Click here for a map
In this issue.....
| User Group Meeting | Advice to Publishers and Editors | (SPAC) Lunch | Mailsort Disc |
| Source Create Link | Report 23 | Good News | Chase exhibition |
| Walksort | JB's Tip(s): Excel | Anagram | Happy Christmas |
This years User Group meeting will be held on 16 January 2001
between: 1.30 and 3.30pm in The Green Room:, Malden Centre, Blagdon
Road, New Malden, Surrey KT3 4TA
Refreshments will be provided.
Please let us know if you can attend so we can make sure we
have enough to go round.
We're still putting together the welcome packs and talks, so if
there's anything you'd like included or any topics you'd like
to speak about let us know and we'll see what we can do.
 |
This year was our first time ever at the APE exhibition
held at the very nice venue of Novotel in Hammersmith. As always
Nicola and Helen came armed with water, biscuits (for the visitors
of course!), little man and with one new addition, advice sheets.
In accordance with the theme of the exhibition we prepared advice sheets on 'Keeping your data clean', 'Advice on importing data into your database', 'What skills make a Circulation Department Manager', 'Advice on Marketing aspects of a Circulations Datatbase'. A set of these will be given out at the user group meeting in January but it you want them sooner or can't attend the meeting then let us know and we'll send you some. The exhibition was a fun filled day with visits from users, enquirers and a ape handing out free bananas! There were a variety of seminars on a variety of subjects, with Nicola attending the one on web based subscriptions and Helen attending one on Increasing subscriptions via email. It was nice to see so many users there and equally nice to give advice! |
Edition 2.1 of Database 99 is available from the Royal Mail's
Mailsort Technical Department (CACI) .
Their helpline number is 020 7371 6957. Further information and
a downloadable version is available on their website: www.mailsorttechnical.co.uk.
top
A new facility has been developed to link Promotional Sources
to Subscription Rates on an Area basis. This means that when a
subscription is added the operator is only given those rates that
relate to that particular Campaign and Area combination. Early
tests show a pleasing improvement in data entry speed and accuracy.
Please call us if you are interested in this new facility.
top
Subscriptions Report 23 has been extended so that it is now possible
to report on up to 10 demographic fields at once (previously the
limit was 5). The demographics are assigned to each publication
on the publication set-up screens. If you are interested in having
this new option please call us so that we can send you the necessary
update.
top
R.E.D. will officially close for the holidays from 5.00pm on the
21st December, re-opening at 9.00am on the 2nd January. There
will be no telephone support between these dates, but you can
still send fax or emails if it's really urgent as people may be
popping in from time to time.
We had a jump in our web statistics in between October and November,
with over 7000 hits - we usually get around 3000. Our new profiles
(which tells you about all of us) section seems to be quite popular.
Congratulations to John Barry and his wife who now have a baby
daughter, called Lauren.
top
Some of you may be interested in the Chase Exhibition (the Charities
Associations Exhibition) to be held on 31st January and 1st February
at the New Connaught Rooms London . See www.conferencehouse.co.uk
or call 08707 367 367 for more details. Seminars include The Competition
Act, Customer Relationship Management, Marketing your Organisation
on the Web, and a Software Forum is also incorporated into the
exhibition.
top
A Walksort option has been developed for the R.E.D. Mailsort program.
Sorting mailings into postal walks means that you will get up
to a 40% discount on postage from the Royal Mail. This is done
in a similar way to Mailsort, but the mailing is broken down further
and the discount is larger.
If you are interested in this call us from more information and
pricing
top
 |
Here are some useful tips for handling large Excel spreadsheets.
A quick way to fill in a column with some data, (e.g. the letter X), is the following: Select the first cell of the column to be filled in and enter the value that is to be repeated throughout the column. Don't press Enter. Make the last cell of the column visible by dragging the scroll bar on the right-hand side, and then select this cell with SHIFT/CLICK. Now enter CTRL/D or CTRL/ENTER. Voila! This comes in really handy if you are doing an import where some rows of information have blank fields - which can be difficult to import. To fill in a column with a formula, begin by selecting the column with click on first cell, make the last cell visible, SHIFT/CLICK, and then type in the formula, (e.g. =SUM(a1:h1) if it is the first row into which the formula is being typed), and then do CTRL/ENTER. Sometimes, there is a need for all numbers stored in a column to be identical in terms of number of digits, with leading zeros to be inserted as necessary. e.g. data containing ADD references that is going to be treated as TEXT. Try this: Select the column of numbers as described in the two previous tips and then go Format > Cells > Custom > and then enter into the Type box 6 zeros for a width of 6 digits. Then do OK. Hey Presto! |
Last issue's answer is I use RED software and the Winner of the
large bar of chocolate was TJ from Perspective.
This issue's question is ration masters do chic
The first to contact R.E.D. with the correct answer qualifies
for this issues large chocolate bar.
Thank you to TJ for providing this anagram.
top
 |
Small Publishers' Advisory Council (SPAC) Lunch Report
by Helen In the interests of research, I attended the November SPAC Lunch at the offices of the PPA and had an enjoyable and informative afternoon. On arrival at the PPA offices in Kingsway a list of attendees plus the obligatory name badge were handed out, and then I was taken to a room where a pre-lunch drink was accepted. A number of people had already arrived and soon small groups had formed with lively discussions going on. A few Publishers had traveled from some distance and others were local. For some of us it was a first visit whereas others had attended previous lunches (they are held around every two months). There were around two dozen people all together and a tasty buffet lunch was served. After lunch we retired to a seminar room, and three very interesting presentations were given. John Wolley, MD of Shephard Press Ltd delivered an insight into the aims and intentions behind their successful web-site (now 2 years old and still developing), the benefits, and what problems had been overcome. Chris Boyd the new man at the ABC presented an insight into the workings of the ABC and how consultation will be used to develop the ABC's role. Attendees took the opportunity to raise issues that were discussed during this presentation. Finally, Peter Martin for John Menzies Distribution Ltd gave a fascinating look at news-trade distribution, a hot topic at the moment. This was delivered with insight and humor. The lunch was an excellent forum for publishers to discuss areas that concern them. If you would be interested in adding your name to the mailing list for invitations to the SPAC lunches, please contact Jill Simmons on 020 7404 4167. |
 R.E.D. Computing Ltd., 37-39 Rookwood Avenue, New Malden, Surrey, KT3 4LY, Tel: 020 8336 1513, Fax: 020 8942 9385, general@redcomputing.com, www.redcomputing.com |