If your organization has upgraded to Office 2016 or Office 365, you now have access to Excel 2016. Now what? Are there any new features? The answer is yes, especially if you need business intelligence tools and new ways to present your data.
Don’t miss out on new Excel 2016 features. Here are 10 I’m most excited about:
Microsoft Excel 2016 - Level 3 / Advanced Microsoft Excel 2016 - Data Analysis with Pivot Tables Power Pivot and Power Query for Excel 2016. About the author. Denis has been a Microsoft Certified Trainer for over 10 years, teaching Office courses such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook and OneNote, as well as Visual Basic programming. Some of the features of MS Excel are add header and footer, find and replace command, password protection, data filtering, data sorting, built-in formulae, create different charts (pivot table report), automatically edits the result, formula auditing. This has been a guide to the features of MS excel. Here we discuss the top 9 features of Microsoft Excel that include Time Saving Shortcut Keys, Get Quick Sum of Numbers, Filtering Data, Paste Special Feature, etc.along with examples, and a downloadable excel template. Microsoft Excel 2016 - Level 3 / Advanced Microsoft Excel 2016 - Data Analysis with Pivot Tables Power Pivot and Power Query for Excel 2016. About the author. Denis has been a Microsoft Certified Trainer for over 10 years, teaching Office courses such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook and OneNote, as well as Visual Basic programming. Here are some of the top new and improved features for Excel 2016 for Windows. Manage appointments, plans, budgets — it’s easy with Microsoft 365. Try one month free.
1. The 'Tell Me' Box
The 'tell me' box is one of the most obvious new arrivals to the Excel party and, quite frankly, it's a shame it wasn't around in the 2007 edition when the menu ribbon was initially reduced. (Remember how hard it was to find our favorite tools?) The “tell me” box is essentially a search function that lists functions and operations matching your search terms. It’s a handy shortcut to get you where you want to go! There's also smart look-up which will use the internet to search relevant articles for your search term.
2. Forecasting
Excel 2016 has seen the addition of “one-click” statistical forecasting for data that has a time element associated with it. As long as you have a decent amount of data it will be able to forecast past your last data point, as well as show levels of confidence at each end of the spectrum. What's also great about the forecasting function is that if Excel can see trends due to seasonality, it will factor them into the forecast. Pretty smart! Once you've made your forecast you'll be able to display it as either a line or bar graph, but be aware that the data used to create your graph of choice will not link to the chart. If you make changes to the data these will not automatically be reflected in the chart.
3. Search field (PivotTables)
PivotTables have been revitalized with a search bar that makes life easier when dealing with large data sets with numerous fields. Just search for the field you're looking for and it pops up for you to select.
4. Date Grouping (PivotTables)
Previously, Excel PivotTables would always register dates individually—your charts would have hundreds of fields along the date axis. Now dates are automatically grouped into Years, Quarters and Months. If you want to delve deeper you simply use the + option next to the date segment to expand the next level of grouping. I think you’ll find it’s much more manageable.
New charts
The people at Microsoft claim that Excel has not seen the addition of a new chart type since the 1997 edition. You know when you’re waiting for the bus, you get none for ages and then loads come along at once—that’s the case with Excel 2016, which unveils six new chart types, each with their own specialist uses. Here are my favorites:
Pareto chart (support.office.com)
5. Histograms and Pareto charts
Histograms show you frequencies (e.g. how much of one product has sold against another). They're not based on categories but on values that are allocated into different bins. If you want to alter this to show categories you can do that. Pareto charts go one step further by sorting these frequencies and adding a cumulative percentage line to give you a trend through the data.
Sunburst Chart in Office 2016 for Windows (support.office.com)
6. Sunburst charts
These show values by hierarchy. A good use for sunburst charts would be to analyze sales of a company and break it down by salesperson, customers and products purchased. The chart will plot the sales people at the highest level and size their sections by the sales they have made. The next level will be the customers and the total amount they have spent with their respective salesperson. The final level shows the products bought by each customer. Sunburst charts allow you to go to dozens of levels so you can really drill down into your data.
Waterfall chart in Office 2016 for Windows (support.office.com)
7. Waterfall charts
Waterfall charts are great for showing movement from an opening position to a closing position and are therefore ideal for plotting financial data, such as cash flow over a period of time. They show your opening balance, the progression through the various stages of trading and then stop at your closing balance.
8. 3D data map
Perhaps the most impressive looking of all the new visualizations in Excel 2016, the 3D data map was actually an add-in for the 2013 version but is now a fully integrated option. This chart is perfect for analyzing data with a global span (e.g. a company sales report where the company operates with a global client base). Obviously you need locational data to use this type of chart and you can then add other fields to build your picture. The chart will give you a map of the world with bars or columns in the locations that have fields attached. What's more, if you set this against a particular period of time the chart will allow you to record a simulation video showing the change in values over that period. It’s great for presenting sales growth to the board or your team.
9. PowerPivot
What is the latest version of adobe pdf reader. PowerPivot is still technically an add-in, and not new to Excel, but it's a great tool to use to bring data into Excel. In fact it allows you to import greater levels of data (we're talking hundreds of millions of fields here). PowerPivot even has its own function language, Data Analysis Expression or DAX, and this is where the new features lie. If you feel like you've exhausted all of Excel's functions, have a go with PowerPivots.
10. Get & Transform
Another permanent fixture that started life as the Power Query add-in, Get & Transform helps you import data from various data sources. There are still the standard options of importing from a Comma Separated Values (CSV) file or an Excel workbook but now you can also choose options such as Facebook, Salesforce and other programs and packages. Once you've imported your data it will give you the chance to tidy the data into a useable format. You can also apply the Get & Transform tools to data already in Excel.
To accelerate your Excel 2016 productivity, take a hands-on course from Global Knowledge. Our introductory and intermediate courses are personalized by version, allowing you to choose the one you will use. Our advanced and Power BI courses are specific to version 2016, allowing you to fully exploit its exciting new features.
Related webinars
Advanced Functions of Excel Formulas: Part 1
Advanced Functions of Excel Formulas: Part 2
Advanced Functions of Excel Formulas: Part 2
Related courses
Microsoft Excel- Level 1/ Intro (2010, 2013, 2016)
Microsoft Excel - Level 2 / Med (2010, 2013, 2016)
Microsoft Excel 2016 - Level 3 / Advanced
Microsoft Excel 2016 - Data Analysis with Pivot Tables
Power Pivot and Power Query for Excel 2016
Microsoft Excel - Level 2 / Med (2010, 2013, 2016)
Microsoft Excel 2016 - Level 3 / Advanced
Microsoft Excel 2016 - Data Analysis with Pivot Tables
Power Pivot and Power Query for Excel 2016
About the author
Denis has been a Microsoft Certified Trainer for over 10 years, teaching Office courses such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook and OneNote, as well as Visual Basic programming. He rounds out his application training skills with experience in team building, conflict resolution, time management, and proposal and report writing.
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Excel. Chances are, that word alone inspires visions of lengthy spreadsheets, complicated macros, and the occasional pivot table or bar graph.
It’s true—with more than one billion Microsoft Office users globally, Excel has become the professional standard in offices across the globe for pretty much anything that requires management of large amounts of data.
But, if you think Excel is only good for making you cross-eyed while looking at a bunch of numbers and financial reports, think again. As Tomasz Tunguz points out, there are tons of uses of Excel in business (and beyond) outside of simple spreadsheets. In fact, the potential uses are seemingly endless.
There’s no way for us to compile a list that captures every one of Excel’s possible applications (even if you were up for reading a War and Peace-sized listicle).
However, in an effort to demonstrate the power and flexibility of everybody’s favorite spreadsheet tool, we’ve pulled together different ways that you could use Excel—both professionally, personally, and just for the fun of it.
10 Features Of Ms Excel Spreadsheet
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Of course, the core purpose of Excel all boils down to numbers. If you need to sort, retrieve, and analyze a large (or even small!) amount of data, Excel makes it a breeze.
Here are a few broad categories to keep in mind when it comes to implementing Excel for anything numbers-related.
1. Calculating
Find yourself running the same calculations over and over again? Build yourself a totally customized calculator in Excel by programming your commonly-used formulas. That way, you just need to punch in your digits and Excel will spit the answer out for you—no elbow grease required.
2. Accounting
Budget plans, forecasts, expense tracking, financial reports, loan calculators, and more. Excel was pretty much designed to meet these different accounting needs. And, considering that 89 percent of companies utilize Excel for its various accounting functions, it obviously fits the bill.
Excel even has numerous different spreadsheet templates to make all of those processes that much easier.
3. Charting
Pie charts, scatter charts, line charts, bar charts, area charts, column charts—the list goes on and on. If you need to find a way to represent data in a more visual and digestible way, Excel’s ability to transform rows and columns of digits into beautiful charts is sure to become one of your favorite things about it.
Want more information about the types of charts you can create in Excel? This article is a helpful resource.
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4. Inventory tracking
Tracking inventory can be a headache. Fortunately, Excel can help to keep employees, business owners, or even individuals organized and on top of their inventory—before any major problems crop up.
Making a plan
Let’s move on from the numbers—there are plenty of things that Excel can help you plan and organize that don’t necessarily involve endless rows of digits.
5. Calendars and schedules
Need to map out a content calendar for your blog or website? Lesson plans for your classroom? A PTO schedule for you and all of your co-workers? A daily schedule for you or your family? When it comes to various calendars, Excel can be surprisingly robust.
6. Seating charts
From a large corporate luncheon to a wedding, arranging a seating chart can be a royal headache. Fortunately, Excel can make it a total breeze. If you’re a real whiz, you’ll be able to automatically create your seating chart using your spreadsheet of RSVPs. Need help getting this done? This article provides a detailed walkthrough of how you can create a seating chart in Excel.
7. Goal planning worksheet
From professional goals to fitness goals to financial goals, it helps to have something to keep you focused and on track. Enter the beauty of Excel. Using the tool, you can create various worksheets, logs, and planning documents to help you monitor your progress—and, hopefully, cross the finish line.
8. Mock-ups
Excel might not be the first platform you think of when it comes to design. But, believe it or not, you can use the tool to put together various mock-ups and prototypes. In fact, it’s a surprisingly popular choice for creating website wireframes and dashboards.
Getting stuff done
Want to kick your productivity into high gear? Well, Excel can swoop in and save the day with a variety of uses that can help you tackle your tasks and to-dos with ease and organization.
Important Features Of Microsoft Excel
9. Task list
Say goodbye to your standard pen and paper to-do list. With Excel, you can make a far more robust task list—and even track your progress on those larger to-dos that are currently on your plate.
10. Checklist
Similarly, you can create a simple checklist that allows you to tick off the things you’ve purchased or accomplished—from a grocery list to a roster of to-dos for an upcoming marketing campaign.
11. Project management charts
We’ve already touched on the fact that Excel is a total beast when it comes to creating charts. And, this concept holds true when it comes to various charts for project management.
From waterfall charts to manage your team’s progress to kanban style boards (just like Trello!) to keep things organized, there are tons of ways that Excel can help keep your project on track.
12. Time logs
You know that tracking time can be a huge asset to you and your productivity. While there are plenty of fancy apps and tools to help meet that need, you can think of Excel as the original tool for logging your time. And, it still serves as a suitable option today.
Involving other people
Microsoft Excel Features And Functions
Need to collect information from other people? Survey tools and forms are one option. But, rest assured, you can also create your own in Excel.
13. Forms
From simple to complicated, Excel is a great option for creating forms. You can even program various drop-down menus so that users can select their choice from a pre-set list.
14. Quizzes
Trying to test somebody else’s—or even your own—knowledge of a subject? In Excel, you can create a bank of questions and answers in one worksheet, and then instruct Excel to quiz you in another.
Staying in touch
Managing relationships is crucial to your success both professionally and personally. Fortunately, Excel makes it easy to keep in touch.
15. CRM
Need a lightweight CRM to stay top of mind for your customers? You can make one in Excel. And, the best part? Building your own means it will be totally customizable. Sales Hacker also put together a nifty set of free sales excel templates you can use to help get started!
16. Mailing list
Data doesn’t just have to involve numbers. Excel is also great at managing and sorting large amounts of names and addresses—making it the perfect solution for your invite list for that company holiday party or the mailing list for that large promotion or campaign.
Good ps4 external hard drive. Using Excel, you can also mail merge—which makes it that much easier to print address labels and other necessary materials.
You can also apply a similar concept to create things like directories, RSVP lists, and other rosters that involve a large amount of information about people.
Just for fun
Excel doesn’t need to be all work and no play. There are plenty of other fun things you can create using the spreadsheet tool.
17. Historical logs
Whether you want to keep track of the various craft beers you’ve tasted, the workouts you’ve completed, or something else entirely, you can think of Excel as your go-to resource for keeping those things sorted and logged.
18. Sudoku puzzles
Love Sudoku puzzles? As it turns out, you can make your own in Excel. Or, if you find yourself stuck on a particularly challenging one, you can enlist the help of Excel to help you get it figured out!
Need help creating the Sudoku solver and generator? This post will get you well on your way!
19. Word cloud
Word clouds might not be the most scientific representations of data. But, they’re a fun (not to mention beautiful way) to gain an understanding of what words are being utilized most. You guessed it—you can create one using Excel. Here’s how to use information from Excel to create a word cloud in Wordle.
20. Art and animations
The capabilities of Excel likely extend far beyond what you’d initially anticipate. In fact, many people have used the tool to create some downright awesome art—from pixelated portraits to animations.
21. Trip planner
Have a vacation coming up? Make sure you have everything covered by creating yourself a helpful itinerary before you pack your bags and head out. Excel even has a handy trip planner template you can use to make sure you don’t miss anything (from your budget to airline information!).
Over to you
This might seem like a lengthy list. But, rest assured, it barely scratches the surface of all of the different things—aside from simple spreadsheets—that Excel is capable of. From lists to charts to design mock-ups, the different uses of Excel are seemingly limitless.
Feeling intimidated? Don’t worry - you can learn Excel online, all at your own pace, and become a spreadsheet ninja in no time.
Do you have something cool you like to create using Excel? Let us know in the comments!
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