Brief Excel Review

Presented by
Michael A. Smith
Georgia Tech Scheller College of
Business
2016 Spring Term

The purpose of this presentation is to

acquaint you with a few Excel features
and techniques that will help you solve
problems and visualize ways to solve
problems that would not even occur to
other people.
Many of the features and techniques
demonstrated will differentiate you from
most job-seekers who claim some Excel
knowledge.

I am one of the teachers of MGT

4803: Spreadsheet Modeling for
Business Decision Making, in which
students go into much more depth
covering these techniques.

Get the workbook for the

workshop

Open T-Square
Add group Gtech Scheller CoB Item
Resource folder
Download Excel 2016 Spring workshop file
and unzip

Agenda
Part 1: Orientation to Excel
Finding your way around quickly and getting
started

Part 2: Formulas and Functions

Where the real work gets done

Part 3: Some tools for analysis

Because Excel is more than a glorified calculator

Part 4: Output to tell stories

Using formatting and charts

Part 5: Recording and maintaining macros

Steps toward turning Excel into something more

Part 1: Orientation to Excel

Know how to plan before coding
Know whats where on the screen
Know some common short-cut keys to
help you move around faster

Before you code

What question would you answer?
What would an answer look like?
Number(s), a sorted/filtered list, a table, a chart?

What is the model for answering this question?

Maybe it exists already (NPV)
Maybe youll have to create it yourself (Final 4
pick)

What inputs are required for the model?

How are these inputs, processes, and outputs
represented in Excel?

Before you code - example

What if you wanted to create a sheet to
calculate monthly payments on a loan?
NPVs for some project alternatives?

Input(s)?
Output(s)?
Model to transform inputs into outputs?

Know whats where some cook things

Copy/Paste

Look Pretty

Find and
Organiz
e

Quick Stats

Zoom

Know some common shortcut keys for

getting around in a spreadheet

Ctrl
Ctrl
Ctrl
Ctrl

End
Home
PgUp
PgDn

Ctrl G or F5
Ctrl F

Know some common shortcut keys for

getting around in a spreadheet

Ctrl
Ctrl
Ctrl
Ctrl

End
Goto rightmost column
HomeGoto leftmost column
PgUp
Goto topmost row
PgDn
Goto bottommost row

Ctrl G or F5 Open the goto dialog box

Ctrl F
Open the find dialog box

Know some common shortcut keys for

working with content

Ctrl
Ctrl
Ctrl
Ctrl
Ctrl

Z
C
X
V
Shift V

Ctrl -

Know some common shortcut keys for

working with content
Ctrl Z Undo! (The panic button)
Ctrl C Copy current selection to clipboard
Ctrl X Cut current selection, copy to
clipboard
Ctrl V Paste current clipboard contents to
selection
Ctrl Shift V Open the paste special dialog
box
Ctrl -

Open delete cells dialog box

Know some common shortcut keys for

working with formats.

Ctrl
Ctrl
Ctrl
Ctrl
Ctrl
Ctrl
Ctrl
Ctrl
Ctrl

Shift
Shift
Shift
Shift
Shift
Shift
B
I
U

Ctrl 1

!
@
#
$
%
^

Know some common shortcut keys for

working with formats.
Ctrl Shift !Format cell as numeric, 2 decimals, comma,
negative sign
Ctrl Shift @ Format cell as date/time (HM)
Ctrl Shift # Format cell as date/time (DMY)
Ctrl Shift $ Format cell as currency, 2 decimals
Ctrl Shift % Format cell as percent
Ctrl Shift ^ Format cell as exponential
Ctrl B Bold selection (toggle)
Ctrl I Italicize selection (toggle)
Ctrl U Underline selection (toggle)
Ctrl 1

Open format cells dialog box

Know some common shortcut keys for

working with formulas

Tab
F4
Ctrl `
Ctrl

Know some common shortcut keys for

working with formulas
Tab
Autocomplete function name
F4 Toggle among absolute/relative
addresses
Ctrl ` Display formulas (toggle)
Ctrl Copy formula from cell above to
current
cell

Know some common shortcut keys for

selecting ranges

Ctrl A
Ctrl Space
Shift Space
Ctrl Shift *

Select first cell,

press shift,
select last cell
Select range,
press Ctrl
select range

Know some common shortcut keys for

selecting ranges

Ctrl A Select entire worksheet

Ctrl Space Select entire column
Shift Space Select entire row
Ctrl Shift * Selects current region around active

Select first cell, Select contiguous range

press shift,
select last cell
Select range, Select non-contiguous ranges
press Ctrl
select range

cell

Know some common shortcut keys for

working with workbooks

Ctrl S
F12
Ctrl F1
Ctrl P

Know some common shortcut keys for

working with workbooks
Ctrl S Save the current workbook with
current
name
F12
Opens the save as dialog box
Ctrl F1 Show/Hide the ribbon
Ctrl P Opens print dialog box

Autofill and Flash Fill

Useful for quickly filling in columns when
there is a pattern that Excel can detect
Sometimes you have to help Excel detect
that pattern

Part 1: Wrap-up
Plan before you code. It will save you
trouble in the long run.
Excel provides a lot of information and
tools to help you understand what the
sheet is doing.
Knowing short-cuts helps you move
around faster and some firms consider it
an indication of your skill.

Part 2: Formulas and Functions

Know when to use relative and absolute
addresses
Know how to name a range and maintain a
sheets list of names
Know how to encode common formula
operators in Excel
Know how to use Excels built in functions,
including IF, VLOOKUP, and INDEX/MATCH,
and how to nest them

Know when to use relative and

absolute addresses
This matters when you are going to copy a
formula to other cells.
F4 toggles among all the possible address
types

Know how to name a range and

maintain a sheets list of names
Named ranges make it easier to create
readable formulas.
If you reference a named range in a
formula, it will work like an absolute
address (because you gave the name to
that specific cell.)

Know how to encode common formula

operators in Excel
You have the usual arithmetic operators:
*/+ You also have (), which can override the
normal order of operations.
Exponents are done with ^.

Know how to use Excels built in functions, including IF,

VLOOKUP, and INDEX/MATCH, and how to nest them

IF allows the value of a cell to depend on

some calculations. The format is
IF(condition, value-if-true, value-if-true)
Condition is anything that can be true or false

IFs can be nested

IF(condition, v-i-t, IF(cond, v-i-t, v-i-f))
IF(condition, IF(cond,v-i-f,v-i-f), v-i-f)

Know how to use Excels built in functions, including IF,

VLOOKUP, and MATCH/INDEX, and how to nest them

VLOOKUP is used to allow the value of a cell to

depend on the value of another cell when the
number of possible values is too large for an if
statement.
HLOOKUP works the same way.

MATCH/INDEX is more flexible than VLOOKUP

because the value sought does not have to be
in the first column and, once you have the row,
you can retrieve any number of columns from it

Part 2: Wrap-up
Its possible to code almost any expression
involving algebra or trigonometry in Excel.
Excel automates many common
operations as functions, with plenty of
help and guidance on using and
debugging them.
Formulas and functions can be blended
and nested.
VLOOKUP is cool. MATCH/INDEX is cooler.

Part 3: Some Tools for Analysis

Use goal seek to find values.
Use scenarios to examine alternatives.
Use advanced filter and sort to organize
data.
Use pivot tables to aggregate data on
dimensions.

Use goal seek to find values.

Goal seek will vary the value of one cell in
the worksheet until another cells value
matches come criterion you give it.
The input and output cells must be linked
by references in formulas but need not be
linked directly.
You could do this by hand but it would just
take longer.

Use scenarios to examine

alternatives.
You can easily store a set of input
variables to be changed to illustrate
different scenarioslow, medium, and
high forecasts, for example.
Our example only changes one input but
you could do several variables, then
bounce among your scenarios comparing
themuseful for giving presentations
where managers might ask.

Use advanced filter and sort to

organize data.
Given a large list, you can use Excels
copious filtering, sorting, and subtotaling
features to quickly analyze the data.
If you know SQL and can get a connection
to a database, you can draw the rows you
want down and then use Excels features
for analysis
This kind of simple work was known as
bread and butter a few decades ago and
enabled many programmer to put their

Use pivot tables to aggregate data on

dimensions.
Pivot tables allow you to slice and dice
large data sets to gain insights.
Although the table only has two
dimensions, you can include
subdimensions on each.
Secret: Pivot tables support drill down
functionality.

Part 3: Wrap-up
Goal seek and scenarios can save you a
lot of time.
Advanced filtering and sorting give you
power on the desktop to produce reports
that people used to pay thousands of
dollars to have.
Pivot tables let you slice and dice and
aggregate data to find interesting
situations and then drill down to examine
the numbers beneath.

Part 4: Output to Tell Stories

Know how to restrict user input to avoid
problems later.
Know how to conditionally format output
to highlight interesting data.
Know how to use chart wizard to create
illustrations of data.

Know how to restrict user input to

avoid problems later.
File Sample 1, select column of buildings exclusive of header.
Data Tab, Data tools Group, Data Validation Feature
Settings Tab
Allow: List
Source: Brittain, Hall, Hanson, Harrison, Hopkins, Matheson,
Van Leer

Input Message Tab

Title: Building Input
Input message: Select a building from the list.

Error Alert Tab

Title: Building Value Error
Error message: That building is not on the list of valid buildings.

Know how to conditionally format

output to highlight interesting data.
File sample1, select column of salaries exclusive of
header.
Home Tab, Styles Group, Conditional Formatting Feature
Hover over data bars, color scales, and icon sets and
choose something that illustrates your point
Choose Clear Rules, Clear Rules from Selected Cells

Hover over highlight cell rules and choose something

that illustrates something important
Choose Clear Rules, Clear Rules from Selected Cells

Hover over top/bottom rules and choose something that

illustrates something important
Choose Clear Rules, Clear Rules from Selected Cells

Know how to use chart wizard to create

illustrations of data.
File sample3, Select Product Sales Data,
including column and row headers
Click on Insert Tab, Charts Group,
Recommended Charts Feature
Note the information about the column chart
and accept the recommendation

Click the + (Chart Elements)

Add Axis Titles, then key appropriate titles
Click on Total Header and key something
appropriate

Know how to use chart wizard to create

illustrations of data.
Select Furniture Sales by Region for the SW
region (non contiguous ranges)
Click on Insert Tab, Charts Group,
Recommended Charts Feature
Click on the pie chart instead of the
recommended chart
Click the + (Chart Elements)
Add Data Labels Outside End
Click on SW Header and key something
appropriate

Know how to use chart wizard to create

illustrations of data.
Select Sales by Month by Region, Month and Total
(non contiguous regions)
Click on Insert Tab, Charts Group, Recommended
Charts Feature
Choose the clustered column chart
Click the + (Chart Elements)
Add a trendline, more options, display equation
and R2 on chart
Add axis titles, etc.
Use filter to look only at data from the first half of
the year

Part 4: Wrap-up
Its a good idea to restrict user input
because garbage in garbage out.
Conditional formatting and bring
interesting data to the viewers attention
quickly.
Chart wizard can help you create the most
common kinds of chart quickly. Just be
sure to use the right kind of chart.

Part 5: Recording and Maintaining

Macros
Know the features of the VBA IDE in Excel.
Know how to record a simple macro.
Know how to make modifications to a
macro.

Know the features of the VBA IDE in

Excel.
Alt F11
brings up
the VBA
IDE window

Know how to record a simple macro.

Developer tab, record macro or little
button on the bottom left to start
recording you keystrokes.
Do what you need to do.
Click on the button to stop recording.
Save your file as a macro-enabled file. If
you dont do this youll lose the macro.

Know how to make modifications to a

macro.
In the IDE, you can enter VBA programs
called macros.
The IDE includes some swell features to
help you debug your programsknow
these before you try to work with macros
because it will save you a lot of time.

Part 5: Wrap-up
VBA lets you extend the power of Excel to
include functions never envisioned by the
developers of the software.
If you know any object-oriented
programming language you already know
more than half of VBA.

Review of Really Important

Points
Plan before you code. It will save you trouble in
the long run.
Formulas and functions can be blended and
nested.
If youre not using Excel for analysis, youre
probably just using it as a glorified calculator.
Its a good idea to restrict user input because
garbage in garbage out.
If you know any object-oriented programming
language you already know more than half of
VBA.

If you want to learn a lot

more
Sign up for Spreadsheet Modeling for
Business Decision Making, currently MGT
4803.

So go do some cool Excel!