How to master Microsoft Excel

You may know how to use Microsoft Excel's basic functions, but have you truly mastered the program? Excel has more advanced features, and here's how you can master some of them.

Pie and Sunburst Charts

Everyone knows that bombarding stakeholders with endless numbers and decimal points is the wrong approach. You need to compile data and develop comprehensive pie or sunburst charts to make life easier for clients and investors.

Here’s how to create a pie chart:

1. Select your data.
2. Click on the Recommended Charts tool to see different style chart suggestions for your data.
3. Click on the Chart Styles, Chart Filters, or Chart Elements button in the upper-right corner of the chart to personalize its overall look or add chart elements, such as data labels or axis titles.

Steps to create a sunburst chart:

1. Select all your data.
2. Click Insert > Insert Hierarchy Chart > Sunburst.
3. Go to the Design and Format tabs to tailor its overall look.

Pivot Tables

Pivot Tables might be one of the most powerful yet intimidating data analysis tools in Excel’s arsenal. It allows you to summarize huge chunks of data in lists or tables without using a formula. All you need to do is to:

1. Select the data, which must only have a single-row heading without empty columns or rows.
2. Click Insert > PivotTable.
3. Under Choose the data that you want to analyze, click Select a table or range.
4. In the Table/Range box, validate the cell range.
5. Under Choose where you want the PivotTable report to be placed, click New worksheet, or Existing worksheet and enter the location where you want to place the PivotTable.

Conditional Formatting

This tool highlights essential information within your dataset. For instance, you’re presenting the latest numbers on project efficiency and you use Conditional Formatting to highlight any number lower than 80%. The highlighted data will capture the audience's attention, allowing them to identify the bottlenecks in your projects. To customize how the data is displayed, simply:

1. Select the cell.
2. Click Home > Conditional Formatting.
3. Click Format.
4. Change your formatting preference in the Color or Font style box.

Excel is one of the most commonly used business software on the market, yet not everyone knows how to fully utilize it. If you want to learn more about other handy Excel features, give us a call today and we’ll elevate your user status from beginner to pro.