Excel is one of the most powerful programs you’ll come across while working. While many people have entered data into a spreadsheet at least once, there are a lot of ways to use Excel more effectively. Taking the time to learn how to get the most out of the system is a good way to invest in productivity. So explore some of the options you may have overlooked. It’s a great way to make your data more useful, and your business more flexible.
Complete Quick Calculations
Formulas are a key feature of Excel and for good reason. They take a lot of work off your plate. Need to add up monthly costs for a budget? Use a formula. There are formulas to let you add or subtract numbers in different cells. You can also find the average of a row or column. If you have a spreadsheet with a lot of numbers, formulas can calculate averages and find minimum and maximum figures. In projects with no numbers, formulas can be used to reformat text in cells. And it’s all done with a few keystrokes.
Sort Data with Pivot Tables
Excel lets you take a lot of data and sort it how you want. Create all the rows and columns you need for the dataset you’re working with, then let Excel help you make sense of it. You can use a pivot table to organize and summarize different data in your spreadsheet. It can be a great reporting tool. And if you decide a pivot table is not the best way to approach your project, you can make the change. Once you know how to unpivot data in excel, you’re free to look at everything from different perspectives.
Turn Data Into a Chart
Getting all your figures and data into Excel and analyzed is great. Making it shareable is even better. Use charts and graphs to do this. Excel has built-in features to translate all your rows and columns into easy-to-understand summaries. From pie charts to line graphs, pick a format that works best for your project. Once you export your new visual aide, send it far and wide to show others what you’ve accomplished.
Keep Track of Personnel Information
With Excel, you can create a comprehensive list of attributes about your team that’s easily accessed. An Excel sheet is also easy to update in case changes are needed. Create tabs for names, phone numbers and email addresses. Not only will you quickly find the information you need, but you can also see if a piece of data is missing. Then you can make a plan to fix the problem.
Make the Most of Filters
Take advantage of the ability to filter the information in your Excel sheet. You can choose to see only certain parts of the data. For instance, if you have a list of salespeople with the number of sales they’ve completed and the locations where they work, you could filter them just by location. Now you can see how sales are doing at a specific facility, giving you a different way to use your data. Filters let you use the same dataset in multiple ways without having to re-enter it all.
Excel is a great tool that can increase efficiency in your business. Knowing how to get the most out of it lets your team keep track of important records, share information and quickly analyze different factors of your operation. And the best part? Excel is so versatile and multi-functional that you can always find more ways to use it. So take some time to explore the program and see how many ways life gets easier. It’s time to make your data work for you.