Spreadsheet Analysis

UNIT 6 SPREADSHEET ANALYSIS

Objectives
After studying this unit, you will be able to:
• Learn how to navigate, input data, use formulas and functions, format
data, and use built-in features of spreadsheet software like Excel.
• Analyse and organise data and understand the essential functions and
formulas.
• Learn how to create charts, graphs, and other visualisations to help
communicate insights and trends in the data.

Structure
6.1 Introduction to Spreadsheet Analysis
6.2 Basic Functions and Formulas
6.3 Spreadsheet Design and Formatting
6.4 Pivot Tables and Data Analysis
6.5 Summary
6.6 Self-Assessment Exercises
6.7 Further Readings

6.1 INTRODUCTION TO SPREADSHEET

ANALYSIS:
Spreadsheet analysis is the process of using spreadsheets to organise,
manipulate, and analyse data. A spreadsheet is a computer program that
allows users to enter, manipulate, and analyse data in a tabular format.
Spreadsheets are widely used in many fields, including finance, accounting,
marketing, and operations. The basic structure of a spreadsheet consists of
rows and columns, with each intersection representing a cell. Each cell can
contain data such as numbers, text, and formulas. Formulas are equations that
perform calculations using the data in other cells.

Spreadsheets are helpful for many tasks, including budgeting, financial

forecasting, data analysis, and project management. They can be used to
create charts and graphs to help visualise data and to identify trends and
patterns. Spreadsheets also allow users to perform "what-if" analysis by
changing variables and observing the effects on the data. Excel is the most
widely used spreadsheet program, but other alternatives like Google Sheets or
OpenOffice Calc exist. Regardless of the software used, spreadsheet analysis
can help users make more informed decisions by providing a clear, organised
view of the data.

Spreadsheet analysis involves various tasks, including data entry, formatting,

manipulation, and research. Some standard techniques and tools used in
spreadsheet analysis:
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Business Intelligence • Data entry: It needs to be entered into the spreadsheet before analysing
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data. Data can be manually entered into cells, copied and pasted from
other sources, or imported from external sources.

• Formatting: Formatting tools such as font, colour, and cell borders can
be used to make data more readable and visually appealing. Formatting
can also be used to highlight important data or to differentiate between
different types of data.
• Functions and formulas: Functions and formulas are used to perform
calculations on data in the spreadsheet. Common functions include SUM,
AVERAGE, and COUNT, while formulas use operators such as +, -, *,
and / to perform more complex calculations.
• Pivot tables: Pivot tables are a powerful tool used to summarise and
analyse large amounts of data. Pivot tables allow users to group, filter,
and analyse data in various ways, making it easier to identify trends and
patterns.
• Data validation: Data validation is used to ensure that data entered into
the spreadsheet meets certain criteria, such as a specific format or range
of values. This helps prevent errors and ensures that the data is accurate.
• Charts and graphs: Charts and graphs are used to visualise data and
make it easier to interpret. Common types of charts include bar charts,
line charts, and pie charts.
• Conditional formatting: Conditional formatting allows users to format
cells based on specific criteria. For example, cells can be formatted to
turn red if the value is below a certain threshold, or to turn green if the
value is above a certain threshold.

Spreadsheet analysis is a powerful tool for organising and analysing data, and
is widely used in many fields. With the right tools and techniques, users can
gain valuable insights into their data and make informed decisions based on
the results.

Advantages of Spreadsheet Analysis:

Spreadsheet analysis offers several advantages for organising and analysing
data. Here are some of the main advantages:

• Organise large amounts of data: Spreadsheets allow users to organise

large amounts of data in a structured and easy-to-understand format.
Data can be entered, sorted, and filtered in a variety of ways to make it
more accessible.
• Perform complex calculations: Spreadsheets allow users to perform
complex calculations and mathematical operations using formulas and
functions. This can save time and increase accuracy compared to manual
calculations.
• Visualise data: Spreadsheets offer a range of tools for visualising data,
such as charts and graphs. These tools make it easier to identify patterns,
trends, and outliers in the data.
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• Collaborate with others: Spreadsheets can be easily shared with others,
allowing for collaboration and teamwork. Multiple users can edit and
update the same spreadsheet simultaneously, and changes are
automatically saved in real-time.
• Customise analysis: Spreadsheets offer high customisation, allowing
users to tailor their analysis to their specific needs. Users can select
which data to include in the analysis, apply custom formatting, and
create custom calculations.
• Make data-driven decisions: Spreadsheet analysis can help users make
informed, data-driven decisions based on their analysis. Organising and
analysing data in a structured and logical way allows users to gain
valuable insights and make more accurate predictions.

Common Spreadsheet Analysis Tools:

There are several spreadsheet analysis tools available that can help users to
organise, manipulate, and analyse data. Here are some of the most common
tools:
• Pivot Tables: Pivot tables are used to summarise, analyse, and
manipulate large amounts of data in a spreadsheet. Users can group,
filter, and sort data, as well as calculate subtotals and totals.
• Formulas and Functions: Formulas and functions allow users to
perform calculations and manipulate data in a spreadsheet. Examples
include SUM, AVERAGE, COUNT, IF, and VLOOKUP.
• Charts and Graphs: Charts and graphs are visual tools that can help
users to better understand and analyse data. Examples include bar charts,
line graphs, pie charts, and scatter plots.
• Data Validation: Data validation allows users to ensure that data
entered into a spreadsheet is accurate and consistent. Users can set rules
to validate data, such as requiring a specific data format or setting a
range of acceptable values.

• Conditional Formatting: Conditional formatting allows users to apply

formatting to cells based on certain conditions or criteria. This can help
to highlight important data or identify trends.

• What-If Analysis: What-If Analysis allows users to model different

scenarios by changing input values and observing the effect on
calculated results. This can help users to make more informed decisions
based on potential outcomes.

• Macros: Macros are automated scripts that can be created in a

spreadsheet to automate repetitive tasks or perform complex operations.
Macros can save time and increase accuracy.

These tools are just a few examples of the many spreadsheet analysis tools
available. By using these tools and others, users can gain valuable insights
into their data and make more informed decisions based on the results.
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Business Intelligence Spreadsheet Analysis Use Cases:
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Spreadsheet analysis can be used in a wide variety of contexts and industries.
Here are some examples of use cases:

• Financial Analysis: Spreadsheet analysis is commonly used in financial

analysis to track expenses, calculate budgets, forecast cash flow, and
analyse financial statements.
• Sales and Marketing: Sales and marketing professionals use
spreadsheet analysis to track sales data, analyse customer behavior, and
forecast sales trends. This can help them to identify opportunities for
growth and improve marketing strategies.
• Human Resources: Human resources professionals use spreadsheet
analysis to track employee data, analyse staffing needs, and monitor
employee performance. This can help them to make informed decisions
about hiring, training, and retention.
• Project Management: Project managers use spreadsheet analysis to
track project timelines, budgets, and progress. This can help them to
identify potential roadblocks and make adjustments to keep projects on
track.
• Inventory Management: Inventory managers use spreadsheet analysis
to track inventory levels, monitor product demand, and forecast future
inventory needs. This can help them to optimise inventory levels and
reduce waste.
• Education: Educators use spreadsheet analysis to track student grades,
attendance, and performance. This can help them to identify areas where
students may need additional support and tailor instruction to meet
individual student needs.
• Research and Data Analysis: Researchers and data analysts use
spreadsheet analysis to organise, clean, and analyse large amounts of
data. This can help them to identify patterns, trends, and relationships in
the data.

These are just a few examples of the many ways that spreadsheet analysis can
be used to analyse and interpret data in various industries and contexts.

6.2 BASIC FUNCTIONS AND FORMULAS

There are two basic ways to perform calculations in Excel: Formulas and
Functions.

Excel formulas allow you to identify relationships between values in your

spreadsheet’s cells, perform mathematical calculations with those values, and
return the resulting value in the cell of your choice. Sum, subtraction,
percentage, division, average, and even dates/times are among the formulas
that can be performed automatically. For example, =A1+A2+A3+A4+A5,
which finds the sum of the range of values from cell A1 to cell A5.

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Excel Functions: A formula is a mathematical expression that computes the
value of a cell. Functions are predefined formulas that are already in Excel.
Functions carry out specific calculations in a specific order based on the
values specified as arguments or parameters. For example, =SUM (A1:A10).
This function adds up all the values in cells A1 through A10.
This horizontal menu, shown below, in more recent versions of Excel, allows
you to find and insert Excel formulas into specific cells of your spreadsheet.
On the Formulas tab, you can find all available Excel functions in the
Function Library:

The more you use Excel formulas, the easier it will be to remember and
perform them manually. Excel has over 400 functions, and the number is
increasing from version to version. The formulas can be inserted into Excel
using the following method:
1. Simple insertion of the formula - Typing a formula in the cell:
Typing a formula into a cell or the formula bar is the simplest way to insert
basic Excel formulas. Typically, the process begins with typing an equal sign
followed by the name of an Excel function. Excel is quite intelligent in that it
displays a pop-up function hint when you begin typing the name of the
function.

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If you want complete control over your function insertion, use the Excel
Insert Function dialogue box. To do so, go to the Formulas tab and select the
first menu, Insert Function. All the functions will be available in the dialogue
box.

3. Choosing a Formula from One of the Formula Groups in the Formula Tab:
This option is for those who want to quickly dive into their favourite
functions. Navigate to the Formulas tab and select your preferred group to
access this menu. Click to reveal a sub-menu containing a list of functions.
You can then choose your preference. If your preferred group isn’t on the tab,
click the More Functions option — it’s most likely hidden there.

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4. Use Recently Used Tabs for Quick Insertion:
If retyping your most recent formula becomes tedious, use the Recently Used
menu. It’s on the Formulas tab, the third menu option after AutoSum.

Basic Excel Formulas and Functions:

1. SUM:
The SUM formula in Excel is one of the most fundamental formulas you can
use in a spreadsheet, allowing you to calculate the sum (or total) of two or
more values. To use the SUM formula, enter the values you want to add
together in the following format: =SUM(value 1, value 2,…..).
Example: In the below example to calculate the sum of price of all the fruits,
in B9 cell type =SUM(B3:B8). this will calculate the sum of B3, B4, B5, B6,
B7, B8 Press “Enter,” and the cell will produce the sum: 430.

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To use the subtraction formula in Excel, enter the cells you want to subtract
in the format =SUM (A1, -B1). This will subtract a cell from the SUM
formula by appending a negative sign before the cell being subtracted.
For example, if A3 was 300 and B3 was 225, =SUM(A1, -B1) would perform
300 + -225, returning a value of 75 in D3 cell.

3. MULTIPLICATION:
In Excel, enter the cells to be multiplied in the format =A3*B3 to perform the
multiplication formula. An asterisk is used in this formula to multiply cell A3
by cell B3.
For example, if A3 was 300 and B3 was 225, =A1*B1 would return a value
of 67500.

Highlight an empty cell in an Excel spreadsheet to multiply two or more

values. Then, in the format =A1*B1…, enter the values or cells you want to
multiply together. The asterisk effectively multiplies each value in the
formula.
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To return your desired product, press Enter. Take a look at the screenshot
above to see how this looks.

4. DIVISION:
To use the division formula in Excel, enter the dividing cells in the format
=A3/B3. This formula divides cell A3 by cell B3 with a forward slash, “/.”
For example, if A3 was 300 and B3 was 225, =A3/B3 would return a decimal
value of 1.333333333.

Division in Excel is one of the most basic functions available. To do so,

highlight an empty cell, enter an equals sign, “=,” and then the two (or more)
values you want to divide, separated by a forward slash, “/.” The output
should look like this: =A3/B3, as shown in the screenshot above.
5. AVERAGE:
The AVERAGE function finds an average or arithmetic mean of numbers. to
find the average of the numbers type = AVERAGE(A3.B3,C3….) and press
‘Enter’ it will produce average of the numbers in the cell.
For example, if A3 was 300, B3 was 225, C3 was 180, D3 was 350, E3 is 400
then =AVERAGE(A3,B3,C3,D3,E3) will produce 291.

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In Excel, the IF formula is denoted as =IF(logical test, value if true, value if
false). This lets you enter a text value into a cell “if” something else in your
spreadsheet is true or false.
For example, You may need to know which values in column A are greater
than three. Using the =IF formula, you can quickly have Excel auto-populate
a “yes” for each cell with a value greater than 3 and a “no” for each cell with
a value less than 3.

7. PERCENTAGE:
To use the percentage formula in Excel, enter the cells you want to calculate
the percentage for in the format =A1/B1. To convert the decimal value to a
percentage, select the cell, click the Home tab, and then select “Percentage”
from the numbers dropdown. There is no specific Excel “formula” for
percentages, but Excel makes it simple to convert the value of any cell into a
percentage so you don’t have to calculate and reenter the numbers yourself.
The basic setting for converting a cell’s value to a percentage is found on the
Home tab of Excel. Select this tab, highlight the cell(s) you want to convert
to a percentage, and then select Conditional Formatting from the dropdown
menu (this menu button might say “General” at first). Then, from the list of
options that appears, choose “Percentage.” This will convert the value of each
highlighted cell into a percentage. This feature can be found further down.

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8. CONCATENATE:
CONCATENATE is a useful formula that combines values from multiple
cells into the same cell. For example , =CONCATENATE(A3,B3) will
combine Red and Apple to produce RedApple.

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DATE is the Excel DATE formula =DATE(year, month, day). This formula
will return a date corresponding to the values entered in the parentheses,
including values referred to from other cells.. For example, if A2 was 2019,
B2 was 8, and C1 was 15, =DATE(A1,B1,C1) would return 15-08-2019.

10. TRIM:
The TRIM formula in Excel is denoted =TRIM(text). This formula will
remove any spaces that have been entered before and after the text in the cell.
For example, if A2 includes the name ” Virat Kohli” with unwanted spaces
before the first name, =TRIM(A2) would return “Virat Kohli” with no spaces
in a new cell.

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11. LEN:
LEN is the function to count the number of characters in a specific cell when
you want to know the number of characters in that cell. =LEN(text) is the
formula for this. Please keep in mind that the LEN function in Excel counts
all characters, including spaces:
For example,=LEN(A2), returns the total length of the character in cell A2
including spaces.

6.3 SPREADSHEET DESIGN AND FORMATTING

Design and formatting are important aspects of spreadsheet analysis. Well-
designed and formatted spreadsheets are easier to read, understand, and use.
Here are some tips for designing and formatting spreadsheets:

Apply cell borders:

Select the cell or range of cells that you want to add a border to quickly select
the whole worksheet, click the Select All button.

On the Home tab, in the Font group, click the arrow next to Borders Button
image, and then click the border style that you want.

The Borders button displays the most recently used border style. You can
click the Borders button (not the arrow) to apply that style.
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1. Select the cell or range of cells that contain (or will contain) the text that
you want to format. You can also select one or more portions of the text
within a cell and apply different text colors to those sections.
2. To change the color of text in the selected cells, on the Home tab, in
the Font group, click the arrow next to Font Color , and then
under Theme Colors or Standard Colors, click the color that you want to
use.
To apply a color other than the available theme colors and standard
colors, click More Colors, and then define the color that you want to use
on the Standard tab or Custom tab of the Colors dialog box.
3. To change the alignment of the text in the selected cells, on
the Home tab, in the Alignment group, click the alignment option that
you want.

For example, to change the horizontal alignment of cell contents, click Align
Text Left , Center , or Align Text Right .

Apply cell shading:

1. Select the cell or range of cells that you want to apply cell shading to.
2. On the Home tab, in the Font group, click the arrow next to Fill Color ,
and then under Theme Colors or Standard Colors, click the color that you
want.
Add or change the background color of cells:
You can highlight data in cells by using Fill Color to add or change the
background color or pattern of cells. Here's how:
1. Select the cells you want to highlight.
To use a different background color for the whole worksheet, click the Select
All button. This will hide the gridlines, but you can improve worksheet
readability by displaying cell borders around all cells.

2. Under Theme Colors or Standard Colors, pick the color you want.
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To use a custom color, click More Colors, and then in the Colors dialog box
select the color you want. To apply the most recently selected color, you can
just click Fill Color You'll also find up to 10 most recently selected custom
colors under Recent Colors.

Apply a pattern or fill effects:

When you want something more than a just a solid color fill, try applying a
pattern or fill effects.

1. Select the cell or range of cells you want to format.

2. Click Home > Format Cells dialog launcher, or press Ctrl+Shift+F.

3. On the Fill tab, under Background Color, pick the color you want.

4. To use a pattern with two colors, pick a color in the Pattern Color box,
and then pick a pattern in the Pattern Style box.
To use a pattern with special effects, click Fill Effects, and then pick the
options you want.
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To remove any background colors, patterns, or fill effects from cells, just
select the cells. Then click Home > arrow next to Fill Color, and then
pick No Fill.

Print cell colors, patterns, or fill effects in color

If print options are set to Black and white or Draft quality — either on
purpose, or because the workbook has large or complex worksheets and
charts that caused draft mode to be turned on automatically — cells won't
print in color. Here's how you can fix that:
1. Click Page Layout > Page Setup dialog box launcher.

2. On the Sheet tab, under Print, uncheck the Black and white and Draft
quality check boxes.

Formatting Techniques for Effective Analysis:

Conditional Formatting: To apply conditional formatting in Excel, select the
cells you want to format, then click the "Conditional Formatting" button in
the "Home" tab of the ribbon. From there, you can choose a formatting rule
based on the data you want to format, such as highlighting cells that contain
specific text, values or formulas. The browser version of Excel provides a
number of built-in conditions and appearances:

The web browser version of Excel only offers a selection of built-in

conditional formatting options. The Excel application has the option of
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creating fully customised conditional formatting rules. Example-the Speed
values of each pokemon is formatted with a Color Scale:

Conditional formatting, step by step: 1. Select the range of Speed values

C2:C9

2. Click on the Conditional Formatting icon in the ribbon, from

the Home menu
3. Select the Color Scales from the drop-down menu

There are 12 Color Scale options with different color variations.

The color on the top of the icon will apply to the highest values.
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Now, the Speed value cells will have a colored background highlighting:

Dark green is used for the highest values, and dark red for the lowest values.
Charizard has the highest Speed value (100) and Squirtle has the lowest
Speed value (43). All the cells in the range gradually change color from
green, yellow, orange, then red.

Aligning Columns and Rows: To align columns or rows in Excel, select the
cells you want to align, then click the "Align Text" button in the "Home" tab
of the ribbon. From there, you can choose to left, center, or right align text
and data.

If you’d like to realign text in a cell to enhance the visual presentation of your
data, here’s how you can do it:

1. Select the cells that have the text you want aligned.
2. On the Home tab choose one of the following alignment options:

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3. To vertically align text, pick Top Align , Middle Align , or Bottom
Align .
4. To horizontally align text, pick Align Text Left , Center , or Align
Text Right .
5. When you have a long line of text, part of the text might not be visible.
To fix this without changing the column width, click Wrap Text.
6. To center text spanning several columns or rows, click Merge & Center.

Undo alignment changes:

• To remove an alignment change immediately after you apply it, click
Undo.
• To make alignment changes later, select the cell or cell range you want
to change, and click Clear > ClearFormats.

Creating Charts and Graphs:

In Excel, a graph or chart is a visual representation of data that makes it
easier to understand and analyse. Graphs and charts are used to display data
in a way that allows you to identify trends and patterns. Excel provides a
wide range of chart types, including column charts, line charts, pie charts, bar
charts, area charts, scatter plots, and more. You can choose the chart type that
best suits your data and your needs. To create a chart in Excel, you first need
to select the data you want to use. Once you have selected the data, you can
choose the chart type and customise the chart to suit your needs. You can
change the chart's title, axis labels, and other properties, and you can also
format the chart to make it more visually appealing. Excel also provides a
range of tools for analysing data in charts, such as trendlines, error bars, and
data labels. These tools can help you identify trends and outliers in your data
and make it easier to communicate your findings to others.

To create a chart or graph in Excel, select the data you want to chart, then
click the "Insert" tab on the ribbon. From there, you can choose the type of
chart or graph you want to create, such as a bar chart, line graph, or pie chart.
You can then use the formatting tools in the "Chart Tools" tab to customise
the appearance of your chart or graph.

Usage of Each Chart and Graph Type in Excel:

Excel offers a large library of charts and graphs types to display your data.
While multiple chart types might work for a given data set, you should select
the chart that best fits the story that the data is telling.
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• Column Charts: Some of the most commonly used charts, column
charts, are best used to compare information or if you have multiple
categories of one variable (for example, multiple products or genres).
Excel offers seven different column chart types: clustered, stacked, 100%
stacked, 3-D clustered, 3-D stacked, 3-D 100% stacked, and 3-D,
pictured below. Pick the visualisation that will best tell your data’s story.

• Bar Charts: The main difference between bar charts and column charts
are that the bars are horizontal instead of vertical. You can often use bar
charts interchangeably with column charts, although some prefer column
charts when working with negative values because it is easier to visualise
negatives vertically, on a y-axis.

• Pie Charts: Use pie charts to compare percentages of a whole (“whole”

is the total of the values in your data). Each value is represented as a
piece of the pie so you can identify the proportions. There are five pie
chart types: pie, pie of pie (this breaks out one piece of the pie into
another pie to show its sub-category proportions), bar of pie, 3-D pie,
and doughnut.

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• Line Charts: A line chart is most useful for showing trends over time,
rather than static data points. The lines connect each data point so that
you can see how the value(s) increased or decreased over a period of
time. The seven line chart options are line, stacked line, 100% stacked
line, line with markers, stacked line with markers, 100% stacked line
with markers, and 3-D line.

• Scatter Charts: Similar to line graphs, because they are useful for
showing change in variables over time, scatter charts are used
specifically to show how one variable affects another. (This is called
correlation.) Note that bubble charts, a popular chart type, is categorised
under scatter. There are seven scatter chart options: scatter, scatter with
smooth lines and markers, scatter with smooth lines, scatter with straight
lines and markers, scatter with straight lines, bubble, and 3-D bubble.

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There are also four minor categories. These charts are more use case-specific:
• Area: Like line charts, area charts show changes in values over time.
However, because the area beneath each line is solid, area charts are
useful to call attention to the differences in change among multiple
variables. There are six area charts: area, stacked area, 100% stacked
area, 3-D area, 3-D stacked area, and 3-D 100% stacked area.

• Stock: Traditionally used to display the high, low, and closing price of
stock, this type of chart is used in financial analysis and by investors.
However, you can use them for any scenario if you want to display the
range of a value (or the range of its predicted value) and its exact value.
Choose from high-low-close, open-high-low-close, volume-high-low-
close, and volume-open-high-low-close stock chart options.

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• Surface: Use a surface chart to represent data across a 3-D landscape.

This additional plane makes them ideal for large data sets, those with
more than two variables, or those with categories within a single
variable. However, surface charts can be difficult to read, so make sure
your audience is familiar with them. You can choose from 3-D surface,
wireframe 3-D surface, contour, and wireframe contour.

• Radar: When you want to display data from multiple variables in

relation to each other use a radar chart. All variables begin from the
central point. The key with radar charts is that you are comparing all
individual variables in relation to each other — they are often used for
comparing strengths and weaknesses of different products or employees.
There are three radar chart types: radar, radar with markers, and filled
radar.

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To generate a chart or graph in Excel, you must first provide the program
with the data you want to display. Follow the steps below to learn how to
chart data in Excel 2016.

Step 1: Enter Data into a Worksheet

1. Open Excel and select New Workbook.
2. Enter the data you want to use to create a graph or chart. In this example,
we’re comparing the profit of five different products from 2013 to 2017.
Be sure to include labels for your columns and rows. Doing so enables
you to translate the data into a chart or graph with clear axis labels. You
can download this sample data below.

Step 2: Select Range to Create Chart or Graph from Workbook Data

1. Highlight the cells that contain the data you want to use in your graph by
clicking and dragging your mouse across the cells.
2. Your cell range will now be highlighted in gray and you can select a
chart type.

How to Make a Chart in Excel

After you input your data and select the cell range, you’re ready to choose the
chart type. In this example, we’ll create a clustered column chart from the
data we used in the previous section.

Step 1: Select Chart Type

Once your data is highlighted in the Workbook, click the Insert tab on the top
banner. About halfway across the toolbar is a section with several chart
options. Excel provides Recommended Charts based on popularity, but you
can click any of the dropdown menus to select a different template.
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Step 2: Create Your Chart

1. From the Insert tab, click the column chart icon and select Clustered
Column.

1. Excel will automatically create a clustered chart column from your

selected data. The chart will appear in the center of your workbook.
2. To name your chart, double click the Chart Title text in the chart and
type a title. We’ll call this chart “Product Profit 2013 - 2017.”

We’ll use this chart for the rest of the walkthrough. You can download this
same chart to follow along.
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COLUMN CHART TEMPLATE

PRODUCT 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Product A $18,580 $49,225 $16,326 $10,017 $26,134
Product B $78,970 $82,262 $48,640 $48,640 $48,640
Product C $24,236 $131,390 $79,022 $71,009 $81,474
Product D $16,730 $19,730 $12,109 $11,355 $17,686
Product E $35,358 $42,685 $20,893 $16,065 $21,388

There are two tabs on the toolbar that you will use to make adjustments to
your chart: Chart Design and Format. Excel automatically applies design,
layout, and format presets to charts and graphs, but you can add
customisation by exploring the tabs. Next, we’ll walk you through all the
available adjustments in Chart Design.

Step 3: Add Chart Elements

Adding chart elements to your chart or graph will enhance it by clarifying
data or providing additional context. You can select a chart element by
clicking on the Add Chart Element dropdown menu in the top left-hand
corner (beneath the Home tab).

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To Display or Hide Axes:
1. Select Axes. Excel will automatically pull the column and row headers
from your selected cell range to display both horizontal and vertical axes
on your chart (Under Axes, there is a check mark next to Primary
Horizontal and Primary Vertical.)

2. Uncheck these options to remove the display axis on your chart. In this
example, clicking Primary Horizontal will remove the year labels on the
horizontal axis of your chart.

3. Click More Axis Options… from the Axes dropdown menu to open a
window with additional formatting and text options such as adding tick
marks, labels, or numbers, or to change text color and size.

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To Add Axis Titles:

1. Click Add Chart Element and click Axis Titles from the dropdown menu.
Excel will not automatically add axis titles to your chart; therefore,
both Primary Horizontal and Primary Vertical will be unchecked.

2. To create axis titles, click Primary Horizontal or Primary Vertical and a

text box will appear on the chart. We clicked both in this example. Type
your axis titles. In this example, the we added the titles “Year”
(horizontal) and “Profit” (vertical).

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To Remove or Move Chart Title:

• Click Add Chart Element and click Chart Title. You will see four
options: None, Above Chart, Centered Overlay, and More Title Options.

• Click None to remove chart title.

• Click Above Chart to place the title above the chart. If you create a chart
title, Excel will automatically place it above the chart.
• Click Centered Overlay to place the title within the gridlines of the chart.
Be careful with this option: you don’t want the title to cover any of your
data or clutter your graph (as in the example below).

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1. Click Add Chart Element and click Data Labels. There are six options
for data labels: None (default), Center, Inside End, Inside Base, Outside
End, and More Data Label Title Options.

2. The four placement options will add specific labels to each data point
measured in your chart. Click the option you want. This customisation
can be helpful if you have a small amount of precise data, or if you have
a lot of extra space in your chart. For a clustered column chart, however,
adding data labels will likely look too cluttered. For example, here is
what selecting Center data labels looks like:

To Add a Data Table:

1. Click Add Chart Element and click Data Table. There are three pre-
formatted options along with an extended menu that can be found by
clicking More Data Table Options:
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• None is the default setting, where the data table is not duplicated within
the chart.
• With Legend Keys displays the data table beneath the chart to show the
data range. The color-coded legend will also be included.

• No Legend Keys also displays the data table beneath the chart, but
without the legend.

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your chart larger to accommodate the table. Simply click the corner of your
chart and use drag-and-drop to resize your chart.

To Add Error Bars:

1. Click Add Chart Element and click Error Bars. In addition to More
Error Bars Options, there are four options: None (default), Standard
Error, 5% (Percentage), and Standard Deviation. Adding error bars
provide a visual representation of the potential error in the shown data,
based on different standard equations for isolating error.

2. For example, when we click Standard Error from the options we get a
chart that looks like the image below.

To Add Gridlines:
1. Click Add Chart Element and click Gridlines. In addition to More Grid
Line Options, there are four options: Primary Major Horizontal, Primary
Major Vertical, Primary Minor Horizontal, and Primary Minor Vertical.
For a column chart, Excel will add Primary Major Horizontal gridlines
by default.
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2. You can select as many different gridlines as you want by clicking the
options. For example, here is what our chart looks like when we click all
four gridline options.

To Add a Legend:
1. Click Add Chart Element and click Legend. In addition to More Legend
Options, there are five options for legend placement: None, Right, Top,
Left, and Bottom.

2. Legend placement will depend on the style and format of your chart.
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To Add Lines: Lines are not available for clustered column charts. However,
in other chart types where you only compare two variables, you can add lines
(e.g. target, average, reference, etc.) to your chart by checking the appropriate
option.

To Add a Trendline:
1. Click Add Chart Element and click Trendline. In addition to More
Trendline Options, there are five options: None (default), Linear,
Exponential, Linear Forecast, and Moving Average. Check the
appropriate option for your data set. In this example, we will
click Linear.

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2. Because we are comparing five different products over time, Excel
creates a trendline for each individual product. To create a linear
trendline for Product A, click Product A and click the blue OK button.

3. The chart will now display a dotted trendline to represent the linear
progression of Product A. Note that Excel has also added Linear
(Product A) to the legend.

4. To display the trendline equation on your chart, double click the

trendline. A Format Trendline window will open on the right side of your
screen. Click the box next to Display equation on chart at the bottom of the
window. The equation now appears on your chart.

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Note: You can create separate trendlines for as many variables in your chart
as you like. For example, here is our chart with trendlines for Product A and
Product C.

To Add Up/Down Bars: Up/Down Bars are not available for a column chart,
but you can use them in a line chart to show increases and decreases among
data points.
Step 4: Adjust Quick Layout
1. The second dropdown menu on the toolbar is Quick Layout, which
allows you to quickly change the layout of elements in your chart (titles,
legend, clusters etc.).
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2. There are 11 quick layout options. Hover your cursor over the different
options for an explanation and click the one you want to apply.

Step 5: Change Colors

The next dropdown menu in the toolbar is Change Colors. Click the icon and
choose the color palette that fits your needs (these needs could be aesthetic,
or to match your brand’s colors and style).

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Step 6: Change Style

For cluster column charts, there are 14 chart styles available. Excel will
default to Style 1, but you can select any of the other styles to change the
chart appearance. Use the arrow on the right of the image bar to view other
options.

Step 7: Switch Row/Column

1. Click the Switch Row/Column on the toolbar to flip the axes. Note: It is
not always intuitive to flip axes for every chart, for example, if you have
more than two variables.

In this example, switching the row and column swaps the product and year
(profit remains on the y-axis). The chart is now clustered by product (not
year), and the color-coded legend refers to the year (not product). To avoid
confusion here, click on the legend and change the titles from Series to Years.

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Step 8: Select Data

1. Click the Select Data icon on the toolbar to change the range of your
data.

2. A window will open. Type the cell range you want and click
the OK button. The chart will automatically update to reflect this new
data range.

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1. Click the Change Chart Type dropdown menu.

2. Here you can change your chart type to any of the nine chart categories
that Excel offers. Of course, make sure that your data is appropriate for
the chart type you choose.

3. You can also save your chart as a template by clicking Save as

Template…
4. A dialogue box will open where you can name your template. Excel will
automatically create a folder for your templates for easy organisation.
Click the blue Save button.

Step 10: Move Chart

1. Click the Move Chart icon on the far right of the toolbar.

2. A dialogue box appears where you can choose where to place your chart.
You can either create a new sheet with this chart (New sheet) or place
this chart as an object in another sheet (Object in). Click the
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blue OK button.

Step 11: Change Formatting

1. The Format tab allows you to change formatting of all elements and text
in the chart, including colors, size, shape, fill, and alignment, and the
ability to insert shapes. Click the Format tab and use the shortcuts
available to create a chart that reflects your organisation’s brand (colors,
images, etc.).

2. Click the dropdown menu on the top left side of the toolbar and click the
chart element you are editing.

Step 12: Delete a Chart

To delete a chart, simply click on it and click the Delete key on your
keyboard.

By using these basic techniques, you can improve the design and formatting
of your spreadsheets and make them easier to read and understand.

6.4 PIVOT TABLES AND DATA ANALYSIS

A pivot table is a data summarisation tool used in spreadsheet programs like
Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets. It allows users to reorganise and
summarise large amounts of data in a flexible and dynamic way, making it
easier to understand and analyse. Pivot tables work by allowing users to
group and aggregate data based on specific criteria, such as dates, categories,
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the ability to drill down into the details as needed.

Data analysis, on the other hand, is the process of examining and interpreting
data to identify patterns, trends, and insights. It is used to gain a deeper
understanding of data and to make informed decisions based on the results.
Pivot tables are a powerful tool for data analysis, as they allow users to
quickly and easily summarise and manipulate large amounts of data. By
using pivot tables in combination with other data analysis techniques, such as
charts, graphs, and statistical analysis, users can gain valuable insights into
their data and make informed decisions based on the results.

Consider the following table of sales data. From this data, you might have to
summarise total sales region wise, month wise, or salesperson wise. The easy
way to handle these tasks is to create a PivotTable that you can dynamically
modify to summarise the results the way you want.

Creating PivotTable
To create PivotTables, ensure the first row has headers.
• Click the table.
• Click the INSERT tab on the Ribbon.
• Click PivotTable in the Tables group. The PivotTable dialog box
appears.

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As you can see in the dialog box, you can use either a Table or Range from
the current workbook or use an external data source.
• In the Table / Range Box, type the table name.
• Click New Worksheet to tell Excel where to keep the PivotTable.
• Click OK.

A Blank PivotTable and a PivotTable fields list appear.

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Recommended PivotTables
In case you are new to PivotTables or you do not know which fields to select
from the data, you can use the Recommended PivotTables that Excel
provides.
• Click the data table.
• Click the INSERT tab.
• Click on Recommended PivotTables in the Tables group. The
Recommended PivotTables dialog box appears.

In the recommended PivotTables dialog box, the possible customised

PivotTables that suit your data are displayed.
• Click each of the PivotTable options to see the preview on the right side.
• Click the PivotTable Sum of Order Amount by Salesperson and month.

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Click OK. The selected PivotTable appears on a new worksheet. You can
observe the PivotTable fields that was selected in the PivotTable fields list.

PivotTable Fields
The headers in your data table will appear as the fields in the PivotTable.

You can select / deselect them to instantly change your PivotTable to display
only the information you want and in a way that you want. For example, if
you want to display the account information instead of order amount
information, deselect Order Amount and select Account.

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PivotTable Areas
You can even change the Layout of your PivotTable instantly. You can use
the PivotTable Areas to accomplish this.

In PivotTable areas, you can choose −

• What fields to display as rows
• What fields to display as columns
• How to summarise your data
• Filters for any of the fields
• When to update your PivotTable Layout
o You can update it instantly as you drag the fields across areas, or
o You can defer the update and get it updated only when you click on
UPDATE

An instant update helps you to play around with the different Layouts and
pick the one that suits your report requirement.
You can just drag the fields across these areas and observe the PivotTable
layout as you do it.

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Nesting in the PivotTable

If you have more than one field in any of the areas, then nesting happens in
the order you place the fields in that area. You can change the order by
dragging the fields and observe how nesting changes. In the above layout
options, you can observe that
• Months are in columns.
• Region and salesperson in rows in that order. i.e. salesperson values are
nested under region values.
• Summarising is by Sum of Order Amount.
• No filters are chosen.

The resulting PivotTable is as follows −

In the PivotTable Areas, in rows, click region and drag it below salesperson
such that it looks as follows −

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The nesting order changes and the resulting PivotTable is as follows −

Note − You can clearly observe that the layout with the nesting order –
Region and then Salesperson yields a better and compact report than the one
with the nesting order – Salesperson and then Region. In case Salesperson
represents more than one area and you need to summarise the sales by
Salesperson, then the second layout would have been a better option.

Filters
You can assign a Filter to one of the fields so that you can dynamically
change the PivotTable based on the values of that field.

Drag Region from Rows to Filters in the PivotTable Areas.

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The filter with the label as Region appears above the PivotTable (in case you
do not have empty rows above your PivotTable, PivotTable gets pushed
down to make space for the Filter.

You can see that −

• Salesperson values appear in rows.
• Month values appear in columns.
• Region Filter appears on the top with default selected as ALL.
• Summarising value is Sum of Order Amount
o Sum of Order Amount Salesperson-wise appears in the column Grand
Total
o Sum of Order Amount Month-wise appears in the row Grand Total
Click the arrow in the box to the right of the filter region. A drop-down list
with the values of the field region appears.

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• Check the option Select Multiple Items. Check boxes appear for all the
values.
• Select South and West and deselect the other values and click OK.

The data pertaining to South and West Regions only will be summarised as
shown in the screen shot given below −

You can see that next to the Filter Region, Multiple Items is displayed,
indicating that you have selected more than one item. However, how many
items and / or which items are selected is not known from the report that is
displayed. In such a case, using Slicers is a better option for filtering.

Slicers
You can use Slicers to have a better clarity on which items the data was
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• Click ANALYSE under PIVOTTABLE TOOLS on the Ribbon.
• Click Insert Slicer in the Filter group. The Insert Slicers box appears. It
contains all the fields from your data.
• Select the fields Region and month. Click OK.

Slicers for each of the selected fields appear with all the values selected by
default. Slicer Tools appear on the Ribbon to work on the Slicer settings,
look and feel.

• Select South and West in the Slicer for Region.

• Select February and March in the Slicer for month.
• Keep Ctrl key pressed while selecting multiple values in a Slicer.
Selected items in the Slicers are highlighted. PivotTable with summarised
values for the selected items will be displayed.

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In the examples so far, you have seen summarising values by Sum. However,
you can use other calculations also if necessary.
In the PivotTable Fields List
• Select the Field Account.
• Unselect the Field Order Amount.

• Drag the field Account to Summarising Values area. By default, Sum of

Account will be displayed.
• Click the arrow on the right side of the box.
• In the drop-down that appears, click Value Field Settings.

The Value Field Settings box appears. Several types of calculations appear as
a list under Summarise value field by −
• Select Count in the list.
• The Custom Name automatically changes to Count of Account. Click
OK.

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The PivotTable summarises the Account values by Count.

PivotTable Tools
Follow the steps given below to learn to use the PivotTable Tools.
• Select the PivotTable.
The following PivotTable Tools appear on the Ribbon −
• ANALYSE
• DESIGN

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• Set PivotTable Options
• Value Field Settings for the selected Field
• Expand Field
• Collapse Field
• Insert Slicer
• Insert Timeline
• Refresh Data
• Change Data Source
• Move PivotTable
• Solve Order (If there are more calculations)
• PivotChart
Some of the DESIGN Ribbon commands are −
• PivotTable Layout
o Options for Sub Totals
o Options for Grand Totals
o Report Layout Forms
o Options for Blank Rows
• PivotTable Style Options
• PivotTable Styles

6.5 SUMMARY
Spreadsheet analysis refers to the process of using electronic spreadsheets,
such as Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets, to organise, manipulate, and
analyse data. It involves creating formulas and functions to perform
calculations and automate tasks, formatting data to make it more readable,
and using charts and graphs to visualise and communicate insights.
Spreadsheet analysis can be used for a wide range of applications, from
budgeting and financial analysis to inventory management and project
tracking. By leveraging the power of spreadsheets, analysts can save time,
reduce errors, and gain valuable insights from their data.
Spreadsheet analysis can be used in a variety of contexts, such as finance and
accounting, sales and marketing, human resources, project management, and
more. Some common use cases include budgeting, forecasting, financial
statement analysis, inventory management, and data analysis. To get the most
out of spreadsheet analysis, it's important to follow best practices such as
organising data in a logical and consistent manner, using descriptive labels
and formulas, keeping formulas simple and transparent, and testing and
validating calculations to ensure accuracy.

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6.6 SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISES
Caselet:
You have been tasked with creating a budget spreadsheet for your household
expenses. Your goal is to create a spreadsheet that can track your income and
expenses, calculate your monthly savings, and provide a summary of your
spending by category.

Questions:
• Create a new Excel spreadsheet and label the first row as "Month" and
the second row as "Income" and "Expenses" respectively.
• Under the "Income" column, list your sources of income for the month
(such as salary, freelance work, or rental income).
• Under the "Expenses" column, list your expenses for the month,
including categories such as housing, food, transportation, and
entertainment.
• Use Excel's SUM function to calculate the total income and expenses for
the month.
• Create a formula to calculate your monthly savings by subtracting your
total expenses from your total income.
• Use conditional formatting to highlight any cells that are over budget or
below a certain threshold (such as a minimum savings amount).
• Create a pie chart or bar chart to visualise your spending by category.
• Use data validation to create a drop-down list of categories for your
expenses.
• Save the spreadsheet and update it each month to track your progress and
make adjustments as needed.

6.7 FURTHER READINGS

1. "Excel 2019 Bible" by Michael Alexander and Richard Kusleika.
2. "Excel Formulas and Functions For Dummies" by Ken Bluttman and
Peter G. Aitken
3. "Power Pivot and Power BI: The Excel User's Guide to DAX, Power
Query, Power BI & Power Pivot in Excel 2010-2016" by Rob Collie and
Avi Singh.
4. Online tutorials –
• Excel Easy (https://www.excel-easy.com/)
• Exceljet (https://exceljet.net/)
• Excel Campus (https://www.excelcampus.com/).

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