procurement excel course
What Procurement Specialists Want from an Excel Course
The Struggles of a Procurement Specialist
Mavis, a diligent procurement specialist, faced daily challenges in her role. Her main responsibility was ensuring the inventory levels were sufficient to meet the anticipated sales demand. This task required her to collate sales forecasts from various stakeholders, including sales managers and product managers. These forecasts came in multiple Excel files, making the task of consolidation time-consuming and prone to errors.
Mavis spent hours each week manually merging these files, checking for discrepancies, and ensuring the data was accurate. The repetitive nature of this task left her frustrated, hoping to find out a more efficient way to handle this data. She approached Howard from HR for an Excel course to help her improve her skills.
The Dilemma: Intermediate or Advanced?
When Howard from HR asked Mavis about her preferred level of Excel training—intermediate or advanced—Mavis found herself at a loss. She knew that she needed to become more proficient in Excel, but she wasn’t sure which level of training would best address her needs. This uncertainty highlighted a common issue: procurement specialists often know they need to improve their Excel skills but are unsure which specific skills will help them the most.
Howard, lacking a deep understanding of the specific challenges Mavis faced, was also unable to provide a clear recommendation. The disconnect between the HR department and the specialized needs of the procurement team meant that Mavis’s request for training wasn’t straightforward.
Beyond Basic Excel Skills
For procurement specialists like Mavis, traditional Excel skills are no longer sufficient. The complexity of their tasks requires advanced knowledge and specific techniques tailored to their roles. Here are the key areas where Mavis needs to improve:
- Handling Multiple Worksheets: Mavis needed to learn how to efficiently manage and consolidate data from multiple Excel files. This includes understanding how to use tools like Power Query, which can automate the process of importing and cleaning data from various sources.
- Combining Sales Forecasts: Instead of manually merging files, Mavis needed to know how to use Excel’s advanced functions to combine data instantly. This would save her significant time and reduce the risk of errors.
- Data Reorganization for Pivot Tables: Creating Pivot Tables was not enough. Mavis needed to learn how to reorganize and structure her data to make it more suitable for Pivot Tables. This would involve mastering techniques such as data normalization and using structured references.
- Advanced Calculations within Pivot Tables: Mavis needed to go beyond basic Pivot Table creation and learn how to perform complex calculations within Pivot Tables. This includes using calculated fields and items to derive meaningful insights from the data.
The Solution
The Data Analytics Masterclass in Procurement is designed to help procurement specialists like Mavis to consolidate their sales forecast for further analysis and decision-making. A foundation course in Excel Power Query and Power Pivot will provide a fundamental understanding of Power Tools in Excel. A deep dive into module 2 and module 3 will guide procurement specialists on using Excel Power Tools functions for activities in Procurement and Supply Chain Management.
The Data Analytics Masterclass for Procurement covers the following:
- Power Query: Training on how to use Power Query to automate the process of data importation, cleaning, and consolidation from multiple sources.
- Data Transformation Techniques: Lessons on how to transform and reorganize data to make it Pivot Table-friendly.
- Advanced Pivot Table Skills: In-depth tutorials on creating complex calculations within Pivot Tables, using calculated fields and items, and deriving insights from the data.
- Best Practices for Data Management: Guidance on best practices for managing and organizing data in Excel for procurement, ensuring data integrity and ease of analysis.