Rainbow Analyst And The Model Answer
About Us
This page provides details of the latest major update of Rainbow Analyst, as well as some background information about The Model Answer and the development of the Rainbow Analyst add-in.
Rainbow Analyst News
Our latest update
Instant menu and more in Rainbow 12.4.4
Since introducing the new Menu Guide in version 12.4.2, we have been looking at how to make it even more useful. And we think we’ve now found the answer: a Menu Guide that all fits on one screen, and that’s instantly available when needed. As you can see from the composite screenshot above, the Menu Guide is now automatically zoomed out to fit your screen. And it loads when you start Excel, so it’s available without delay whenever you need it.
In this version of Rainbow we’ve also provided a more informative display of Inter-Sheet Logic. As shown in the lower right of our composite screenshot, the most significant dependencies are now shaded from red through orange to yellow, with the top 5% in red, the next 5% orange, and the next 5% shading from yellow to white.
As usual we’ve also made other improvements behind the scenes, including a modified license management system with more flexible time periods. And as you’ll see in the top left corner of our composite screenshot, we’ve highlighted the Menu Guide with our new Rainbow icon as shown on our website. We hope you like it!
Where Rainbow Analyst Started
The Model Answer
Mike Shallcross
Founder
Mike set up The Model Answer in 2000 as a financial modelling consultancy. At the same time he started developing Rainbow Analyst, initially just for his own use in analysing and auditing Excel spreadsheets. The key feature of Rainbow was (and still is) a unique colour-coding system that makes it very easy to spot spreadsheet problems and inconsistencies. Over time it grew into the leading-edge commercial tool that it is today.
Before starting The Model Answer, Mike spent 17 years working for KPMG and predecessor firms. He trained as a chartered accountant (ICAEW) and chartered tax adviser (IoT), and then moved into financial modelling. His modelling projects at KPMG ranged from a spreadsheet for calculating divorce tax settlements, to a multi-dimensional simulation of the UK electricity generation system. Mike lives in London and is also a qualified psychotherapist. In his spare time he enjoys travel and riding a big-wheel unicycle.