“The toolset you wish you had before!”
About the author of ASAP Utilities
A few words about me, my work, my passions
My name is Bastien Mensink. In 1998, I started developing ASAP Utilities.The idea came from my own frustration. I couldn't find a tool that met my needs. What began as a simple solution has now grown into a powerful toolset used by almost a million Excel users worldwide.
I live in the Netherlands with my 15-year-old son, Melle. I have a great love for the outdoors and nature. Mountain biking is a big passion of mine (and a fun way to break the 'nerd' image). I also enjoy hiking, geocaching, photography, and listening to music to relax and to focus when I'm working.
Spreadsheets first became part of my work in 1994 during my study (environmental engineering). I quickly became hooked on them as they made my calculations and modeling so much easier and visually appealing.
After a few years with Lotus 1-2-3 and Quattro Pro, I began using MS Excel in 1997 when the company I worked for transitioned from Lotus to Excel.
“the helpdesk called me when they had Excel questions”
My background is in environmental engineering, and I worked in this field for about five years. Half my role involved investigating sludge/dredged material. The other half focused on developing and maintaining software applications used by my department. In this role, I quickly became the department's 'Excel expert'.Colleagues came to me with all kinds of questions, some simple and others impossible without the use of macros. I soon noticed that many of these questions kept coming up repeatedly. Talking with friends and searching online, I realized these challenges were common for many Excel users worldwide.
Most of the time, I use Excel for modeling, enhancing and automating reports, or converting data. Back in 1997, many of my colleagues created reports manually, often making multiple comparisons by hand. I showed them how to use Excel to make comparisons, create reports, and build models more efficiently. By writing macros, I also helped automate cumbersome, repetitive tasks, allowing them to work faster and significantly reduce the risk of typos and mathematical errors, so they could focus more on their actual work.
“it started with helping my friends in 1998”
In 1998, I began creating my own add-in for Excel. That's when ASAP Utilities was born, and many evenings and weekends were spent designing and writing macros. It felt great to see how much my little Excel add-in could help me, my colleagues and my friends.“everybody can benefit from ASAP Utilities since 1999”
I had started building websites in 1996 as a hobby, working on personal projects and supporting local sports events and clubs in our city.In February 1999, I launched the first ASAP Utilities website, making its tools available to everyone. Within the first week, I received enthusiastic reactions from Excel users worldwide, fueling my passion to keep developing the add-in.
In 2000, I founded my own company, eGate, based in the Netherlands. Our focus is primarily on online marketing for websites, including search engine optimization, and on developing custom Excel tools and automated reporting solutions.
“ideas, enthusiasm and expertise”
We started our company with many ideas, enthusiasm and expertise, funded entirely by our own savings. In the beginning, our office was at home. Over time, we grew steadily and built a strong network of clients. In 2005, we moved to a beautiful building in the city center of Zwolle, an inspiring and motivating office space.Since then, eGate has evolved into a professional and reliable company that clients can count on. We focus on delivering quality products and effective marketing, paired with clear communication. This approach has led to many successful projects and long-term client relationships.
“professionalism, a must in every office”
In my humble opinion, ASAP Utilities is a must in every office. We use it daily, and it saves us and almost a million users worldwide an incredible amount of time. Our website features reviews from independent magazines, websites, and long-term users about ASAP Utilities.In 2007 I founded the company A Must in Every Office BV, to further develop, professionalize, and promote ASAP Utilities, helping users save time in Excel and accomplish tasks that would otherwise not be possible.
In 2008, we put significant time and effort into preparing ASAP Utilities for other languages. Starting in 2009 ASAP Utilities became available in Dutch followed by German in September, Spanish in November and French in December. Adding these languages has allowed more people to benefit from ASAP Utilities and simplify their work in Excel.
In 2010, A Must in Every Office moved to its own dedicated office.
In May 2016, we expanded further, adding Portuguese (Brazil), Italiano (Italian), Russian, Chinese (Simplified) and Japanese.
From 1998 to 2024, continuous development has driven ASAP Utilities forward. Each year, we've added new features inspired by user feedback and our own ideas. The tool's features reflect the needs of users at all levels. This feedback, combined with our expertise, will keep guiding our progress as we strive to help as many Excel users as possible.
We are proud that ASAP Utilities is used extensively by corporations, universities, organizations and individuals all over the world. Over the past 25 years, our customer base has grown to more than 27,000 organizations in over 140 countries.
“helping by offering a free edition”
We offer a free version of ASAP Utilities as our way of contributing to society, a commitment we've upheld since 1999. The 'Home&Student' edition is available as a free download and is free to use for home projects, school homework, and charitable or non-profit organizations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, UNICEF, Amnesty International, MSF/Doctors Without Borders, etc.Especially by making it freely available to students and charitable organizations, we hope to contribute to a brighter future.
“continuous development and improvements each year”
For over 25 years already, we work with great enthusiasm to keep ASAP Utilities evolving.Our goal is for it to remain one of the world's most useful and popular add-ins, helping Excel users at all levels worldwide.
The latest version of ASAP Utilities was released on November 14, 2024.
My motto:
“Enjoy every moment of your life, respect the world around you, and strive to make a positive impact.”
If you'd like more information or just want to connect, feel free to reach out or connect with me on LinkedIn.
Best wishes,
Bastien Mensink
©1999-2024 ∙ ASAP Utilities ∙ A Must in Every Office BV ∙ The Netherlands
Empowering Excel Users Worldwide for 25 Years
Empowering Excel Users Worldwide for 25 Years