Answers.Body: <p>We end up building a lot of Views - and would love to be able to improve <a href="https://www.drupal.org/project/editableviews">EditableViews</a> so that it works more like a spreadsheet which will require ensuring that Labels rather than Values are displayed</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-05-13T22:27:42.547Z
Answers.Text: thx Peter! Yeah will brush up on my Views as well.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Joe McLaughlin
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-05-13T22:33:43.453Z
Answers.Text: that together with VBO so that many contacts can have data added in one submission
Answers.UserDisplayName: petednz - fuzion
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-05-13T23:16:33.607Z
Answers.Text: Thanks Peter - by VBO you mean Views Bulk Operations - this right  - https://www.drupal.org/project/views_bulk_operations - what are some advantages of VBO?
Answers.UserDisplayName: Joe McLaughlin
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-05-13T23:48:33.863Z
Answers.Text: With VBO and CiviCRM Entity you can, for example, grab a whole bunch of Activities and assign/unassign, or Tag etc.
Answers.UserDisplayName: petednz - fuzion
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-05-13T22:02:17.827Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2016-05-13T22:02:17.827Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: petednz - fuzion
Answers.Body: <p>There is a "slickgrid" integration module developed by Eileen, which allows spreadsheet-like data entry for CiviCRM:</p>
  
  <p><a href="https://github.com/eileenmcnaughton/nz.co.fuzion.slickgrid" rel="nofollow">https://github.com/eileenmcnaughton/nz.co.fuzion.slickgrid</a></p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-05-16T20:40:56.567Z
Answers.Text: Dang that is right. We have it working on a Report using for weekly attendances (based on Activities) but i don't think i understood how widely applicable it was - have you applied it to anything and if so in what scenario. Maybe I should blog about it to give it more profile if i didn't at the time
Answers.UserDisplayName: petednz - fuzion
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-05-16T13:00:21.310Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2016-05-16T13:00:21.310Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Coleman
Answers.Body: <p>With a lot of organizations I've worked with, the folks who want spreadsheets are often less comfortable with computers - but are often quite comfortable with a phone or even an iPad.</p>
  
  <p>It feels counterintuitive to me to get "real" work done on a tablet - but for many folks, this is a killer feature.  In many situations, CiviCRM can help make a lot of field workers' jobs more paperless - which means less time typing up attendance sheets into a spreadsheet.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-05-14T23:08:06.900Z
Answers.Text: Jon - I don't quite follow. What is the solution you are pointing to for them to use so that using civicrm on an ipad results in them 'feeling' like they are filling in a spreadsheet. sounds like something i have missed.
Answers.UserDisplayName: petednz - fuzion
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-05-15T00:47:29.633Z
Answers.Text: Peter I think Jon's point is that whether it's on a laptop or desktop, or an app on a smartphone or an iPad/tablet, a simpler interface is desirable  - the simplicity of a spreadsheet, or a well-designed app on a smartphone or an iPad/tablet. The portability and familiarity of a smartphone or iPad/tablet is a big plus as well.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Joe McLaughlin
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-05-15T20:59:10.323Z
Answers.Text: @petednz-fuzion What Joe is saying is partially true - but I'm also giving an indirect answer as well. It's also about familiarity of interface. Many organizers prefer spreadsheets because of their workflow - spend all day doing "real" work, spend unwanted time at the end of the day "updating the computer". Being made to use an unfamiliar interface like a database causes resentment.  Saying, "Hey, not only can you use a more comfortable interface, but you can "update the computer" while you work - that often wins folks over. I speak from experience as a former organizer here! :)
Answers.UserDisplayName: Jon G - Megaphone Tech
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Answers.CreationDate: 2016-05-14T02:30:55.503Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2016-05-14T02:30:55.503Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Jon G - Megaphone Tech
Body: <p>Like many other organizations, I suspect, I work with great, dedicated organizers and other staff who prefer the relative speed and simplicity of creating and updating contact lists in spreadsheets rather than in CiviCRM. </p>
  
  <p>A constant challenge is 'selling' users on the many reasons to use CiviCRM rather than creating a contact list in a spreadsheet, which I then must import. Requiring the use of CiviCRM is easy to say but, depending on the culture of an organization, sometimes difficult to do.    </p>
  
  <p>So: what are ways CiviCRM admins and users have used to coach/encourage such spreadsheet-preferring users to use CiviCRM? </p>
  
  <p>One way that I will be promoting is using a Search View (based on a Profile) in Advanced Search with a Group previously created - this gives a 'spreadsheet-like' interface.  </p>
  
  <p>Thoughts appreciated! </p>
  
Tags: <user><user-experience><user-interface>
Title: What are ways to make CiviCRM more user-friendly for people who prefer spreadsheets?
ThreadText: # What are ways to make CiviCRM more user-friendly for people who prefer spreadsheets?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2016-05-13)
  
  Like many other organizations, I suspect, I work with great, dedicated organizers and other staff who prefer the relative speed and simplicity of creating and updating contact lists in spreadsheets rather than in CiviCRM.
  
  A constant challenge is 'selling' users on the many reasons to use CiviCRM rather than creating a contact list in a spreadsheet, which I then must import. Requiring the use of CiviCRM is easy to say but, depending on the culture of an organization, sometimes difficult to do.
  
  So: what are ways CiviCRM admins and users have used to coach/encourage such spreadsheet-preferring users to use CiviCRM?
  
  One way that I will be promoting is using a Search View (based on a Profile) in Advanced Search with a Group previously created - this gives a 'spreadsheet-like' interface.
  
  Thoughts appreciated!
  
  **Tags:** user, user-experience, user-interface
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 3 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2016-05-13. Score: 5
  
  We end up building a lot of Views - and would love to be able to improve [EditableViews](https://www.drupal.org/project/editableviews) so that it works more like a spreadsheet which will require ensuring that Labels rather than Values are displayed
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: thx Peter! Yeah will brush up on my Views as well.  
  > **username_1**: that together with VBO so that many contacts can have data added in one submission  
  > **username_0**: Thanks Peter - by VBO you mean Views Bulk Operations - this right  - https://www.drupal.org/project/views_bulk_operations - what are some advantages of VBO?  
  > **username_1**: With VBO and CiviCRM Entity you can, for example, grab a whole bunch of Activities and assign/unassign, or Tag etc.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2016-05-16. Score: 3
  
  There is a "slickgrid" integration module developed by Eileen, which allows spreadsheet-like data entry for CiviCRM:
  
  <https://github.com/eileenmcnaughton/nz.co.fuzion.slickgrid>
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: Dang that is right. We have it working on a Report using for weekly attendances (based on Activities) but i don't think i understood how widely applicable it was - have you applied it to anything and if so in what scenario. Maybe I should blog about it to give it more profile if i didn't at the time  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2016-05-14. Score: 3
  
  With a lot of organizations I've worked with, the folks who want spreadsheets are often less comfortable with computers - but are often quite comfortable with a phone or even an iPad.
  
  It feels counterintuitive to me to get "real" work done on a tablet - but for many folks, this is a killer feature. In many situations, CiviCRM can help make a lot of field workers' jobs more paperless - which means less time typing up attendance sheets into a spreadsheet.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: Jon - I don't quite follow. What is the solution you are pointing to for them to use so that using civicrm on an ipad results in them 'feeling' like they are filling in a spreadsheet. sounds like something i have missed.  
  > **username_0**: Peter I think Jon's point is that whether it's on a laptop or desktop, or an app on a smartphone or an iPad/tablet, a simpler interface is desirable  - the simplicity of a spreadsheet, or a well-designed app on a smartphone or an iPad/tablet. The portability and familiarity of a smartphone or iPad/tablet is a big plus as well.  
  > **username_3**: @petednz-fuzion What Joe is saying is partially true - but I'm also giving an indirect answer as well. It's also about familiarity of interface. Many organizers prefer spreadsheets because of their workflow - spend all day doing "real" work, spend unwanted time at the end of the day "updating the computer". Being made to use an unfamiliar interface like a database causes resentment.  Saying, "Hey, not only can you use a more comfortable interface, but you can "update the computer" while you work - that often wins folks over. I speak from experience as a former organizer here! :)  
  
  ---
  
  