ModelSheet
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Software, Business analytics |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Founder | Richard Petti, Howard Cannon |
| Headquarters | Arlington, Massachusetts , United States |
| Products | Custom Spreadsheet Solutions, ModelSheet Authoring Environment |
| Website | www |
ModelSheet Software LLC is a software enterprise backed by venture capital, focusing on business analytics and located in Arlington, Massachusetts.
History
Established in 2007 by MIT alumni Richard Petti and Howard Cannon, ModelSheet's founders had previously worked together at Symbolics and its derivative Macsyma. After pursuing distinct professional paths—Petti with MathWorks and Cannon with Groton NeoChem and SciQuest—they combined their skills to launch ModelSheet.
Strategy, products and services
ModelSheet’s mission is to equip business professionals with sophisticated desktop modeling tools that do not demand programming expertise. Although conventional spreadsheets are prevalent, their cell-oriented architecture restricts scalability. To overcome this, ModelSheet provides two primary solutions: Custom Spreadsheet Solutions and the ModelSheet Authoring Environment.
Custom Spreadsheet Solutions create personalized spreadsheet workbooks based on straightforward form inputs, removing the necessity to modify formulas manually. Users can tailor models by setting parameters such as time series, dimensions like product hierarchies, and enabling or disabling specific model features. These solutions cater to vital business areas including corporate finance (covering financial planning, cash flow forecasts, capitalization tables, activity-based budgeting) as well as marketing and sales (including sales planning, marketing effectiveness evaluation, price elasticity analysis). Outputs are delivered as Excel files or can be integrated with Google Docs.
The ModelSheet Authoring Environment facilitates the construction and modification of spreadsheet models from the ground up, enhancing traditional spreadsheets through features like named variables, symbolic formulas with scoped control, time series handling, dimensionality, and automation. This environment underpins the Custom Spreadsheet Solutions technically. For customers requiring customized adaptability without direct use of the Authoring Environment, ModelSheet provides consulting services where engineers craft bespoke models according to client requirements.
Criticism
In 2008, ZDNet journalist Dennis Howlett evaluated a pre-beta release of ModelSheet, describing it as "promising in concept" but in need of refinement. He pointed out issues such as its Windows-only availability, software bugs, user interface challenges, font selections, and an uninspiring quick start guide. Nevertheless, Howlett recognized that the product was in early development stages and anticipated future enhancements.
See also
- Macsyma (earlier collaboration of founders)
- Microsoft Excel
- Spreadsheet
- End-user development
- Business Analytics
- Business Intelligence