Expertise across four applications. Integrate seamlessly with a consistent look and feel for all your automation.

Excel: The first electronic spreadsheet was called VisiCalc and was released in 1979. The first version of Excel was released in 1985 and the first Windows version in November 1987. Since 1985 Excel has supported end-user programming (.XLM) and user-defined functions. In 1990 the application got toolbars as well as add-in support. In 1993 it was possible to record macros in VBA.

Word: The first word processor was called Bravo and was released in 1974. The first Windows version of Word was released in 1983. It was possible to save files to HTML in 1997 and in 2002 the first task pane appeared. In 2007 the toolbars were replaced with tabs on a Ribbon.

PowerPoint: The first presentation program was called PowerPoint and was created in 1983 by a company called Forethought. Microsoft acquired this in 1987 and it was added to the Office suite immediately. The first Windows version was released in 1990. In 2007 the binary file format was replaced with Office Open Xml.

Outlook: The first browser based email services appeared in 1993 and Outlook Web Access (OWA) was created in 1995. Hotmail was launched in 1996, acquired by Microsoft in 1997 and rebranded as Outlook.com in 2012. Third party add-in integration got added in 2015.

Expertise across three programming languages: VBA, C# and JavaScript. The Microsoft Office Development Platform allows you to increase your productivity and customise your Office applications.

VBA programming language: Introduced in 1997 as a way to automate repetitive tasks and customise the experience. The reason for its success is because it is installed as part of Microsoft Office and the users can easily access it. Despite the potential risks and the limited capability, business users continue to use it because it is very simple and extremely effective.

C# programming language: Introduced in 2001 to address the shortcomings of other languages, such as C++ and Java. Automating Microsoft Office using C# lets you customise the applications and leverage the full power of the .NET Framework library. This technology can only be implemented successfully using Visual Studio and requires a very steep learning curve.

JavaScript programming language: Introduced in 2012 to allow Microsoft 365 add-ins to be deployed across multiple platforms. This lets you customise the applications and allows web pages to be fully integrated into Office using Web technology. Learning JavaScript and HTML comes with its own list of challenges and requires another very steep learning curve.

Expertise working with both users and developers. End User Developed Applications (EUDAs) are software programs that have been created by non-programmers. These applications allow the front office to quickly increase productivity without involving the IT department.

We help the front office by taking their ideas and creativity and combining it with our programming expertise, to create real business value. We provide Business Users with fast turnaround times, dedicated email support and clear documentation. We support and maintain end user developed applications so after completion the users can focus more on increasing revenue. The ownership stays with them and there are NO monthly subscriptions.

We work alongside IT departments to reduce the risk associated with end user developed applications. We have the programming expertise to understand the technology. We assist Professional Developers in implementing best practice standards, optimising code and adding robust error handling. We take on the support burden so the IT department can focus more on security, compliance and regulatory requirements. The intellectual property stays with them and there are NO monthly subscriptions.

Assemble solutions quickly with reusable code that has already been tested. Removing the hassle and complexity from your Microsoft Office automation. Better Solutions Limited offers End Users and IT Departments a dedicated, london based, Microsoft Office programming resource that can align with any EUDA strategy.

Using developers that have Limited Experience results in quick fixes and makes subsequent changes much harder. A better solution would be to use developers that are experts in one or two languages and then get them involved with the other areas of the development life cycle.

Using developers that Over Engineer solutions results in code with unnecessary complexity and makes debugging much harder. A better solution would be to only use the core language features and implement them using an agreed coding convention that makes the code easy to understand.

Using developers that have poor Interpersonal Skills results in bad communication and makes support much harder. A better solution would be for the developer to have regular interactions with the users and for them to have full ownership and accountability for the code.