Page 114 - Budgeting for Managers

Checking It Twice
it is the total of the
columns or the total of the
errors by comparing two different
rows. But, if there’s an
totals of the same figures.
error in the spreadsheet
Checksum column A column in a
formulas, there would be a Checksum A method of finding 97
spreadsheet that contains only check-
difference. We can make sum formulas.
use of this by totaling both
the columns and the rows
and seeing if the two grand totals match.
Table 6-3 shows the formulas that set up automatic check-
ing. Cell E6 contains the sum of the three columns. Cell F6
contains the sum of the four rows. Below that, cell F7
contains the difference
between the two totals. If Don’t Print Your
that difference is zero, then Checksum Column
We’ve designed the spreadsheet so
the two totals are the same
that Column F contains only formulas
and we can be reasonably
for checking the spreadsheet.The
sure that each row and
results of those formulas don’t need
column total is correct and to be seen in printed copies of your
contains the correct formu- budget.There are two easy ways to
la. If the value in F7 is not hide your checksum column. First,
zero, then we need to when you create print ranges, don’t
check each formula to find include the checksum column.
Second, if people are going to view
the error(s). When we cor-
your spreadsheet in electronic for-
rect the error(s), F7 will
mat, you can use the Column Hide
recalculate to zero.
function to hide the checksum col-
Table 6-4 shows us umn or columns.
what an error will look like
in our error checking formula. Cell F7 shows us that the two
totals are different, by $200. As an exercise, make this spread-
sheet yourself and see if you can recreate the error and then
correct it.
Document Version Control
If you use checksums in your spreadsheets and have someone
check your work closely, there’s a pretty good chance that each