Pivot Table as a data collection tool

[John Lutes]

We recently sent pivot tables to our reps with three year history of several
hundred products (SKU's) and several hundred customers.

We asked that they insert a forecast in the Pivot table source data
worksheet so we could then rebuild the table to display the history and the
forecast.

The request confused most of our sales reps who are admittedly not
particularly EXCEL SAVVY. They insisted on putting there input in the
available cell NEXT to the pivot table data making capturing their forecast
data back to the source data labor intensive.

Is there a solution to this problem? Is there an MS office product more
suited for this task? What is the true meaning of life?

 

[John Lutes]

Thanks smartin. It would seem by your overview that maybe we are using the
wrong tool for data collection. Are you aware of a tool better suited for
collecting data from our less than savvy sales reps. The data is vital, and
it needs to be collected quickly and accurately. I sure appreciate your
response.