subject: Speeding Up Data Entry With Browser And Ie Macro [print this page] Data management is a vital business function for many industries ranging from financial services to distribution companies and everything in between. When working with large amount of data, many of the data entry functions have to be performed upwards of thousands of times, possibly every day as well. The cost for having data entrants performing these repetitious tasks every day quickly generates very large overhead costs.
The key to expediting a lot of these tasks is through the use of browser macros. This tool is basically a recording of exactly what a data entrant clicks on and types into their keyboard. Once it is saved, it can be played back and looped. For example, an IE macro could navigate the browser to an email inbox, click on the sign in box, enter the login name and password, and then press enter; all of this would be done with a single click and then would be executed instantly.
Let's take a look at a number of specific applications of browser, such as an IE macro, and how they may be used to facilitate data management.
Creating Instant Programs
One of the most powerful aspects of these tools is the ability for anyone to create a miniature program without any programming experience. A user simply presses a record button, performs an action, and then stops the recording; the software takes care of translating that into machine code. Therefore, users can be empowered to speed up their own daily tasks and a database of useful browser macros can be easily shared.
Automating Web Site Navigation
Let's take an example where an IE macro would drastically speed up data management. Assume that data management is performed through a web site interface. Navigating to the right page for performing a task will require a lot of time, but an IE macro can automatically return a user to a homepage and then navigate to a specific page. So after generating a report or modifying an account, the user could press the IE macro labeled 'go to add entry' and automatically be sent to the required form. A process like this for every page would saves thousands of clicks per day per user.
Making Global Changes
Another common example would be making global changes to all user accounts; say a financial institution changes the fee structure for all of its clients. Having to manually access every single account to make the relevant changes would be a massive project that would quickly become cost prohibitive for larger companies. Here again, an IE macro would streamline the entire process.
A user would perform the change once in its entirety for a single account while recording their actions. Then, that script could be played back and iterated for each and every account. With a little programming beforehand, the script could be linked to a database containing the name of each client account. The recorded script would read the next account name in line and then execute the browser macro with that client as the recipient. Once the setup works, it can be run hands-off and complete the entire change in a fraction of the time it would take to do by hand.
Ultimately, browser macros are a flexibly tool that can be used by any person for quick and efficient data management.
