Blog

Microsoft Excel is the standard software for managing and organizing data and spreadsheets.

This software is widely used by businesses across various industries on a daily basis. Whether you need to compare monthly sales revenue or document weekly traffic for a website, you’ve probably used Micorsoft Excel at some point on the job.

But while you may have some experience with the program, you probably have only scratched the surface of all of its features. Here are some ways any user can get more out of Microsoft Excel.

Create Menu Shortcuts to Save Time

Excel is a very versatile program, allowing users to display information in various ways. Users can also check, edit, and copy information as needed. The large amount of features Excel has makes it useful in various situations, but most businesses will use it for the same purposes on a regular basis.

Creating menu shortcuts allows users to quickly access important commands. This makes it easy to streamline daily operations, achieve consistency in data logging, and stay organized. To view the shortcut menu, simply press Shift+F10 on a PC and Fn+Shift+F10 on Mac.

Add a Diagonal Line to a Cell

Most people use Excel to store information in a concise and easy-to-read manner. Even regular users of this software may think that horizontal and vertical lines are all that is used to divide data. However, diagonal lines can be added in the border category of the formatting menu. Dividing cells can be useful for starting tables and displaying different types of data.

To add a diagonal line to cells, just select the cell and right click to open the format cells menu. Then select the diagonal line option on the border menu.

Quick Drag of Columns or Rows

The amount of data an Excel sheet holds can vary, but no one likes the thought of having to move individual cells. Luckily, users can drag rows and columns quickly by clicking on the border. Data can also be copied and pasted from rows and columns with ease, ensuring fast changes can be made without sacrificing accuracy.

Delete All Blank Cells

Excel is known for its ability to organize data into visually-appealing formats. In some cases, this doesn’t mean adding things to the sheet – it can mean taking them away. Deleting blank cells can make it easier to see the actual data in an Excel file. We can use the filtering command to select all blank cells and delete them simultaneously.

Simply select the area with blank cells, then click on Find and Select in the editing toolbar. Next, scroll down to “Go to Special” and fill the check box labeled “Blank.” Now that you only have blank cells selected, go to the delete button on the editing toolbar.

Input Restrictions Improve Any Sheet

When it comes to maintaining data, sometimes a given range is applicable in a certain cell. For example, a cell dedicated to the birth-month of all employees in a company would use whole numbers between one and twelve. Under data validation settings, we are able to set the minimum and maximum values allowable, as well as whether the values should be whole numbers.

On the data tab, select Data Validation. Then in the settings menu you can select your desired input restrictions to whole numbers (or whatever restrictions your document requires.)

Turn Columns into Rows Collectively

Sometimes we find that data can be displayed more efficiently if the sheet is switched around. Doing this manually can be time consuming and lead to errors. Users can turn columns into rows using the transpose function. It’s easy and quicker than most expect so don’t settle for a spreadsheet that isn’t optimally formatted!

For a quick how to switch the columns and rows, click here.

Streamlining Case of Text

Text may need to be formatted differently in different rows and columns. Case text can be set in each cell based on whether the text should be all capitals or lowercase, or whether the first letter should be capitalized. In many cases, data from outside sources may be in all caps and you may need it transposed into first letter only – especially if you are using the data to create shipping labels or using in a Word document.

To fix case of text of a whole row or column at once, use the following formula to create new columns or rows. In the first cell of the new row or column use =PROPER(Cell Number) You can use PROPER for proper capitalization, UPPER for uppercase and LOWER for lowercase. For more info on how to use this feature, click here.

Save Time with Microsoft Office Training

Excel is the type of software which can be useful in any professional setting. When it comes to keeping data organized in an easy-to-read format, Excel has plenty to offer businesses of all sizes. There are plenty of advanced functions users can master in Excel. The best way to do this is with Microsoft training from a quality provider.

At Centriq, we offer training in all of the software and hardware necessary to keep your business running in the digital age.View all available Excel 2013/2016 Classes HERE.

To learn more about training to help you master this software, contact Centriq today or take a look at our class schedule here.