Alexis Clifford: The Formula Saves the Day
Back to the fall of 2020, I took a required business class: BA250 Business Analysis Using Spreadsheets. When the class started, I thought “why do I need to take this class? Microsoft Excel is so simple and easy to use.” The curriculum for the class consisted of the basic information for Excel, nothing too advanced. The class was so easy (to me) that I hardly opened the 5-inch-thick textbook students had to buy. Every week, the class was assigned projects within Microsoft Excel that could only be done with the use of the textbook. Each chapter in the textbook corresponded with one project, so the class could apply the concepts and learn how to use the information within the textbook. As the semester progressed, I had no difficulty with the class, and I finished with a very good grade.
Up to a point, I never used any of the information I learned in that class in “the real world.” This was until I was given a project at my internship that was more than I would handle.
Over the summer of 2023, I interned with Town & Country Property Management. I had an accounting role at one of their branch offices in Simpsonville, SC. I was the one of the only accountants at the branch office, so I was heavily relied on for many things.
I was given a project that consisted of data verification and separation within a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. The data consisted of names, primary addresses, mailing addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, lot numbers, account numbers, etc. for a homeowner’s association that Town & Country was about to take over. Sounds simple, right? That was my same thought until I saw that the homeowner’s association had over 4,000 members.
The spreadsheet needed to be fully separated by the end of that week so upper management could import the information to our system. That meant I only had 40 hours to individually go through over 4,000 homeowners and separate their information, on top of my day-to-day responsibilities. I thought about asking for help, but everyone had much on their plate.
Knowing I had a deadline that was approaching fast, I got straight to work. I sat in the same seat looking at the same spreadsheet for so long I thought I was seeing double. Letters started mashing together and in different sequences while some numbers looked exactly the same. I didn’t want to risk making a mistake, so I got up for a break. I knew that there was no way I could continue.
I went outside for fresh air and headed back to my office. Along the way, my coworker stopped me and asked how the project was going. I told her all my troubles while also probably being a little overdramatic. She then offered a suggestion that brought me back to my spreadsheets class. She asked if there was a formula that I could use in Excel that would separate the information itself so I would not have to go through every homeowner individually. I remembered going over something like that in one of my class projects, so I had high hopes of finding a solution.
I researched and researched trying to find the exact formula that would work the way I remembered, but I had no luck. I then remembered that my spreadsheets textbook was tucked away in my closet with all the other textbooks I never touched. I called my mom and asked her to overnight ship my textbook to me and she gladly agreed. It arrived the next day and I started reading the textbook I previously thought was useless.
Twenty minutes is the amount of time it took for me to go through the textbook and find the exact formula I needed to separate the information. I inserted that formula and completed my project in literally two clicks. Something that would’ve taken me days (maybe weeks) to complete was done in 30 minutes.
Upon turning in the spreadsheet to my superior, I explained everything--how there was no possible way that I could have completed such a large project without the class I took at Lander University.
My superior was intrigued by my story and instantly praised my efforts and ability. He went on to state how much a relief it was knowing I was able to complete the project and the outcome the company would have from my success.
As it turns out, the contract the company had with the homeowner’s association relied heavily on the timeliness of conversion. If I had not been able to get the project done that week, the company would have lost the ability to manage the association. This meant that the company would have missed out on a great opportunity with large revenues.
Now, Town & Country can keep that contract alive while earning a very good profit. From this, the company is able to say they manage one of the biggest homeowner’s associations in the southeast.
I was able to use more and more information from my spreadsheets class to help with other takeovers and educate my coworkers as well. We used the information to better organize our data in all aspects of the company, which increased our efficiency.
Up to that point, I never knew why my spreadsheets class was necessary. I brushed it off as a class I had to complete for my degree without understanding how much that class would impact my future. The information presented in that class proved to be something needed in my profession even though I thought differently at the time. The literal only reason I was able to complete the project timely and accurately was from the resources I was given in a class I should never have taken for granted.
I believe that all the classes I have completed in Lander University’s College of Business helped me throughout my internship--so much so that I have been offered many career opportunities just from my recent success. The knowledge learned from the College of Business and the internship required by the Honors College have both given me a great career advancement that I will forever be grateful for.
Alexis Clifford is a senior Business Administration major with an emphasis in Accounting and Financial Services at Lander University. She completed her Summer 2023 breakaway at Town & Country Property Management and plans to return as a full-time accountant after her Spring 2024 graduation. She also plans to obtain her Master of Business Administration at Lander University starting in the Fall of 2024.