Distributed Data Collection Tool

**Ticktock** · 26 February 2015, 09:09

How complicated is what you're trying to achieve, in terms of the data you are looking for and how you want to work with it?

At the simplest end you can use SurveyMonkey and export the results to Excel.
This would allow a number of different question formats, including plain text fields.

**Fandango** · 26 February 2015, 09:13

It's to collect data about transformation\mappings for a large data migration. So basically a large number of simple spreadsheet tables with columns that need filling in.

Not very complex, but data that needs input from a wide range of people distributed across multiple offices

**Ticktock** · 26 February 2015, 09:16

I'm not technical enough to know whether this answers it, but if one solution would have been to send multiple spreadsheets about to different people, instead couldn't you just set up a single file in Google Docs and let everyone who needs to edit it?

**yasockie** · 26 February 2015, 13:02

Use surveymonkey?
There's more elaborate tools out there with full FSM, if you need to specify some rules about what they're filling in (for example no question 'how many doors?' if they answered 'a motorcycle')

**Fandango** · 26 February 2015, 13:36

The problem with sticking a file somewhere is concurrency, you get into a mess with numerous people trying to open the same spreadsheet and editing it and overwriting each others work. and having 20 copies of the same thing trying to merge again is and admin nightmare.

I'm not sure SurveyMonkey is quite what i need, but i appreciate the suggestion. Ideally i need a web page that allows them to mass edit a table presented to them. i think i might look at LightSwitch in VisualStudio, it seems to be a rapid development tool which might fit the bill.

**Ticktock** · 26 February 2015, 13:39

Originally posted by Fandango View Post

The problem with sticking a file somewhere is concurrency, you get into a mess with numerous people trying to open the same spreadsheet and editing it and overwriting each others work. and having 20 copies of the same thing trying to merge again is and admin nightmare.

Yes, but with Google Docs everyone can open the spreadsheet at the same time, only a cell currently being edited is locked, and everyone sees the updates in realtime.

**Fandango** · 26 February 2015, 13:49

Ah ok i didn't realise that, in that case it would do the trick from a technical point of view however i think it will be a non starter as that means putting corporate data offsite which will be a no-no as some of it is potentially sensitive, and we'd need a corporate google account rather than a personal one.

Again a good option but not quite right for my particular scenario, again i appreciate the suggestion

**yasockie** · 26 February 2015, 14:47

Originally posted by Fandango View Post

Ah ok i didn't realise that, in that case it would do the trick from a technical point of view however i think it will be a non starter as that means putting corporate data offsite which will be a no-no as some of it is potentially sensitive, and we'd need a corporate google account rather than a personal one.

Again a good option but not quite right for my particular scenario, again i appreciate the suggestion

If somehow Google Docs was options, they also have google forms, which is editing a spreadsheet behind the scenes.
There is also similar functionality from Office 365 if that's easier to push through the red tape.

Failing that, email everyone an excel spreadsheet and write MACRO to combine the results. If you do so, don't forget to use the 80's Motorola phone and print out the result on a needle printer, for a complete retro solution.

**MarillionFan** · 2 March 2015, 18:33

Originally posted by Fandango View Post

Does anyone have any recommendations for a simple to roll out tool for distributed data collection.

And by this i mean rather than sending a number of Excel spreadsheet round to 100 people in 20 different offices to collect their input then have the nightmare of collating the results has any one used any simple to roll out tools that people can connect to via say excel or presented on a web page to add their input whilst the results are maintained centrally?

Developement resource is a bit scare so something that would require developers to build something from scratch is probably out of the question.

One solution i know we could use is Microsoft MDM as it has a simple excel addin, and we will infact be be implementing it as part of the project but it requires a server upgrade to SQL Enterprise version which is going to take a while to get through procurement and installed so ideally looking for something that can be rolled out quicker

Cheers

Google Docs.

Distributed Data Collection Tool