problem solving

Attended the wrong Excel course

Joanne, a diligent and meticulous employee at Company A, was tasked with calculating the insurance premiums for the company’s several hundred staff members and their dependents. The insurance offered consisted of two types of plans, with premiums varying based on the age of the employees and their dependents. Joanne, a frequent user of Excel, was confident she could handle the task. However, as she examined the requirements, she realized the complexity of the calculations required to determine the correct premiums.

Joanne decided to use the VLOOKUP function in Excel, a tool she was somewhat familiar with. She believed it would help her match the employee data with the correct insurance premiums. But as she attempted to set up her spreadsheet, she quickly became confused. VLOOKUP could not handle the multiple criteria needed, such as the staff positions and the varying ages of the insured. Frustration set in, and she spent hours trying to make the function work, to no avail.

What Joanne didn’t realize was that she was using the wrong function for her problem. The real solution lay in the SUMIFS function, which could handle multiple criteria effortlessly. Unfortunately, Joanne was unaware of this function and continued to struggle.

Joanne’s experience is not unique. Many Excel users find themselves in similar situations, misled by their limited knowledge of the Excel’s capabilities. They attend Excel courses hoping to learn functions that will solve their problems but end up more frustrated because they cannot apply what they learned to their specific tasks. The root of the issue is not just a lack of knowledge about specific functions but a deeper gap in understanding data analytics and how to incorporate data analytics to their Excel skills.

In our Excel courses, we prioritize understanding the specific needs of our students. Before the course, we ask for samples of the data they work with so we can tailor our teaching to offer practical solutions. This approach ensures that they leave the workshop with the relevant Excel skills and data analytics skills they can apply immediately, saving time and reducing frustration.

For Joanne, a simple introduction to the SUMIFS function would have transformed her task from a nightmare into a manageable project. SUMIFS would allow her to add up all the premiums based on multiple criteria, such as the employee’s position and the age of the insured, providing accurate results quickly and efficiently.

If you or your team attend Excel courses but return to work without significant time savings or problem-solving improvements, it’s time to reassess your approach. Understanding data analytics and learning the right functions for your specific needs is crucial. We are here to help you bridge that gap and transform your Excel use from frustration to efficiency.

How to gauge what you need to learn in an Excel course?

·Level 0: Absolute Beginner

·Skills: No knowledge of Excel for data analysis.

·Signs: You were sent to this course by your boss and have never opened Excel before.

·Level 1: Basic Awareness

·Skills: Has seen a PivotTable or a basic Excel chart.

·Signs: Recognize an Excel screen and can identify basic elements like cells and columns.

·Level 2: Novice

·Skills: Can perform simple tasks like entering data and basic functions (SUM, AVERAGE).

·Signs: You can modify and format a spreadsheet but might struggle with organizing data effectively.

·Level 3: Intermediate Beginner

·Skills: Comfortable with basic formulas and can create simple charts.

·Signs: Know how to use AutoFill and Filter data, but advanced features like PivotTables are challenging.

·Level 4: Competent

·Skills: Can create and modify PivotTables and use basic conditional formatting.

·Signs: Comfortable with most tasks in Excel but need guidance for complex formulas or analysis.

·Level 5: Skilled

·Skills: Able to use functions like VLOOKUP and MATCH. Can create more complex charts.

·Signs: Can manage and analyze large datasets, but may not use best practices for efficiency.

·Level 6: Advanced Intermediate

·Skills: Proficient with array formulas, Power Query for data manipulation, and introductory macros.

·Signs: You can automate some tasks and create interactive dashboards, but still learning best practices.

·Level 7: Proficient

·Skills: Comfortable with advanced features like macros, and can use Excel as a database.