Top 5 MS Excel Tips for Faster Reporting

Everyone who is in the business of SEO knows the value of time. The internet is a vast pool of resources and opportunities, with new avenues opening up even as this is being written. You need to manage time and touch as many points as you possibly can. Reporting on MS Excel is a major time killer in this regard. Many with incomplete knowledge of the software find it really cumbersome to compile reports without wasting much time in the process. Here we will look at the top 5 ways to save time on MS Excel while preparing reports:

• Adding Up: The most irksome problem is probably that of adding up rows and columns of numbers. You can do it instantly by using the Alt key followed by the = key. Simply click on the blank field where you want the total and hit these two keys for the summative result.
• Decoding Formulas: Excel is notorious for confusing unsuspecting users into using formulas that often take you into mazes. You might find a number result behaving oddly as you change the factors producing the result. Decode the underlying formula quickly by hitting the Ctrl key with the ` key (left of 1).
• Jump to Start/Finish: You often have to use a series of rows and columns, scrolling over endlessly. How do you get to the start or finish without having to plod through all that data? Simply use Ctrl along with upper-arrow key (to reach the first row/column) and Ctrl and down-arrow key (to reach the last row/column)
• Replicating Formulas: Never waste time recreating the same formula for a series of rows or columns. Save time by creating the formula only on the first cell in the series. Then double-click on the cell and when a + sign shows up on taking the mouse pointer to the edge of the cell, click and drag it over cells you want to have the same formula.
• Logic of Short-cuts: MS Excel has a method to the madness of short-cuts. For example, the quick way to get a currency conversion formula is to use Ctrl along with Shift and 4. Now, Shift and 4 gives $! You are actually hitting Ctrl and $ for the currency conversion formula which explains the short-cut.