Briefly

Specific advance topics are developed in this workshop. This workshop is specifically designed to cover the 4 major analysis tools in Excel 2007. We examine the two powerful backwardisation tools, specifically Goal Seek and the far more comprehensive Solver with its multiple constraints and objective functions. Then we see how Scenario Manager is used to develop alternative outcomes from changed variables before moving to the final topic - the new look Pivot Table feature which provides for such flexible reporting. 

Detailed Outline - A full one day workshop                                      

For Whom:
This workshop is designed for competent Excel users who build their own models and spreadsheet solutions, but may have little or limited experience in some of the specific areas covered here.

Assumed expertise:
Participants should not only be competent users of Excel, but should be familiar with its function structures as well as having some experience of building business applications.

Contents:
- This workshop looks at very specific features of Excel 2007 which would tend to be used by competent advanced users of the application.
 
- The first topic begins by looking at the simplest analytical tool - Goal Seek with its ability to return a variable value based on changing an outcome. 
 
- A much more sophisticated tool in the Excel chest is Solver. We begin this topic by looking at the basic principles behind ‘linear programming’ - but only in as much as we need the concepts to use the Tool.

- The concepts used to develop Solver type problems is considered with an example from manufacturing, producing the Limits, Sensitivity, and Answer Reports.

- An alternative to Solver is often found in  Scenario Manager, which is very useful in problem solving applications where several variables need to change simultaneously. We consider its uses and misuse, in both simple and more complex forms.
 
- Pivot Tables are a unique and powerful tool for data analysis and reporting, and the new look version in Excel 2007 finally eliminated much of the confusion while adding some new features. We consider the principles and uses of Pivot Tables to produce complex reports and graphs.