Using Advanced Excel Spreadsheets: Basic Dos and Dont’s
Think you already have a good grasp on Microsoft Excel’s basic functions?
Want to challenge your own skill and knowledge by taking it up several notches?
Why not give advanced excel spreadsheets a try?
To help you get acquainted to a new side of Microsoft Excel, here are some basic dos and don’ts for you to pay in mind while you explore what the software has to offer:
DON’T forget to prioritise
While it’s good to be able to make customised changes to advanced excel spreadsheets, do not forget to prioritise efficiency. What changes do you need to make and what changes can you do without? What are the functions that should be easily accessible to you since you use them the most? A general list of changes includes: Tool customisation, Form control, Additional functionality, Formating and more! Identify what you need and prioritise them above anything else.
DO customise your workspace
Pay attention to the tools you mostly use. For easy access, you can add them onto the ribbon on your Excel spreadsheets. To do so, you need to first enable the developer tab. Choose the file option, locate your options and select customise ribbon. This will open up a panel- choose the developer option and authorise the change. Once done, you choose the new developer tab that is enabled and hit on Insert. This will enable you to see all the form controls. Hover over the icon to check what it’s function is and select what you want from it.
DO checkbox control
Checkbox control is a quick and easy way of keeping your data and tasks organised within your excel spreadsheets. This can help a lot if you have multiple users working on different things or data that you wish to keep notes of. You can do so by using IF functions and designing for unchecked and checked data settings. Make sure that the checkboxes are individually linked to their own cell so that checking them will not trigger the rest of the checkboxes.
To do so, set up the values such that the value will be false if the checkbox is unchecked and true if the user has checked it.
DO substitute controls
If certain actions are easier when it comes to adjusting data, you can feel free to set it up. For example, choosing to use spin button form controls for adjustable data. What you can do is to configure settings, especially where the cell indicates it’s output. When successfully done, you can easily increase or decrease values within a few seconds of clicking.
Access the Developer tab, choose insert and locate the Spin button option. Drag to create and spin it in one direction first to set it, click on format control and control so that you can begin to configure it’s settings. You will also be able to set up changes by increments and other values that will be prompted by the configuration settings.
DON’T forget user experience
If you are exploring Microsoft Excel on your own, then it is generally good to tailor it’s effectiveness for yourself. But there will always be times where you have to collaborate with others. In order to save time and ensure productivity, you should always make sure to place yourself in the shoes of your collaborator and strive to improve their user experience when it comes to advanced excel spreadsheets.
Microsoft Excel possesses a flexibility aspect when it comes to form controls that you can make use of to make the process of data entry more interactive, easier to achieve, and faster in general with a reduced amount of possible errors. But can your colleagues understand the changes you have made to the controls? What can you amend and what other further changes can you make to your excel spreadsheets?
And there you have it, with these guidelines in mind, you can safely explore your way in Advanced excel spreadsheets. Whatever changes you are making to your advanced excel spreadsheets should be made with these factors covered in mind.