Open Office Excel & Calc

So far so good. I have been using the open source equivalent of Excel: 'Calc'. I have used it to update a rather complex financial model originally built in Excel. This workbook has several inter-related spreadsheets and complex calculations. I put some care into the layout. I've also used some more advanced features such as conditional formatting and I have several charts. The workbook was created in Excel 2007 and saved down to Excel 97-2003 format.

In Calc, the document opens and displays fine. Even the conditional formatting survives. Some of the charts are formatted awkwardly but they are still meaningful. Editing and updating the file went very well. Menus and buttons work almost exactly the same way as in Excel 2003.

Once my changes were made, I was able to save the file back to the Excel 97-2003 format. When I shared the file, it opened and displayed without any problems on Excel 2003 and on Excel 2000. However - and this is a big catch - when I opened the file in Excel 2007, it did not go so well. I got this message:

(It says: "Excel found unreadable content in [file name]. Do you want to recover the contents of this Workbook? If you trust the source of this workbook, click Yes.")

After clicking yes, the file opens but all of the formatting has been lost and the charts have disappeared!

Interesting… If OpenOffice is able to save a file that can be opened in Excel 2000 and Excel 2003 why would this compatibility not work in the 2007 version? You do not have to be a conspiracy theorist to see that it is not in Microsoft's interest in to allow OpenOffice to freely exchange data with MS Office products. So for the time being if you need to open an OpenOffice in Excel 2007, you will have to open it in an earlier version of Excel first, save it and then open it in Excel 2007!

Strategic or not?

Most companies that sell their products and services to other business would like to see themselves as 'strategic partners' of their clients rather than mere 'suppliers'. 'Strategic' confers value and importance - as opposed to the interchangeable commodity nature of a 'supplier'.

But what does strategy really mean? Corporate Strategy deals with the issues around which business a company should be in and how it will best succeed. How can the company achieve a long term sustainable competitive advantage? Strategy issues encompass vertical and horizontal integration as well as divestment options. Where are the edges of the company? What should the corporation do internally and what should it purchase externally?

A strategic partner would have to have relevance in these options and decisions. So can Space Database be considered a strategic partner? I believe that SDI can play a strategic role as an outsourcer. We take care of data management and allow real estate companies to focus on core competencies. We can boost marketing and management effectiveness while reducing costs. In this sense the integration of Space Database services as part of the design of the corporation is a strategic choice.
On the other hand, is the role that Space Database plays big enough to reach the attention of C level executives? In many cases not - we're really not an exciting enough side of the business!

I think we may be a lot like UPS. United Parcel Service is a stodgy old company that delivers parcels - how boring is that? less well known is UPS supply chain management business. Modern manufacturing and retail businesses are, at their core, closely integrated supply chains. Just In Time manufacturing concepts demand that slack and inventory be driven out of these systems. Competitive advantage no longer exists within the factory or the store walls but is embodied in the effectiveness of the supply chain. And UPS knows how to get millions of items to millions of destinations in the most efficient manner possible. Many companies have outsourced this key element to UPS: http://www.ups-scs.com/consulting/strategy.html - but it would still be embarrassing to call UPS your strategic partner!

Space Database also manages a supply chain - a supply chain of information. The flow of accurate and timely information to, through, and from a real estate company has become a critical aspect of competitive performance. We should be like the humble UPS - toil away at our simple service and never let on how essential we really are.

After all, using Space Database should not a 'strategic choice' - it's only common sense!