel as an Engineering and Scientific Tool
- Recap of Basics: Screen layout, moving around and
selecting cells, copying and moving cells, formatting
cells, entering and editing data, overview of the menus,
shortcuts, toolbar buttons, simple formulas and
formatting.
- Other Useful Features: Tools > Options, Range
Naming, Freeze Panes
- Preview and Print
- Guidelines for Good Worksheet Design
- Some Advanced Functions.
- Excel Add-Ins.
- Creating and Working with a Database: Using a list
as a database, data forms, filtering and sorting data.
- Groups and Outlines.
- Pivot Tables.
- Scenario Manager.
- Goal Seek and Solver.
- Graphs.
- Introduction to Macros: Recording and running a
macro, modifying Visual Basic code, main features of
Visual Basic. Examples.
- Assigning a macro to a worksheet button or a toolbar
button.
- Iterating for a Solution: Using Copy, Circular
References, and Macros.
- Using Excel as a Pre-Processor: Exporting Data.
- Using Excel as a Post-Processor: Importing Data.
- Other Examples: Pipe Flows, Survey Calculations,
Reservoir Simulation, LINEST.
A comprehensive manual and examples diskette is provided, plus three
months’ free support on the course material.
Customisation of the Course
The course can be customised to suit user requirements and focused
on particular needs. Please let us know of any particular feature
that you wish to look at in depth before the course. Examples from
users’ work are particularly welcomed.
back to top
Microsoft Excel Programming
Who should attend?
Very experienced Excel users who wish to be able to program
applications.
Duration: Two days
Content
In depth coverage of Excel’s interface with Visual Basic. During the
course, participants will develop a number of applications to use in
Excel.
Debugging of the applications is also included. Further details
available on application.
back to top
Microsoft Access Beginners
Who should attend?
This course is designed for the first-time user. No previous
experience of Access 97/2000 or databases in general is required,
but will be useful. Windows knowledge is essential, including using
a mouse. Typing ability will be an advantage.
Duration: Two days
Course Content:
- What is a Relational Database Management System?
- Starting Microsoft Access
- The Menus (covered in detail throughout the
course)
- Database design considerations
- Creating a New Database: Directory
considerations, File naming and backups
- Components of a database: Tables, Queries,
Forms, Reports, Macros.
- Creating a new table: The Components of a Table
- Entering Data into a Table; Copy and Move data;
Moving a Column.
- Opening an existing file
- Finding and Replacing data
- Making design changes to a table
- Queries and Forms
- Views: Design, Datasheet, Form View.
- Forms: Why use a Form?; Creating and Modifying a
Form; Using the Form
- Sorting in Form View: Working with Filters
- Form Design - Using the toolbox; Giving a form a
different source
- Printing through a Form
- Creating reports: Single-Columnar Reports,
Groups/Totals Reports.
- Splitting a Database: Using Query to create a
new table
- Creating an Update query
- Setting Relationships
- A data input system; Creating a Check box;
Creating a Combo box
- Example: A mass mail-out: Creating Mailing
Labels and Form Letters
- Introduction to Macros: Creating a macro,
Putting a macro on a button.
back to top
Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 Beginners
Purpose:
This course is designed for new users of
Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0. By the end of the course trainees
will be able to develop and distribute their own simple Visual Basic
programs for Windows. This is a hands-on working course
focusing on the practical use of Visual Basic. More advanced
topics such as Database Handling, Help Files and Graphics are
covered on the Visual Basic 6.0 Intermediate course.
Prerequisites:
The trainee must know how to use Windows and
a mouse, and have fair typing skills. A user-level knowledge
of other Windows packages such as Excel or Word will be an asset.
Previous use of a programming language or macros will also be
useful.
Homework will be given (about 2 hrs
per day). For this purpose trainees must either have access to
a legal copy of Visual Basic 6.0, or be willing to use our premises
after hours.
Duration and Cost:
The course is run over four
non-consecutive days once a week (for example, successive
Wednesdays) for groups of three to six people. The course is
structured into two modules per day. For smaller or faster
groups, each day’s work can be covered in a somewhat shorter period.
The cost is R5000 plus VAT per day. The course
fee includes a detailed manual, a diskette with solutions to
homework, and free telephone support on the course material for the
next three months.
Course Content:
The course content is subject to change
without prior notice, and may be influenced by the requirements of
the participants.
Module 1:
Introduction:
- The Visual Basic Programming environment. Forms.
- Common Controls
- Objects and Properties
- Event-driven programming vs. the sequential program: No
Main Program!
- Adding code to a control: Our first program. Exercises.
Module 2: Programming Basics
- Program Structure
- Variable Types
- Declaring Variables and Arrays
- Scope and Lifetime of Variables
- Formulas and Constants
- Modules
- Procedures: Subprograms and Functions. Homework.
Module 3: Programming Topics
- Program Control Structures - Conditional and Unconditional
Branching; Looping.
- Classes and Collections; Events, Properties and Methods.
- Using Visual Basic Help
- Message Box and Input Box
- Error-handling; Scope of Error Handlers
- Debugging and Testing Code.
- Exercises
Module 4: Formulae and Built-in Functions
- Math Built-in functions e.g. Int, Abs.
- Text Built-in functions - string manipulation.
- Date calculations - plain dates, Between, Date/Time Built-in
functions e.g. DateAdd, Month, Year, conversions.
- Other useful Functions
- Homework
Module 5: File Handling and Common Dialogs
- Types of File Access
- Open and Close
- Reading and Writing to different file formats
- Common Dialogs for file handling
- FileCopy, Dir, Name, Kill; changing Drive and Directory.
- Exercises
Module 6: Simple Graphics and Printing
- Printing to a form, a control, and the printer
- Drawing to these objects: A simple graph
- Positioning and Justifying Text. Homework
Module 7: Improving the User Interface
- The Menu Editor.
- Controlling menus programmatically
- Cut, Copy and Paste.
- Forms as Dialog boxes. Modal and Modeless Dialogs
- The Toolbar control. Exercises
Module 8: Rounding out the Application
- Sequence of Events at Start-up
- Creating a Splash Screen
- The Timer Control
- Providing Simple Help
- Distributing the Application: the Setup Wizard
- Workshopping of user problems.
|
 |
