Dynamic Excel Tips & Tricks

1. Spokane Chapter ASWA DynamicExcel Tips & Tricks By Leslie Miller, MCEd February 11, 2010

2. Introductions & Housekeeping • Introductions • URL instructions: • http://edresources.org/ASWA2012 • Overview • Hands On

3. Dynamic Excel Tips & Tricks • How are you at spinning plates? • Spreadsheets are too labor intensive? • Want to standardize some spreadsheet reports? • What about external data? • Do you really know the ins and outs of using the mid level or higher level functions of Excel? • Don’t have time to deal with the hyperbole of an extended class? • Here are the tools that you need to do your  job - by someone who speaks “accountant”!

4. Just Show Me! • Shortcuts • Simple macros • Subtotals • Pivot tables • Conditional formatting • Hidden sheets • Concatenating cells • Data validation • Solver • Filtering • Goal seeking

5. Basic Tools • Paste Special: • Intern error sample • Paste Links • Shortcut Macros (Auto fit) • Auditing Tool Bar

6. Basic Tools • Numbering ID • ABC-1 works • 27-ABC-1 works • 1-ABC does not • Grouping Tabs • 3D References • Hiding Gridlines using Macros • Removing Duplicates • Custom Formatting – KWH • Custom Lists • Hyperlinks (do not work with Chart Pages) • Cover Pages

7. External Data Create “Live” Dashboards using external data. Use this same concept for integrating standard monthly data.

8. Raw Data This spreadsheet needs to provide more information, separate names, and additional criteria.

9. Subtotals Be sure to sort in ascending order the column you want the first subtotals to be assigned to. Click on the + or – to show or hide the detail for each department.

10. Filtering By Department Quick Tips: You can toggle your formulas by CTRL+~.

11. Advanced Filtering Set up Criteria for Advanced Filtering By Department and by Wages over 15.00 Quick Tips: Hide those rows or columns that you do not in your view.

12. Macros Create a simple “Auto Fit” Macro Create Departmental Macros

13. Concatenating Cells Combining Cells Result

14. Pivot Tables & Charts • Quick Tips: • Excel Options • Advanced Items • Display for worksheet • No Grid Lines • No Zeros to Print

15. Conditional Formatting Highlight largest and smallest items.

16. Hidden Sheets • Excel 07: • Right mouse click on tab • Select “Hide” • Excel 03: • Go to Format • Sheet • Hide • Quick Tips: • Hold down the ALT key to adjust the size of an object and bypass the “snap to grid”.

17. Data Validation Set criteria that will be validated during input. This sheet shows those cells that do not fit the criteria.

18. Goal Seeker Quick Tips: Named Ranges will help make your formulas sensible.

19. Solver Right Brain: Creative Artistic Colorful Verbose Random Intuitive Holistic Synthesizing Subjective Looks at wholes • Left Brain: • Logical • Sequential • Rational • Analytical • Objective • Looks at parts • Succinct • Bullets • Clear • Concise

20. Solver Right Brain: • As an experienced farmer: • It takes 10 acres to raise one head of beef; 1/50 of an acre produces one bushel of wheat. • The Current Market Price is $400.00 per head of beef; $2.20 per bushel of wheat. • Water usage for One cow is 1500 gallons of water during its time on your farm; one bushel of wheat requires 25 gallons of water during the growing season. • To be profitable, you must raise at least 50 head of cattle; 1000 acres of wheat (how many bushels is that?). You are a farmer who raises cattle and wheat on your farm. Your farm consists of 5000 acres of land usable for either wheat or cattle. You are limited to a maximum of 5,000,000 gallons of water during the year. What is the best mix of cattle and wheat to maximize your profit? REMEMBER: You can grow a partial acre of wheat but you cannot raise part of a cow! Your answers should reflect this small but vital point.

21. Solver Criteria: in “Accountant Speak” Left Brain:

22. Solver - Answer

23. Q&AThank You! Leslie Miller 509.321.3641 l.fraijo.miller@gmail.com URL for file downloads – http://edresources.org/ASWA2012