There are many things in life that can run more smoothly if they're tailored to our own needs. Perhaps you're having a new kitchen installed in your home, planning it just the way you want it, regardless of what anyone else might look for. Maybe it's a new car, and you can fit it out with an electric sunroof or leather seats (or not) as you choose, depending on what you yourself will find most useful. Or just a suit, that needs taking in here and letting out a little here so that it's right for you and your own unique shape.

Of course, there are lots of ready-to-wear, off-the-peg suits out there - and maybe it's easier just to buy one which is more or less right, and make do with it. It might not fit you perfectly, but at least there's no hassle involved. This choice between ready-made generic convenience and more complicated individuality is one we face all the time, and though you may not think of it in the same way, it can apply to your computer software too.

Microsoft Office software comes with a raft of predesigned solutions, giving you the power to do whatever needs doing, whether it be in Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, Access databases, PowerPoint presentations, or any number of other uses. That's the one-size-fits-all solution, and very handy it is too. But wouldn't it be better if it not only did what you need, but had the bits you use immediately to hand, making it easier for you to do what you, specifically you have to do? Back to that kitchen planner - a showroom layout would allow you to cook anything you want, but your own personalised plan puts the necessary equipment right where you need it, for easier cooking, with less hassle and less wasted time.

The comparison might not seem immediately relevant. Everything in your kitchen is tangible, solid, capable of being picked up and physically moved; everything in the Microsoft Office suite comes as computer programmes, on a disc in a box, or downloaded from a website, not at all tangible, not something to pick up and position just where you need it. But let's approach this laterally: in both cases, there are clear advantages to be had by making sure that the tools you use every day are easily accessible. Your kitchen can be laid out to suit, and Office software can be programmed to be just as handy.

Wait - programmed? It's a daunting word; after all, most of us have no programming experience, and have never had any reason to change that. The very word often conjures up images of impenetrable languages and complex procedures - very useful, certainly, but far more complicated and time-consuming than simply using the software out of the box. However, there is a middle way, a means for programming tailored solutions in Office applications without any complexity or specialised languages whatsoever - a simple way to get just what you need. It's called Visual Basic for Applications, or VBA for short.

VBA allows you to create simple instructions - written in plain English - that tell an application to perform a task, and applies those instructions to a keyboard shortcut or menu selection; techniques and processes, however lengthy, that you need to perform regularly can be reduced to just a click or a keystroke. It could be a simple task - such as inserting company information into a PowerPoint presentation - or something more complicated - maybe creating a Word report from an Excel spreadsheet. But whatever Office tools you use regularly, VBA can put them within immediate reach, saving you a great deal of time and effort that could be put to much better use elsewhere. A VBA course can be an easy way to learn thoroughly about the capabilities of Excel programming, and a great step to raise your Office Suite game.

Getting to grips with VBA isn't at all difficult, fitting straightforward words into a basic syntax, although there's certainly advantages to be gained from a short training course, to better understand all that VBA and Office can do for you. And with these two programs working in tandem, anyone can benefit from the confidence that comes from knowing that they have all the tools they need, and that those tools are always at hand and ready to use immediately. It's a simple, efficient, no-fuss helping hand for any business.