3 Hour Excel Automation Boot Camp: Sort and Filter Tools, Conditional Formatting, Data Validation and Visualization with SmartArt and Charts

OVERVIEW

Excel is a powerful program for managing and analyzing lengthy lists of data.

What tips, tricks, and techniques do you need to know to quickly and easily sort and filter a range or table of data?

Join this advanced Excel training course to explore the shortcuts and solutions for effectively working with large worksheets of data.With Conditional Formatting, Excel, we’ll show you how massive amounts of data can be analyzed to visually emphasize relationships, find exceptions, and spot trends.

By knowing how to use Conditional Formatting in Excel you can change the format of cells based on their values in multiple ways including font style, underline style, font color, fill color and more.

Adding your own formula to a conditional formatting rule gives it a power boost to help you do things the built-in rules can’t do.
Data bars can be used to show the value of a cell relative to other cells. Data bars can be modified multiple ways.

Color scales shows data distribution and variation. Shades of color represent high, middle and low values. A variety of color combinations are available.

Icon sets allow annotation and classification of data into three to five categories using icons. It is possible to customize icon sets.

They say that ‘a picture is worth a thousand words.’ Using data visualization tools, Excel, like SmartArt and Charts to visually display complex Excel data communicates the data’s message much more effectively to your target audience.

SmartArt graphics and Charts can be created not just in Excel, but also in PowerPoint, Word and Outlook. This makes learning these tools extremely useful.

WHY SHOULD YOU ATTEND

As an intermediate level user of Excel, not only do you want to take your knowledge and skills to the next level, you want to produce meaningful, impactful and insightful reports in the shortest time possible. These features of the application will help you to do just that.

AREAS COVERED

Sorting and Filtering

• Sort data in a worksheet
• Filter data with AutoFilter
• Use custom filter techniques
• Apply conditional formatting for quick analysis
• Sort and filter using colors and icons from conditional formatting
• Create, view, and remove Subtotals
• Split complex data into separate columns for ideal filtering and sorting

Using Conditional Formatting

• Types of conditional formats
• Highlighting cells rules
• Applying data bars, color scales and icon sets
• Removing conditional formatting
• Modifying conditional formatting
• Using the conditional formatting rules manager
• Creating conditional formatting based on a formula

Using Data Validation

• Using the data validation dialog box
• Creating data validation criteria
• Modifying and removing data validation
• Creating an input message
• Modifying the error message
• Creating a drop-down list for data entry
• Copying a drop-down list to multiple columns or rows

Creating SmartArt Diagrams

• Inserting diagrams
• Modifying illustrations
• Formatting SmartArt
• Convert bulleted text into SmartArt

Creating Charts

• Types of charts
• Creating a chart
• Parts of a chart
• Changing the chart type
• Switching data
• Changing the chart style
• Moving a chart to a chart sheet
• Creating a combination chart

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

This Microsoft Excel training session covers THREE intermediate features of Excel that provide automation within the application.

Learning how to efficiently use Excel is so critical in many of today’s office jobs. Many people know the basics of Excel. This webinar will show you how to use the sort and filter tools in Excel and also subtotals to get the most out of your data, be more efficient, and find the information that you are looking for.

Thanks to Conditional Formatting, you can highlight all information that is important to you (the highest or lowest values, duplicate values, values that are larger or smaller than a certain value). This will provide you with the necessary information to make important business decisions. To be sure that the data is entered accurately, use Data Validation to restrict the input type of a value based on a specific set of criteria. Trying to enter data that does not meet the criteria will generate an error message. Create a drop-down list of items in a cell with data validation. This will make data entry easier and reduce input errors and typing mistakes.

A SmartArt graphic is a visual representation of information and ideas, and a Chart is a visual illustration of numeric values or data.

Basically, SmartArt graphics are designed for text and charts are designed for numbers.

WHO WILL BENEFIT

This session is aimed at Excel users who have intermediate level knowledge and who wish to take their knowledge and understanding of the application to the next level.

• Business Owners
• CEO's / CFO's / CTO's
• Directors/Managers
• Sales Associates
• Accountants
• CPA's
• Financial Consultants
• IT Professionals
• Export-Imports specialists
• Customer service Representative
• Auditors
• Staff supervisor
• Clerk
• Dispatcher
• Human Resource Personnel
• Bookkeepers
• Marketers
• Anybody with large amounts of Data
• Anybody who uses Microsoft Excel on a regular basis, and wants to be more efficient and productive

SPEAKER

Years of Experience: 44+ years

Areas of Expertise: Microsoft Office

Cathy Horwitz believes that when your employees know the capabilities of the software they use, they will demonstrate improved productivity, will be more efficient and will be able to problem solve more easily. 

Cathy teaches classes on the Microsoft suite of application software including Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Access and Outlook.  Cathy has over 30 years of experience in classroom training and application support with personal computers and has been an instructor for the Microsoft Office Suite since 1989.

Her strengths include customizing classes based on the needs of individual students and providing realistic business examples to compliment training.  She is a high energy trainer with a flair for training the adult student.

When not teaching, Cathy enjoys shopping estate sales and refinishing mid-century furniture.