A newer version of Business Functions is available.
(Download doesn't provide access to previous versions of this program.)
- Average user rating: stars out of 19 votes Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars Write review
User reviews
-
7 out of 8 people found this review helpful
1 stars
Version: Business Functions 1.29
"A lot of functions are unnecessary"
Cons: A heavy spreadsheet user who calculates business mathematics on a daily basis won't really need this utility, as he/she should have the intelligent to construct and customize he/she own formulas. The tool is too heavy loaded with useless and repeated formulas. Instead of remembering how to use them and ditinguishing their minor differences, it's better to save the time and construct the formulas yourself.
Was this review helpful? YES | NO
Reply to this review | Read replies (3)
Includes publisher reply -
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
5 stars
Version: Business Functions 1.34
"If you model cashflows in Excel, then you will love this product"
Pros: This product helps you to build properly responsive, elegant and maintainable models in Excel. If you pride yourself on avoiding plugged numbers in the middle of your projections, and you like to see your assumptions neatly flowing through your model, with formulas that you can copy from one side of a cashflow to the other, then you'll know how frustrating it gets to do this properly. You end up with formulas that cover three lines of the screen, and they're just not maintainable.
That's what BusinessFunctions is all about: you get functions with real-world parameters like start/stop dates and growth rates, which you can copy across your cashflow. The functions do the hard work of switching on the appropriate cashflow items for each period, and you're free to focus on your modelling.
On top of that, there's some fearsomely clever stuff to make your figures 100% consistent with payment dates or accruals - and you can switch from cash to accruals basis just by changing parameters.
Oh, and there's a very neat trick in most of the functions for combining multiple cashflows - enter a range of dates, say, and the functions automatically sum all the resulting cashflows.
I use this product every day, and I wouldn't consider building a serious cashflow without it.
Cons: Not much - just be prepared to do some reading when you're getting started, so that you understand what you're getting into.
-
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful
3 stars
Version: Business Functions 1.44
Pros: Look this would have to be the most comprehensive set of financial spreedsheets
Cons: Complex and difficult to learn quickly.
-
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful
5 stars
Version: Business Functions 1.34
"this is an essential tool for professional financial analysts"
Pros: The product has a relatively broad scope, but I typically limit myself to use of its banking and date functions. This add-in's implementation of loan functions is very detailed and exacting to industry-standard methodologies. This is the only implementation I've found that offers all the types of bond and loan types that my treasury analysts require, and provides the exact results that they get when they devote an entire worksheet to one debt series. Many of the functions are implemented to offer their use as array functions, which results in extremely high speed functional response for large forecasting models.
The author also provides very quick, personal responses to queries of the various functions in the library, and has demonstrated a strong willingness to develop new functions or offer improved capabilities to his existing functions.
Cons: There's not anything I can criticize about the product itself. The only caution I can suggest is that some of the functions have a large number of input parameters, many of which will result in subtly incorrect answers. The complex calculations inherent in these functions are difficult to model manually in Excel, and the user is cautioned to test the function's results carefully to ensure the correct parameter values have been used.
-
1 stars
Version: Business Functions 1.48a
"Complicated to the Point of STUPIDITY"
Pros: Appears to be written by a 1-man company since apparently, there is nobody telling him some basics like the "KISS" principle (Keep It Simple Stupid). In a jungle of functions and arguments, I blew up 5 hours but still couldn't find a simple function I wanted!
Cons: He uses undefined or vague terms for parameters, there are numerous functions that appear identical, there are 4-5 *extra* parameters in almost every function that were really not needed. Overall, it is a waste of time since you won't find what you are looking for.
Submit your review
You must be 13 years of age or older to submit personal information to CNET Networks. In compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998, CNET Networks does not accept name and e-mail address information from users who are under 13 years of age.
All submitted ratings and written comments become the sole property of CNET Networks, Inc. (CNET) and may be used at CNET Networks' sole discretion. Ratings and written comments are generally posted within two to four business days in batch groups, not in real time. However, CNET Networks reserves the right to remove or refuse to post any submission for any reason. You acknowledge that you, not CNET Networks, are responsible for the contents of your submission.
CNET Networks is not responsible for the content of the publisher's descriptions or user reviews on this site. We encourage you to determine whether this product or your intended use is legal. We do not encourage or condone the use of any software in violation of applicable laws. CNET Download.com does not sell, resell, or license any of the products listed on the site. We cannot be held liable for issues that arise from the download or use of these products.
