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Excel Data Analysis Best Practices
This document is for participants who have attended Dr Nitin’s session.
If anything is not clear, send a mail to
[email protected]Best Practices
1. Get data and look at its format
2. Check if it is GOOD (use the checklist)
a. If it is GOOD continue to step 3
b. If it is BAD
i. Ask the source to give it in GOOD format
1. Send them a GOOD data sample
2. Explain the benefits of the GOOD format
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3. There is a high chance that the source will agree to provide GOOD
data, if technically feasible
ii. If source cannot provide GOOD data
1. Look at the GOOD data checklist items which failed and clean the
data. You can use:
a. Power Query (Get and Transform)
b. Flash Fill
c. Pivot Table – Repeat All Item Labels
d. Pivot Table (Old)- Consolidation of cross-tab
e. and many more techniques
3. Consider where to import the data
a. Excel sheet
i. If using Get and Transform table is automatically created
ii. Convert to Table (Ctrl T or Insert – Table) Why use Tables?
1. Make sure all rows and columns are included
2. Ensure that the grand total row is NOT included
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3. If it is GOOD data, table creation is easy
iii. Change the default name of the Table
b. Data model (Power Pivot)
i. Data model is suitable if
1. You want to combine multiple tables using Relationships
2. Data is larger than 1 million row limit of Excel
3. Excel based data analysis is very slow
4. Excel based data file is very large
4. Summarize data using
a. Pivot Table
i. Try relevant Show Values as options
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ii. Include conditional formatting in Pivot Tables as well
iii. Power Pivot if data is in data model
iv. Remember to specify names to Pivot Tables and Pivot Charts
b. Power View Dashboard
i. Try to combine multiple discrete reports into a single dashboard
ii. DO NOT try to recreate existing Excel reports using Power View
iii. Use Multiples and Drill down effectively
iv. Use Maps for locational data
c. Power Map
i. Plot locational data
ii. Use hierarchy if possible (e.g. Country, State, City)
iii. Use Time based animation to understand the dynamics
iv. Create a story by using multiple scenes
d. The Insights feature
i. See all insights (not just the featured ones)
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ii. Add the relevant insights into the Excel sheet
iii. Remember to run Insights when data changes
5. Once summarized
a. Think of the business context
b. Determine the standard report expected to be created
c. Create the expected reports
i. Enhance the existing reports
1. Use conditional formatting
2. Use charts (specify names for charts)
3. Add Slicers
4. Add Timeline filter
d. Now your REAL work starts
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i. Think of the business context and the available data
ii. Use ALL methods available to you for analyzing information and find out
useful and actionable information from the data
iii. Note down your findings
iv. Along with each finding – also note down the most appropriate action
plan
v. Attach these additional findings to your standard reports
6. Visualizing information for easy interpretation
a. Use ALL the above methods
i. Data bars
ii. Icon Sets
iii. Color Scale
iv. Sparklines
7. Share the reports. DO NOT send reports by mail
a. Save them to OneDrive, SharePoint or Teams and share the link
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i. Use Browser View Options to
1. Make only the report sheets visible or
2. Choose the pivots and charts to show on browser
8. While presenting reports
a. Use static copy-pasted images from Excel into PPT for reference
b. But use the LIVE Power View reports during discussion
c. Spend time showing data from different points of view
d. Use the meeting to generate ideas and finalize action items
e. Do not be myopic and constrain yourselves only to standard or statutory
reporting formats
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GOOD data checklist
Check input data against these 11 rules.
Each column must have a heading (not Heading cannot contain data. For
1.
data) example, Jan, Feb are NOT headings.
Excel table automatically inserts generic
2. No blank headings
column headings
Excel table automatically renames
3. No duplicate headings
duplicate headings
Why? Because in Tables, heading name
4. No formulas in headings can be used in calculated column
formulas.
This is INPUT data. Why do we need
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5. No merged cells merged cells here? Do all that in the
Output (report).
6. No grand or sub-totals Same as above.
Why? Because analysis cannot be done
7. NO formatting instead of data
based on formatting.
Be very careful. Most common problem.
8. One column, One Meaning
More columns mean better analysis.
Check by looking at alignment. Very
9. One column, one data type
important for dates.
More data should be appended at the
10. Data grows vertically (not horizontally)
bottom of existing data.
If Good data comes from different
11. Data in single sheet locations, append them to one table. Add
extra column for the location.
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Efficiency Best Practices
Understand that you are inefficient. Why? Because we learnt Excel (and Office) by trial and
error. As long as the work is getting done, we never checked whether there is a better way.
The idea is to:
1. Detect Inefficiency and then to
2. Find the BEST way to do that job
Detecting inefficiency
1. Repetition = Inefficiency
2. UNDO = Inefficiency
3. You helping Excel = Inefficiency
4. Hands used excessively – Brain Idle = Inefficiency
5. Small data – less time, large data – much more time = Inefficiency
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Finding the best way
1. Look
a. Look at all options
b. Do not ignore inactive options
c. Open every drop-down
d. Scroll every scroll bar
e. For visual features (like conditional formatting, sparklines, chart types, etc.)
VIEW all options when you are learning. Just reading the captions is not enough.
Build a visual vocabulary.
f. Do not be afraid to click on buttons like More and Advanced
g. Do not run away by pressing Escape – have the courage to explore
2. Classify the objective as Global or Local
a. If it is a local problem
Examples: Changing something for a column in a table, Customizing the series in
a chart, modifying a shape
i. Right Click at the area of interest
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ii. Read all options
iii. You should find the answer easily
iv. If not, just eliminate the options that are not relevant
v. This process of elimination will help you shortlist the answer
b. If it is a global problem, look at the menu on top (ribbon)
Examples: Changing the look of the entire pivot table, Cropping a picture,
Changing colors in SmartArt
i. Ribbon has groups of icons
ii. Read the group names first
iii. Identify the one which looks useful
iv. Then read the actual button names
v. See the tooltip if required
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vi. Find the answer directly or by process of elimination
3. Mapping the features to work context
a. Do not just learn features
b. Find out what that feature was designed for
c. Discover the need behind the feature
d. Find the practical business scenario where the feature will be useful
e. If you find one practical use, do not stop thinking.
There may be more uses for the same feature.
4. Sharing
a. If you find something useful – share it with your team
b. Divide the work of learning amongst your team members and
teach each other
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Blog Articles
Here are some useful blog articles I have written.
1. Data Analytics (50+ articles)
2. Knowledge Pack – Excel Tables (12 articles)
3. Knowledge Pack: Green Marks in Excel (5 articles)
4. Show Values As: Knowledge Pack (6 articles)
5. Knowledge Pack: Data Accuracy in Excel (13 articles)
6. Weekend Reading: Copy Paste Knowledge Pack (21 articles)
7. Macros Knowledge Pack (7 macros)
Continued Learning
Dr Nitin Paranjape, Efficiency 365.com
Explore
Grow Learn
Share Apply
This is a continuous process. Once you start benefiting from this extra effort, you will be
tempted to do it more often. Soon it will become a subconscious habit.
Finally, if you do not understand anything send a mail to [email protected]
Dr Nitin will make every effort to address all queries.
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