Excel Tips: How to Use the Renowned Multifunctional Microsoft Tool

A good command of Microsoft Excel belongs to the general computer skills any individual can gain. It is not even a requirement but something unquestionable. People often list this skill in their CVs. Although typically we do not learn the whole variety of the tool’s functions, it is favorable to know more about it to create not only content plans and schedules but also intricate graphs and computing models. It is a common misconception that Microsoft Excel is mostly useful to people involved in finance, accounting, marketing, and the exact sciences. For this reason, you need to read through our expedient Excel tips and use this program to your benefit.

Many functions of Excel remain concealed to people who habitually used it for filling in certain information. You may be surprised to find out that some inventive folks even manage to create graphical artworks there.

We will help you understand why the tool is still trendy as well as unravel its more elaborate features.

Advantages of Microsoft Excel

There is an abundance of advantages of this spreadsheet software program, and we would like to list the main ones:

1. Easy-to-learn comparisons and data arrangements.

Using Excel, it is possible to insert, analyze, and compare lengthy lists of varied data. It flexibly adapts to trends and patterns in your field. The tool is especially convenient to create different data summaries, generate statistics, and work with organizational and structural elements. Its graphic capabilities are also impressive.

2. Advanced upgrades to its data analysis features.

This tool is becoming even more all-embracing day by day due to its frequent enhancements of multi-functional data analysis. You can learn to sort, filter, and search the necessary tools within the program to focus only on the integral elements of your operations. The mentioned tools are easily combined with multifarious graphs, tables, and pivot tables. If your Excel document comprises immense informational clusters, you do not need to worry about losing some essential pieces of data. It is easy to find the necessary statistics or lists even when searching against thousands of data items.

3. The ability to collaborate with other users.

There are amazing collaboration tools, which allow you to work on the same document with your groupmates or colleagues. This feature facilitates streamlining of all the essential work processes and even instigates ‘brainstorming’ sessions. It is difficult to work with immense data clusters independently, and those teamwork tools greatly simplify the overall tasks and contribute to useful sharing. You can make use of this function when looking for an assistant with your spreadsheet assignment. The only request you have to post is “do my Excel project for me” and then a reputable custom writing service will find the most suitable helper according to your needs.

4. The accessibility of Microsoft Excel via smartphone apps.

This is one of the most important Excel advancements of modern times – its availability on your phone. Now you can manipulate diverse statistical data using the popular spreadsheet as an ordinary app.

Disadvantages of Microsoft Excel

Although the tool’s advantages significantly prevail, there are also certain drawbacks that cannot be concealed. Thus, you are to know about the following nuances:

1. An Excel document can be impacted by viruses via macros – special commands that help you automate recurring tasks. Thus, it is reasonable to create several copies of spreadsheets containing the essential data.
2. Excel worksheets can consist of multi-layered data, but the more details you add, the more complicated it becomes to keep it all in one place. It gets trickier when you constantly deal with complex formulas and statistical data. Besides, the updates of versatile data can frequently be unsynchronized.
3. Exporting and importing data via Excel may be convenient. Yet, in some cases, you have to fill in particular information manually. It is time-consuming and exhausting.
4. Despite being a powerful database, even modern developers of Microsoft Excel have not endowed it with sufficient graph capabilities. If you need to customize specific formats and combine versatile types of graphs, you will encounter many unexpected obstacles.

Effective Guidelines to Master Microsoft Excel

You will learn how to use Excel without difficulty by following tips from experts:

Recommended charts feature

If you tend to work with charts, then you will benefit from the recently added Excel charts feature. It facilitates choosing the most suitable charts when you simply enter the required data with column headers. The elements you have to use are “Insert” and then “Recommended Charts”. Afterwards, you will see a pop-up window that will display the possible variants for your chart visualization. To view all the possible options, open the tab called “All Charts”.

Data filtering

Microsoft Excel has always been a helpful tool for those dealing with a large amount of data. Unsurprisingly, it became one of the most essential software in offices around the globe. Constant Excel users easily arrange, reorganize, and summarize clusters of information, keeping everything in order.

Switching between Excel files

You have to be highly organized to manage a range of open spreadsheets simultaneously. When you lose your focus, your risk working with the wrong file. So, you have to know how Excel can help you out. If you still need to keep various files open at the same time, remember a simple combination of Ctrl + Tab. It facilitates switching between the sheets.

Generating a named constant

Excel provides you with special named ranges, which allow you to name a cell in order to store a constant value there. It helps to refer to constant values in specific formulas in the Excel worksheet. A named constant can be created instead of a named range.

Inserting manifold rows

The most well-known and widely used feature of Excel is the insertion of multiple rows. In case you need to add a few rows or columns, then it is easy to choose as many rows and columns as it would be necessary by simply clicking Right Click to insert them.

Adding leading zeros

If you work with number strings in positional notations, it is likely you will need to add leading zeros quite often. For instance, if the required number is located in A1 and you have to convert it to the text with leading zeros, then it is correct to enter your formula in B1.

Working with Freeze Panes

You can use Freeze Panes in Excel to lock columns or rows. It is necessary to keep focus throughout the necessary spreadsheet. To activate this function, choose a column or row at the beginning of your data description.

Swift data filtering

Not all your data can be of primary importance. Thus, the filtering feature allows you to concentrate only on the specific data for separate research. It is possible to filter several rows using one combination. You can also make use of such functions as Sorting and Conditional Formatting. By applying sorting, you will rearrange the intrusive data in your spreadsheet. Conditional formatting serves for visualization purposes.

Numbers and currency formatting

Use the tab Numbers placed within the Formal Cells when you need to insert an explicit value of currency as well as identify the fraction location for numbers in your Excel sheet. Choose the numbers that should be formatted and right-click the selection. Afterwards, go to the Numbers tab. Find the Category list and select Currency tab before the currency format and number of decimal places.

Creating graphs and charts

If your project has to be visually pleasing and legible, then the Excel tool can also help you owing to its various graphic representation features. You can implement images, charts, and graphs to create vibrant presentations to your target audience. It is convenient that this process is almost fully automated in Microsoft Excel. If you have never worked with such visual elements before, you can start with making simple graphs containing only several sets of data with your main findings.

Adding diagonal links

If one of your tasks is to separate contrasting attributes of rows and columns, insert a diagonal link in the initial cell. For instance, using a link Home->Font-> Borders helps you alter discrepant borders for a particular cell and apply various colors when needed. By clicking on More Borders, you will discover a feature of diagonal lines.

Analyzing the data quickly

This Excel function is applied to analyze any data in a more effective, quicker way. It allows you to generate various kinds of column and line charts, as well as sparklines. If you need a swift analysis, pay attention to such features as creative PivotTables and implement conditional formatting.