Turning Spreadsheet Formulas and Staff Knowledge into Software Requirements

Start with a result someone uses

• What does the sheet work out?A quote price, material quantity, delivery charge or number of hours needed for a job.
• What happens after that?Someone sends the quote, orders materials or books the work using that result.

Choose a completed example and follow it from the first entry to the result. Show which values staff type, which come from another sheet and which are calculated.

Include the document or screen used afterward. A correct total is only useful if staff can see how it was reached and use it for the next task.

Explain the meaning of each input

A column labelled Size may mean length, area or a product category. Record the units and explain where the figure comes from. Distinguish measurements supplied by a customer from measurements confirmed by staff.

Show where prices and rates are maintained, who can change them and when the changes should apply. An accepted quote may need to retain its agreed price when the price list is updated later.

If the workbook reads another file or depends on a manually pasted report, include that source. Otherwise an important part of the calculation can be missed.

Describe the calculation in ordinary words

Explain a formula as a rule: multiply the required quantity by the unit price, add the setup charge and apply the agreed minimum. You can attach the formula as supporting detail.

Discuss rounding, minimum quantities and what happens when a value is missing. The order of those steps can change the result, so show examples where the distinction matters.

Keep the original workbook available while the rules are explained. It provides a reference, but an old formula should still be checked if staff believe it produces the wrong result.

Include the decisions outside the formulas

Ask staff what they check before accepting a result. They may allow extra material for a difficult cut, ask a manager about a discount or change a delivery plan because of site access.

Explain colours, comments and abbreviations. A red row may mean an overdue task, a missing measurement or a customer who has not approved the quote; the software needs the actual meaning.

Decide which choices should remain with staff and which should follow a consistent rule. Record who can make an exception and what explanation should be kept.

Keep examples with expected results

• An ordinary exampleAll the usual information is present and the standard calculation applies.
• An example at a boundaryA minimum charge, rounded quantity, missing value or approved exception changes what should happen.

Write down the inputs and the result you expect for each example. Ask someone who understands the work to confirm them before they become the basis for checking new software.

If the spreadsheet and the agreed rule disagree, record which result is correct and why. This keeps an existing mistake from being carried forward simply to make the numbers match.

Turn the explanation into something you can demonstrate

Describe the task as a result staff can try: enter measurements, select the material, calculate the price, save changes and prepare the customer quote. Add the examples and rules that determine whether it works.

The guide to explaining your software requirements covers the people, screens and everyday tasks around those calculations. Use it to connect the workbook’s knowledge to the whole job.

Your next step

Choose one calculation and prepare two examples: an ordinary case and one that needs a different rule. Explain the inputs, the expected result and the checks staff make. That is a useful starting point for preserving the workbook’s knowledge.