Increasing Excel Efficiency and Mastery: Learn Excel Shortcuts in 1 Hour

data analytics excel productivity watch Jul 18, 2024

The webinar, led by Sodiq Yusuf, a Microsoft Certified Trainer and Business Intelligence Analyst at dbrownconsulting, focused on enhancing Excel efficiency and mastery through the use of shortcuts. The session was designed to help participants streamline their Excel usage, making it easier and faster to perform common tasks.

The webinar emphasized the importance of mastering Excel basics before diving into complex functions and formulas. Many users struggle with Excel because they skip over these foundational elements.

Key Points:

1. Navigating Worksheets:

Sodiq introduced essential shortcuts for navigating between multiple sheets in an Excel workbook:
Ctrl + Page Down: Move to the next sheet.
Ctrl + Page Up: Move to the previous sheet.

2. Summing Data Quickly:

Sodiq demonstrated how to quickly sum data across multiple columns or rows using:
Alt + = (Alt +=): Automatically sums selected cells.
This shortcut can significantly reduce the time spent on manual summation, especially when dealing with large datasets.

3. Using Formulas and Functions:

The difference between formulas and functions was explained:
Formulas: Manually written expressions, such as =A1+B1.
Functions: Pre-built Excel operations like SUM(), AVERAGE(), and VLOOKUP().
The webinar explored how to use the SUM() function effectively and introduced shortcuts to speed up the process.

4. Efficient Data Reporting:

Sodiq covered the use of Excel functions for data reporting, focusing on how to aggregate and analyze data efficiently.
He provided tips on using Excel’s inbuilt functions to perform complex calculations and data analysis with minimal effort.

5. Text Manipulation with Excel Functions:

The session included a case study on extracting specific data from transaction codes using functions like LEFT(), RIGHT(), and MID().
For more advanced users, Sodiq introduced newer Excel functions available in Microsoft 365, such as TEXTBEFORE(), TEXTAFTER(), and TEXTSPLIT().

6. Automation with Flash Fill:

A significant highlight was the demonstration of Flash Fill, an AI-driven tool in Excel that automates repetitive tasks based on user-provided examples.
Flash Fill can automatically recognize patterns in your data and complete tasks like separating names, reformatting dates, and more with just a few clicks.

Easy Activation: Flash Fill can be activated in two main ways:

Automatically: As you type, Excel may suggest auto-completing the rest of your data. Simply press Enter to accept.
Manually: Use the shortcut Ctrl + E after typing an example, and Flash Fill will fill in the rest of the column based on the pattern it detects.

7. Practical Exercises:

Participants were encouraged to apply what they learned through practical exercises provided during the webinar. Download Exercise Files

Conclusion: The webinar was packed with valuable insights and practical tips for improving Excel efficiency. By mastering these shortcuts and functions, users can significantly reduce the time and effort spent on data management tasks. For those eager to take their Excel skills to the next level, dbrownconsulting offers a comprehensive Power Excel course.