Table of Contents

Disclaimers
Intent
Special Bonus
Step 1. Dollar Sign $
Step 2. Keyboard Shortcuts
Step 3. Excel Toolbar Menu
HOME tab
INSERT tab
PAGE LAYOUT tab
FORMULAS tab
DATA tab
REVIEW tab
VIEW tab
DEVELOPER tab
Step 4. Excel Formulas
=IF
=OR, = AND
=IFERROR
 =CONCATENATE, =RIGHT, =LEFT
=VLOOKUP, =HLOOKUP
=INDEX & MATCH
=SUMIFS
=COUNTIFS
Step 5. Designing Reports in Excel
Final Words to Say
 Disclaimers
The book contains materials that designed to assist
readers in effective using of Microsoft Excel
spreadsheet. While the author has made every
attempt to verify that the information provided in
this book is correct and up to date, the author
assumes no responsibility for any error, inaccuracy
or omission.
The book’s material includes information and
products by third parties. Third Parties may change
or modified their information and products in any
time. As such, the author does not assume
responsibility for any inconsistencies.
All trademarks appearing in this guide are the
property of their respective owners.
No part of this publication shall be reproduced,
transmitted, or sold in whole or in part in any form,
without the prior consent of the author.

excelmanual@outlook.com
 Intent
I wrote this guide to share my experience about
what you should learn and focus on in order to
get maximum results out of Excel.
When I was in a time of not knowing Excel
enough, I couldn’t do my work the way I’ve
wished and imagined. As a result, I would spend
hours on the internet to go through the piles of
information and learn as much as possible with
only one goal: improve my skills in Excel.
Unfortunately, it made me even more
disappointed and overwhelmed since I didn’t
know what are the most important formulas and
function, and where I could potentially apply
them.
It was not too long ago. So I thought, how it
would’ve been great to have an all-in-one guide,
from start to finish, that has only the most
meaningful and necessary information for
improving Excel skills. To make it happen, I’ve
put together my practical experience, hours
spent on the internet, and a great desire. The goal
was simple: to make the guide as short as
possible, but very informative for you.
Neither I’m a guru nor an “Excel nerd”, but just
a common guy who works a lot with Excel and
now is willing to share his many years’
experience with you. As much as I love English,
it’s not my mother tong. So, I apologize if you
hear something weird along the way. I was so
determined to write this book that I decided to
give it a fly.
If I can help only one person to learn Excel, then
the time I have spent to write this eBook is
totally worth it.
This book is a guide that walks you through the
main formulas, functions, and other useful
features in Excel. It’s not a “system” to master
Excel in a few days. It has, however, 5 simple
steps that guide you towards creating automated,
powerful reports. Furthermore, it will give
interesting insights on how you can use the
formulas and functions in different situations.
Nonetheless, the ultimate success depends on
our joint work, so I advise you, after each
chapter, set aside some time to practice.
I hope that this book will be worth your time.
Thanks!
 Special Bonus
I’m very thankful to you for picking up my
guide, Excel Manual. It’s a big honour for me to
share with you my experience. I’m thrilled and
very excited to give you a proper “Excel road
map” that you could get the most out of it. To
make the words be worth of more than just
words, I’ve prepared for you an automated
report in Excel spreadsheet only by using
information and tips from the book. I will take
you behind the scene to show you how this
report was created that you could do it yourself.
Once we walked through all the necessary steps,
we will come back to this topic at the end of this
book. If you, however, want to take a look at the
report right now, you can download it from here:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1w351lc2kg170xl
/AACDyRCb5CBsrKh-B3PD0qJfa?dl=0
Enjoy the reading and thank you again!
“There’s an entire flight simulation hidden in
every copy of Microsoft Excel.”
- Bruce Schneier
 Step 1. Dollar Sign $
Before we take the path of learning “dreadful”
formulas and tools, I would like you to
understand how Dollar Sign works in Excel.
However, if you already have a clear picture of
how it works, you can move to the next chapter.
I will catch you there just in minutes.
For now, however, let’s cut to the chase. First,
you should never underestimate this little $ guy
because he will trick you as soon as you lose
your attention, especially, when your work with
long formulas. Apart from the money, Dollar
Sign means fixation of cell references.
You can fix the cell references in the three
different ways:
$A$1 – absolute cell reference;
A$1 – reference to a particular row;
$A1 – reference to a particular column.
Before we go into the details, let’s talk about
Excel worksheet. Excel worksheet is a pool of
cells arranged in columns and rows. Each cell
has its own location that defined by a column
letter (A, B, C etc.) and a row number (1, 2, 3
etc.).
Thus, if we put number 100 in the first cell of a
worksheet and then refer to this cell from another
cell, we will see the cell’s location, i.e. =A1.

In this example, cell B2 has a reference to cell

A1. It’s called “relative reference” because it’s
not fixed by dollar sign. Why do we need to fix
our cell references? The answer is simple. We
need to fix cell references by dollar sign when
we copy and paste the formula to another cell
or a range of cells while willing to keep the
initial references unchanged.
Let’s take another example. Assume we’ve
copied the formula from cell B2 to cell C4.

As you can see, cell C4 doesn’t refer to cell A1

anymore but rather to cell B3. Why? Because
we didn’t fix the reference before coping the
formula to another cell. If you didn’t fix the
reference and copied the formula to another cell
(C4), this another cell will refer to a new cell
(B3) based on the logical position of the copied
cell (B2) relatively referred cell (A1). That’s
why they called relative cell references.
Well, it may still sound confusing, but let’s take
another look at our previous example. Logical
position of cell B2 to referred cell A1 is the top
left corner of cell B2.
After coping the formula from cell B2 to cell C4,
the reference remained in the same logical
position – the top left corner.
Let’s face a few more examples to have a more
vivid picture of cell references behaviour on
Excel worksheet.
1) Absolute cell reference $A$

If you want to remain the initial cell reference

(=A1), insert double dollar sign (one click on F4
key) before copying the formula from cell B2 to
cell C4.
2) Reference to a particular row (A$1)

If you want to refer only to the cell’s row,

double-click on F4 key before coping the
formula to cell C4. As you can see, the reference
has moved one column to the right side after we
copied the formula from B to C column.
However, it’s still remaining in the same row.
3) Reference to a particular column $A1

If you want to refer only to the cell’s column,

triple-click on F4 key before copying the
formula to cell C4. Now, the formula is referred
only to column A. Notice that we’ve moved two
rows down and one column to the right side after
we copied the formula from cell B2 to cell C4.
As a result, the reference also moved two rows
down, but it remained in the same column (A).
Remember: Excel doesn’t memorize initial cell
references unless you have fixed it with dollar
sign.
Dollar Sign is a basic but initially confusing
command in Excel. I strongly believe that this’s
the first thing you should learn in order to
understand the logic behind Excel. Moreover,
you will often copy formulas, cell ranges, and
even whole tables from one place to another, so
make sure that you feel confident with this topic
before we move any further.
 Step 2. Keyboard Shortcuts
If you want to increase your productivity and be
efficient with your time, then I’ve prepared for
you a list of the most important Excel keyboard
shortcuts you must know and use. Probably most
of you already know all or some of the
combinations, but it’s still a good reminder.
Ctrl+Shift+Arrow Key
It’s the most useful combination. It helps to
select a range of cells in just a second.
Ctrl+1
Quick access to formatting menu. First, select
any cell or a graph and then press the command
to open formatting menu.
F2
Press F2 to edit active cell and see all the
references of this cell.
Alt+=
If you go to the first empty cell underneath a
column that is filled with some values and then
press this combination, Excel will sum up the all
values above the cell.
Tab > Ctrl+A
Use these commands while working with
formula. If you press Tab while typing a formula
in a cell, it will select the formula. Then you can
press Ctrl+A to open the formula’s window.
Shift+F9
Calculates the active worksheet. Use it when you
switched to manual calculation option in Excel.
Needless to say, you should also know these
combinations:
Ctrl+C Copy
Ctrl+V Paste
Ctrl+Z Undo
Ctrl+S Save
 Step 3. Excel Toolbar Menu

Excel Toolbar hides plenty of features that can

help you do your work much easier and faster. In
this chapter, I will guide you through the most
important features of Excel Tollbar that you may
need in your work.
I use Microsoft Office 2013. Nonetheless,
version 2010 should have, almost, the same
layout and features. If you use older versions,
layout and richness of features may not be the
same, yet most of them you should find. Let’s
get it started.
1. HOME tab

This feature is used to copy the format of one

content and apply it to another. It doesn’t copy
the content itself but only the format (colour,
font etc.). It helps to save a lot of time on
formatting. Just try it, and you will use it again
and again.

This feature is good to organize information in

cells.
Wrap Text enables you to wrap long text into
multiple lines that you could read it.
Merge & Center enables you to take several cells
and combine them into one cell.
Conditional Formatting helps to analyse
quantitative information, i.e. spot trends, find
winners and losers, and so on just in a matter of
seconds.
Format as Table structures your data to “smart”
table. Smart table gives you flexibility in
working with databases (massive files of
information). You can analyse, export, and do
other manipulations with the table. In addition to
that, this table automatically picks up new
incoming information. Just add new data to the
bottom or to the right side of the table, and the
table will integrate this information to its range.
You can also name the table and then refer to the
table’s range in formulas by just typing the table
name.
In the example below, I have created a simple
Excel table and named the table “order”.
Now, if I type any formula, I don’t need to select
the table’s range since I can simply refer to this
range by typing “order”.

Moreover, if later you decide to add new

information below the table, the table’s array
will be extended simultaneously.

It’s the time when you need to create a new

worksheet on your desktop and try it out in order
to see how it works.
Format can be useful if you need to arrange
height and width of rows and columns.

Sort & Filter helps to arrange your data that you

can analyse it much easier.
Find & Select helps you find specific
information in the worksheet. Furthermore, you
can also replace these findings with other data if
you need (for instance, € sign to £ sign).
2. INSERT tab
Here you can find the following useful features.

Pivot Table (PT) is a very powerful “creature” of

Excel. Popularity of PivotTable is due to its
efficiency and ability of arranging massive pools
of data in convenient tables. These tables are
also quickly adjustable. You can arrange
information as you want and then present it in
different ways.
To begin with, call PivotTable function and
select a table range. This range has to be in
vertical arrangement where headers are on the
top of data.
After you have selected the range, you can either
create a PivotTable on the existing worksheet or
create it on a new worksheet. When PivotTable
is created, you will see such fields.
Arrange the fields as you need by dragging
qualitative fields to COLUMNS or/and ROWS,
and quantitative fields to VALUES.

After you arranged your fields, the PivotTable is

built.
 What else SHOULD I know about
PivotTable?

1. Originally, PT has standard display of rows.

Meaning that if you have more than one field in
ROWS area, PT will display these rows within
one column of the worksheet.

In our example, year and month are built in one

column. That may be fine in some cases.
However, imagine you have more than two
fields in ROWS area. Then it may cause a big
mess to read the data. That’s why some users
prefer to use Classic layout.
If you go to PivotTable Tools menu and then to
Options > Display, you can select Classic
PivotTable layout.
You should get something like this.

Excel has separated year and month between two

different columns (A & B). However, it still
looks messy. That’s why we need to do a little
clean-up.
Let’s say, we don’t want to have subtotals and
blank rows in column A. Right mouse click on a
cell inside the table in column A and unselect
subtotal “year”. Right click again, go to Field
Settings > Layout & Print and select Repeat item
labels. Now, it should look like this.

2. The other useful feature of PivotTable is

filters and slicers. It enables you to sort data and
quickly find necessary information. To create
filters, just drag your fields to FILTERS area.
That’s it.

Another way to filter your PivotTable is to select

slicers.
Just click on Insert Slicer in PT menu and select
filters that you need. Personally, I prefer to use
Slicers because it’s more convenient.

Charts is another powerful feature of Excel.

There’s a lot to be said and taught about charts
since it’s one of the best ways to visually present
information. A simple chart may tell you more
than a vast array of data since it’s easier to
understand for a majority of people. There is a
big variety of charts, and you can even build two
different types of chats in one. It’s a matter of
taste and needs.
This topic, however, can take me another book
just `to explain charts, so, unfortunately, I won’t
be diving too deep in this topic. Later, however,
I will teach you how to build a dynamic
waterfall-chart on a practical example. So stay
on the track.
p.s. I also know that it may not be the answer as
each of you have different interests and needs.
So, if you need more information on charts,
please let me know by sending an email. I
promise that I will try to do my best to help you
with this.
3. PAGE LAYOUT tab
This menu section is mainly used for printing
matters, but we’re not here to learn how to print
fine art. So, I will skip this topic.
4. FORMULAS tab
Apart from Excel formulas, there’re also other
useful features to consider.

Remember we talked about Excel tables and that

we can name the tables in order to refer to their
range later on.
Name Manager is where your table arrays are
stored under your specified names. You can go
there anytime and change the names or its
references.
Define Name option enables you to name any
range of cells. Simply select your range, then
click on this option and give it a name.
You can choose automatic or manual option to
calculate your formulas in Excel. As a default,
it’s set automatically. However, manual option
can be helpful, especially, when you work in a
big Excel file. Because automatic calculation of
lots of formulas may cause long file processing
and, as a result, waste of your time.
5. DATA tab
You will find a bunch of useful features in this
menu, but, today, we are going to cover only the
most important. First, however, I advise you to
extend the menu by adding additional feature
that is hidden by default in Excel setting.
Go to File > Options > Add-Ins Manager and
select Analysis ToolPak. This ToolPak provides
data analysis tools for statistical and engineering
analysis. So, if it’s something that is related to
your work, add this feature without any
hesitation.

I can’t say that I’m a big fan of all them that is

likely due to my field of work, yet Regression
Analysis is something that reminds me of school
and university days. Even today, I still use this
analysis, especially, for forecasting, investment
analysis etc. However, it’s not in the scope of
this book because most of people don’t use it that
often. Nevertheless, if you are interested to know
more or just need a guidance, feel free to drop
me email at: excelmanual@outlook.com, and I
will be glad to help you out. For now, let’s
continue moving forward.

Text to Columns splits a single column of text

into multiple columns. Splits a text into multiple
columns? What? Ok, let me show you an
example when you might need it to use as it’s
really useful feature.
Often, when we export some data from external
sources to Excel file (line Internet, Software
etc.), we may see that different kinds of
information are stored in just one Excel column.

Yes, of course you can do it manually, but

there’s another and more convenient way to split
the text. Let’s come back to the example where
year, quantity, and amount are all in column A.
In this case, Excel will define this information as
a text, so you won’t be able to perform any
calculations or whatsoever. However, thanks to
Text to Columns feature, you can fix this
problem just in seconds. Simply go to this option
and select Delimited file type because you have
comma that separates the information.
Press finish and you will get something like this.

Now, you can do whatever you want to do with

the data.

The name speaks for itself. Just select what

columns should be checked for duplicates. If
duplicates are found, they will be automatically
removed.
I like this feature because of its drop-down list,
and we will come back to this feature later on, so
pay your attention.
Most importantly is that you can join this feature
together with Excel formulas to build
“personalized reports”. Select an empty cell and
go to Data Validation. Then, select LIST option
and choose a source of your list (select a range
of cells).
After you will get something like this.

It’s also a good option to consider when you

need to create, for instance, some quitionary
form or a template that you want after send to
other peope to fill it. Instead of answering with
some random “things”, they will have a list of
different choises you made yourself.

When something is not that important in your

report, but you still need to keep this
information, maybe, just in case, you can create
Groups and Subgroups.
Simply select columns and/or rows you want to
group (hide) and then click on Group.

Like in my example, I wanted to hide months

while keeping only the quarters’ numbers.
You can hide/unhide the data by clicking on
plus/minus buttons. Very simple.
6. REVIEW tab

Protection of your work is very important,

especially, if you don’t want to disclose your
formulas to other people and/or that other people
make changes in your report. In other words, this
feature keeps your formulas and content
protected from unwanted changes.
You can protect either the whole worksheet, or
just a specific area.
However, usually, we need to protect just a
specific area of cells while allowing other users
do their work in other areas of the worksheet.
If you go to Protect Sheet option and click upon
to protect the sheet, it will protect the whole
worksheet. Why? Because by default cells’
format is set to be locked. To change it, you need
to unlock the whole worksheet and then lock
only those cells you need. To do so, select the
whole worksheet by clicking Select All Button,
which is located in the top left corner between
first row and column A. It looks like this.

Right mouse click upon this button > Format

Cells > Protection, uncheck Locked option and
click Ok.

Next, select area that you want to protect. Right

mouse click on any cell in this area and go to the
same menu to lock the cells. Click Ok.

Finally you can go to Protect Sheet menu, type

your password if needed and click Ok. That’s it.
You have protected your work while allowing
other people to use unprotected cells in the
worksheet.
7. VIEW tab
We are almost there, so be patient! There’re two
more tabs to cover, and then it will be more
interesting and challenging. Everything I’ve
covered so far is because it’s necessary by the
two main reasons:
1. It helps to facilitate your work in Excel;
2. We will use, almost, all of these functions in
the following chapter to make something
really cool.
So let’s continue.

To make your work look more professionally

and appealing, I would recommend you to
uncheck Gridlines.
Freeze Panes is very helpful feature, especially,
if you work with big tables. It enables you to
freeze headers/labels of your table while
scrolling through the rest of the sheet.
8. DEVELOPER tab*
This is an extra tab on Excel Toolbar ribbon, and
it’s hidden in Excel setting by default. Developer
tab is designed to work with macros.
Unfortunately, we are not going to cover
macros’ topic in the book. Because macros,
which is sometimes referred as Excel VBA, is
programing language of Excel. You don’t need
to know it in the first place. Nonetheless, I’ve
decided to include this topic because you can
find another useful features such as a Combo
Box. First of all, it’s not difficult in use, and,
secondly, it can be a good solution for some
Excel reports (we’ll use it too).
Combo Box has the same purpose as Drop-down
list (the feature we have looked before). It
enables us to make a choice from a list of cells
that contain some information.
If I were to create an Excel report with a drop-
down list, I would prefer to use Combo Box
rather than Drop-down list. Why? Because
Combo Box is always visible, whereas Data
Validation is not visible unless the cell is
selected. Additionally, Combo Box looks more
accurate and more professionally. Let’s take a
close look at this example below.

As you can see, the Data Validation drop-down

list arrow is visible because I’ve sleeted the cell,
and it’s the only reason. Otherwise, we wouldn’t
see this drop-down arrow option.
To add DEVELOPER tab, go to Excel Options
> Customize Ribbon. Then choose Main Tabs
from the list and add Developer Tab.
Now you can create Combo Box. Go to Insert
option on the Developer tab menu and select
Insert.

After you created a combo box, a right mouse

click on the box and go to Properties. Then, you
will see a window like this.
You need to know the following properties from
the window:
Font – to change font and font size in the drop-
down list.
ListFillRange – this is where you need to type
in a range of cells with some criteria (e.g.
A4:A9) in order to have a drop-down list.
LinkedCell – type in a cell location (e.g. A1).
This cell will duplicate a selected value from the
drop-down list (you will see the use of this later
on).
ListRows – to display a number of rows you
want to see in the drop-down list.
In this example, I’ve selected Germany, and my
LinkedCell is A1. As a result, Germany also
appears in the LinkedCell.
After you selected the properties, turn off Design
Mode.
 Step 4. Excel Formulas
Congrats! You’ve made it this far. Now we are
ready to jump on the journey of learning Excel
formulas. It was essential to walk you through
the basics of cell references, keyboard shortcuts
as well the main features of Excel Toolbar. This
knowledge will be definitely helpful in day-to-
day life. Nevertheless, in order to take you Excel
skills to the next level, you should get a sense of
how formulas work in Excel. I would say that
this is probably the most important part of this
book, so try not to lose the thread along the way.
However, before we star, let me say a few more
words.
The main purpose of this guide is to give you the
most valuable information that is needed to build
powerful reports. Most people, however, have
stereotypes that the more formulas you know,
the more you can do it Excel. Fortunately, as my
experience shows, if you focus on the formulas
that I’ve provided in this book, you will do much
better job than most of other people.
These 13 formulas, on the picture below, are the
most important from my experience, and we’re
going to cover all of them.
Prepare > CONCATENATE RIGHT LEFT
Set Conditions > IF OR AND
VLOOKUP HLOOKUP
Find >
INDEX MATCH
Find & Execute > SUMIFS COUNTIFS
Adjust > IFERROR

Sometimes, however, you may need additional

formulas. It depends on your area of
specialization (finance, statistics, etc.).
Nonetheless, it’s more than enough to perform a
vast majority of tasks. How is it possible?
Because we are going to cover not just the 13
formulas, but also how they work in
combination together. Some of the formulas
mean, almost, nothing if we use them
individually, but together they become a
powerful tool.
I have intentionally structured these formulas in
this way, so you could better understand their
meaning. As it often happens, when you work in
Excel you need:
1. Prepare a raw data, so you could use it for
already existing structure in other reports.
2. Set Conditions in formulas to extract only
necessary information from this data.
3. Find this information, and/or summarize
the information by some criteria if needed.
4. Adjust your calculations for errors if
needed.
The formulas highlighted in red are logical
functions. We usually use them together with
other formulas to adapt the formulas to some
predetermined conditions. Let’s begin.
 =IF
This’s logical function and is the most important
function in Excel. If you understand it properly,
you will be able to build “monster” formulas,
and it’s not just crazy words. In the next chapter,
I will show you what it means.
We often use IF in combination together with
other formulas to be able to have several possible
outcomes. Excel formulas usually do only one
specific function (sum up, divide, etc.). In other
words, they are straightforward and boring.
Formula Outcome

However, if you integrate IF function, you can

have multiple outcomes.
Outcome 3

IF Outcome 2
Formula IF Outcome 1
Let’s take a look at the following example.
Suppose you have a list of 3 different kinds of
orders (order1, order2, order3). You know that
price of Order1 is 15$, Order2 is 10$, and
Order3 is 5$. However, what if the list was 1000
orders long or even bigger. It would be a
nightmare to manually set the prices for all the
orders.

In this case, you may use IF function since you

already know your conditions - the price of each
order. Type the formula as on the picture in cell
B4, and then copy it to the other cells below.
How it works? IF function has the following
structure:
=IF (logical test; value if true; value if false)
Logical test – it’s your condition. If this
condition is met, the formula will return your
TRUE value. If it’s not met, the formula will
return your FALSE value.
From our example, we have 3 different values:
15$, 10$, and 5$. So, we need to use two IF
functions to have 3 possible outcomes.
=IF(A4=”order1”;15;IF(A4=”order2”;10;5)).
If this first condition A4=”order1” is true, the
price will be 15$. If it’s not true (here we need
to expend our formula by typing another IF
function as we still have 2 possible outcomes -
10$ and 5$), the formula will apply second
condition A4=”order2”. If the second condition
is met, the price will be 10$. And If none of these
two conditions are met, the price will be 5$.
Remember: Always USE quotes (“order1”) if
you use a text condition in formula.
 =OR, =AND
These are also logical functions. Sometimes, we
may use them together with IF function if we
need to adjust conditions. Let’s change a bit our
example. Order1 and Order2 costs 10$ each, and
Order3 costs 5$. In this case, we would include
OR function in IF function. Why? Because
whether it’s 2+2 or 3+1…you name it, if you
have the same result for different equations, then
use =OR function. Let’s come back to our
example.
In our example, the price will be the same – 10$,
no matter it’s Order1 or Order2.
=IF(OR(A4="order1";A4="order2");10;5)
We use AND function when we have more than
1 factor that may impact our outcome. Let’s say
you want to calculate a purchase order value
including a discount. As it may sound weird, last
night you decided that POs which are equal to or
greater than 1,000$ AND with placement in
January will get a 50% discount. In this example,
discount depends on two criteria simultaneously:
PO value and month of PO placement.
To calculate new PO value, you should use one
IF function (as you can have to possible
outcomes: the same price or new discounted
price) together with AND function (as the
possible outcomes are based on 2 criteria
simultaneously).

If value in cell B4 is greater or equal to 1,000

AND if value in cell A4 is equal to January, then
the value in cell B4 will be discounted at 50%.
Otherwise, the purchase order value stays the
same.
I hope that now you have a better understanding
of the logic behind IF, OR, AND functions. We
will use them later on to customize our report in
last chapter. So take your time to practice these
functions!
 =IFERROR
This is the last logical function that we are going
to cover in this book. Sometimes you may
encounter errors in your formulas. One of the
common errors is when you divide some value
by zero or zero by zero, you, usually, get
something like this #DIV/0!. I prefer not to see
this error in my reports. Therefore, I use
IFERROR formula.
For instance, if we write the following equation
=100/0, we will get #DIV/0!. In this case, I
would write the formulas as the following
example =IFERROR(100/0;"").
IFERROR function looks at your equation and if
there is an error, it will bring the value,
reference, or even formula that you provided.
In our example, we provided no value because
this “” stands for no action (blank cell). So, as
the result, we will get the cell blank.
 =CONCATENATE, =RIGHT, =LEFT
CONCATENATE joins context from several
cells into one cell. RIGHT and LEFT functions
extract a specified number of characters whether
from the left or the right side of a text. We,
usually, use these functions to prepare our report
before we can use other formulas, such as
VLOOKUP. We will talk about vlookup soon,
but, first, let’s continue with these formulas.
Let’s say you have two different types of
strategy (local & global), and you have a list of
various projects. You want to create a new
column that will include a strategy type and a
project name in one cell.
To do this, bring CONCATENATE function and
refer to the first text you want to join (A4), then
you can leave a space between the two joint cells
by typing “ “. It will make the context easier to
read. Lastly, in the third text window of the
formula, refer to the second text you want to join
(B4).

Now, let’s assume you decided to use

abbreviations instead of the full names. You
want to use L for local and G for global projects
and numbers to specify the project name.
In this example, we need to extract one character
from the left side of cells with type of strategies
(=LEFT(A4;1)), and one character from the right
side of cells with project names (=RIGHT(B4;1)).
Then we need to join these formulas together
(=CONCATENATE(LEFT(A4;1);RIGHT(B4;1))).
 =VLOOKUP, =HLOOKUP
I’m keeping my promises. Now, it’s time for
these “giants”. We use these functions to find
information based on our criteria within a
selected array. V stands for vertical look-up and
H for horizontal look-up.
=VLOOKUP

Lookup_value is a value you want to find (e.g.

your criteria).
Table_array is a diapason of cells where you are
going to search for a value.
Col_index_num is where you have to type in a
serial number of the column (1, 2, 3, etc.) that
contains information you want to extract. If there
is a match between your lookup value and a
lookup value in the leftmost column of the table
array, the formula will return a value from the
column you selected.
Range_lookup is where you need to put either 0
or 1. Zero stands for an exact match, and one
stands for the closest match. We, usually, want
an exact match.
Let’s take a look at the example below. You have
created a table with two columns: Project &
Costs.

You want to find costs of each of the projects

from the database you just received.
To do so, bring VLOOKUP formula to cell B4
and refer to the project name you want to find
(A4).

Then select a Table Array that contains this

information (i.e. your database).
There is, however, one moment that you must
keep in mind. VLOOKUP formula looks for a
value in the leftmost column of an array and
then returns a value in the same row from the
column you selected.
So, you need to select your Table Array like on
the picture below.

Notice: I started not from Country but from

Project column, which is our lookup value.
Finally, we need to type in Col_index_num and
Range_lookup. Since we are interested in costs,
we need to type serial number 3 (If you count the
columns from the left side of the selected array,
Costs are in third column). To find exact match,
type 0.
Notice: Don’t forget to fix the array by inserting
dollar signs because you don’t want this array
to slide down while coping this formula down the
table.
HLOOKUP works the same way as VLOOKUP
except it looks for a value in the top row of an
array and then returns a value from the row you
specified.

Remember that the only drawback of LOOKUP

functions is that they look for a value in the
leftmost column or in the top row of an array. So
make sure that the Table_array you have
selected starts with the column or the row that
contains your Lookup_value. Otherwise, the
formula won’t work. That’s why, in some
situations, I prefer to use combination of INDEX
and MATCH functions.
Important to note: Sometimes you won’t have
a lookup value in your array. That’s why we
need to use CONCATENATE, RIGHT, and
LEFT formulas to create this lookup value. We
will face this situation in last chapter where we
will work, sweat, and tears to create our reports.
 =INDEX & MATCH
Combination of INDEX and MATCH functions
is another way to look up for values. It’s a bit
trickier than VLOOUP/HLOOKUP, but gives
you more freedom as to how to select an array.
If we go to the previous example, here is how
you would use the formulas.
First, start with INDEX function to select an
array, which is your database.

See the difference from VLOOKUP. I have

selected the whole array, as I don’t have the
restriction to start with the column that contains
a lookup value.
Second, type in MATCH function. Select a
project you are looking for (your lookup value),
and then an array that contains this lookup value
from the database. Type 0 to indicate that you
are looking for an exact match.

Lastly, type column number that contains costs.

In this case, it’s 4.
In the first times, index-match formula may be
little confusing, but you will see the benefits as
soon as you get used to it.
 =SUMIFS
SUMIFS is advanced version of SUMIF
formula. They do absolutely the same – that is,
sum up the values in a range that meets a
specified criterion. However, with SUMIFS you
can use more than just one criterion. Since we
often use multiple criteria to find necessary
information, there’s no need to clog your brain
with such formulas as SUMIF, COUNTIF etc.
Let’s take a closer look at the example below.
Suppose you still have the same database. Now,
however, you wish to know how much we spent
in total on the Global and Local strategies. This
is an example of one criterion (type of strategy)
SUMIFS formula.
To use SUMIFS formula, you need to fill, at
least, the following three fields.
Sum_range is a range of cells you want to sum
up (costs – $G$4:$G$9).
Criteria_range1 is a range of cells that contains
your first criterion (type of strategy – $F$4:$F$9).
Criteria1 – it’s your condition in form of a
number, text, or a cell reference (cell A4).
Don’t forget to fix with dollar signs your sum
and criteria ranges since you will copy the
formula down the table.
 =COUNTIFS
We, usually, use COUNTIFS to count the
number of cells that meet a particular condition
or criteria. For instance, we can use the formula
to count how many times we meet Global
strategy in column F.

To use the formula just select a rage of cells

(Strategy type) and a criteria you want to be
counted (“Global”). In this example, the answer
is 3 times.
However, I prefer this formula not because it can
count the number of cells with specified criteria,
but because you can use this formula as a
substitute of =RANK formula. Moreover,
COUNTIFS can do ranking in a list of value
based on multiple criteria, whereas RANK
formula does only ranking of a number relatively
other values in the list.
Let’s say we want to rank the costs of the
projects, from the most to the least expensive. If
we used RANK formula, we would have the
following results.

However, what if we want to rank the costs

based on not only its value but also based on its
strategy type. Since it’s two criteria ranking
situation, RANK formula isn’t applicable.
Nevertheless, we can still find a solution if we
slightly adjust COUNTIFS formula.
First, however, let’s see how it works without
any adjustments.

Since we have counted how many times a

specific strategy type along with its costs is met,
the result is 1 for all the strategies because there
is only one Local strategy that costs 120, only
one Global strategy that costs 50, etc.
However, we still want to rank the costs within
its strategy type. To do so, we need to adjust the
last expression in the formula (l2 to “>”&l2).
The logic of this expression implies: How many
values in the Costs range ($I$2:$I$7) within a
certain strategy type ($H$2:$H$7;H2) are
greater than a selected value (“>”&l2).
To finish the formula, close the brackets and add
1 to convert the formula in ranking type. If you
don’t add 1, the formula will show that Global
strategy that costs 210 is equal to 0, Global
strategy that costs 50 is equal to 1, and etc. It’s
because there’s no another Global strategy that
greater than 210, and there is only one value
(210), in global type of strategy, that is greater
than 50.
I understand that it may be difficult for you to
follow the logic, however, if this formula wasn’t
so valuable, I wouldn’t even bother you. From
my experience, it’s very useful formula to rank
values at multiple levels. To give you a better
understanding of the material that we have
covered in the book, I would like you to join me
in the next chapter.
 “Any fool can know.
The point is to understand.”
- Albert Einstein
 Step 5. Designing Reports in Excel
If you got to this point, you already have a solid
foundation in order to take your skills to the next
level. There’s, however, one more step to make
it possible.
In this chapter, I’ve prepared for you a practical
example where we going to use, almost,
everything we have covered so far. As you work
through this last part, along the way, sometimes,
you may be feeling overwhelmed and confused
because of the multiple steps we are going to
cover at one time. However, it’s just a natural
part of the learning process, and I want to
challenge you a little bit that you could apply the
knowledge in real life situations.
Since the beginning of the book, I was
mentioning that we are going to learn how to
build and design powerful reports in Excel.
Reports that can help us in business and\or in
work. Finally, this is the time to make our last
step towards success.
Designing such a report can be stressful and
time-consuming, especially, if you are a
beginner in Excel. However, you are not a
beginning anymore. You did this long way to
become an advanced user. Furthermore, once
you built this report or reports, you can use it
again and again. The only thing you will have to
do is to update the input data in the report, and
all the rest will be done automatically. As we
walk through the process, don’t try to memorize
it, but rather try to grasp the logic behind it.
At some point throughout the chapter, you may
need to use that Excel spreadsheet that I’ve
created for you. If you didn’t download it yet,
here’s the link.
So let’s get it started.
Assume that every week I receive a raw report
that looks like the following one.

This report is 1150 rows long and has 8 columns

with different types of information: Department;
Country; Product Category, Item, Supplier,
Order type; Order Amount.
I need to analyse the data every week. So as not
to do the same every time, I will rather create a
template in Excel file that will do various
analysis of this data for me.
The data, I receive weekly, will be our INPUT
file. Every time I update the file, all the rest
should be done autonomously.
First, let’s create a list of various analysis I’ve
planned to do based on the information in the
input file.
1. I need to consolidate the orders in a more
convenient way to analyse business volume.
2. I want to create a special report to track
category managers’ performance at all levels of
the company’s product categorization in order to
identify problem areas.
3. I want to create a dynamic report with a graph
to analyse the problem areas and its impact on
the business.
To do such reports, we will use the formulas and
tools that we have covered in this book as well
follow the next steps that I have mentioned in
chapter 4.
1. Prepare a raw data, so you could use it for
already existing structure in other reports.
2. Set Conditions in formulas to extract only
necessary information from this data.
3. Find this information, and/or summarize the
information by some criteria if needed.
4. Adjust your calculations for errors if needed.

Prepare > CONCATENATE RIGHT LEFT

Set Conditions > IF OR AND
VLOOKUP HLOOKUP
Find >
INDEX MATCH
Find & Execute > SUMIFS COUNTIFS
Adjust > IFERROR
So let’s get it started and prepare our input file
to be able to extract all the information we need.
First, we need to create an Excel Table with our
input data and then add to this table 2 additional
columns in order to categorize Countries and
Order Type information.
We have data for 15 countries and 3 types of
orders: Type 1, Type 2, Refunded orders.
First, let’s start with countries. I would like to
categorize all the countries in two groups: EU
and Other.
To do so, let’s write a logical formula in cell J20.
=IF(OR(C20="Albania";C20="Czech Republic";
C20="Germany";C20="Greece";C20="Ireland";
C20="Italy";C20="Netherlands";C20="Portugal";
C20="Romania";C20="UK";C20="Spain");
"Europe";"Other")
If the above countries are found, they will be
called Europe, otherwise, they will be called
Other.
As concerns types of orders, I would like to put
them into two groups as well: Received and
Lost.
In cell K20, we will write the next formula.
 =IF(OR(H20="Type 1";H20="Type 2");
"Received";"Lost")
If Order Type is Type 1 or Type 2, we will call
them Received orders, otherwise, it will be Lost
orders. Now we are ready to create our first
analysis of business volume. This first analysis
we will do based on the PivotTable that
shouldn’t be a problem for you anymore.
Select the table and click on insert PivotTable. I
prefer to display the data in the following way.
Let’s continue and move to the next stage:
Create a special report to track category
managers’ performance at all levels of the
company’s product categorization in order to
identify problem areas.
First, however, we need to create a table
template for this report. I decided to go with the
following type.
As you can see, performance will be measured
at different levels of product categories and
countries. It’s a good way to structure
information in a such way for identifying
problem areas. Moreover, I have created
Subcategory display of information, which you
can see if you ungroup the columns.
In this way, you also have access to even more
detailed information. However, there is a
question, How will we measure manager’s
performance? Well, I decided to call it Success
Rate of Order Intake because I’m interested to
know what is a percentage of received orders in
total possible order intake.
If our received orders is sum of Type 1 and Type
2 orders, then the total possible order intake will
be sum of Type 1, Type 2, and Refunded orders.
Let’s draw a formula.

𝑅𝑒𝑐𝑒𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑑 𝑂𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑟
𝑆𝑢𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑅𝑎𝑡𝑒 = ∗ 100, %
𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑂𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑟

As you remember from the book, in order to find

a value in database (input file) and sum up a
range of values based on specified criteria, we
use SUMIFS formula. However, we will use
several SUMIFS formulas with different criteria
since our newly designed report contains
information at different levels (department,
category, subcategory).
Yes, I know that it may take quite a time to
organize the formulas in the right order, but you
need to do it only one time because formulas
remain connected to the input file, which you
can easily update (simply erase the old data and
paste a new one).
Let me give you a quick example on how you
would calculate success rate for Germany,
Category 1.

You will use two SUMIFS formulas. One to

calculate nominator (received order) and another
to calculate dominator (total order). \
To calculate total order we will use 2 criteria
ranges from our input file: Product Category and
Country. For these criteria ranges we need to
specify our criteria that are Germany ($A7) and
Category 1 (F$6).
Notice: I have fixed the cell references by
column for Germany and by row for Category 1.
It’s because we will copy the formula to find
values for other countries and categories.
To select the Sum range and Criteria ranges, we
need to go to our INPUT file worksheet and
select it from there.
Don’t forget to fix the ranges both by column
and by row.

To calculate received order we will use 3

criteria ranges from input file: Product
Category, Country, and Received_Lost order.
The formula is the same. Just select one more
Criteria range from the input file and type in
your third criteria that is “Received”.
Finally, in order to get the Success Rate, divide
the formula with received orders by formula
with total orders.
Don’t forget to change the cell format to
percentage type.
You may also include IFERROR formulas to
avoid #DIV/0! since for some product categories
we have zero order intake.
=IFERROR(SUMIFS('INPUT file'!$I$20:$I$1150;
'INPUT file'!$C$20:$C$1150;$A7;
'INPUT file'!$D$20:$D$1150;F$6;
'INPUT file'!$K$20:$K$1150;"received")/
SUMIFS('INPUT file'!$I$20:$I$1150;
'INPUT file'!$C$20:$C$1150;$A7;
'INPUT file'!$D$20:$D$1150;F$6);””)
 Here is my final result.

As you can see, I also added some Conditional

Formatting to spot problem areas.
Now, let’s move to our final stage: Creating a
dynamic report with a graph to analyse the
problem areas and its impact on the business. At
his point, you may have two questions.
It’s going to be the most challenging part, but the
most useful part of this report because analysis
of problem areas has to be first – efficient, and
second – simple and fast. Nevertheless, I’ve no
doubts that you are able to do it. Just follow the
process and pay your attention.
First, however, you may ask, What kind of
problem areas do we want to target and How
are we going to analyse them?
Well, both are are very solid questions. The first
question is quite intuitive. In fact, Condition
Formatting function has already did it for us.
Usually, the problem areas are the areas
highlighted in red, dark orange, and yellow. This
is where our success rate is not strong enough as
it could have been.
To answer the second question, you have to dig
dipper. How deep depends on the available
information. In our case, it’s just one file that we
received (input file), and I see that the type of
ordered items and supplier name are the most
detailed information.
Apart from this, we can create some additional
indicators. At this point, you may already have
some ideas in mind, and this is great. Because,
as a matter of fact, in order to really succeed in
Excel or any other type of business, you have to
not only know formulas and functions, but also
be creative.
Let’s proceed to the report. I decided that the
analysis of problem areas has to be as fast and as
simple as possible. Moreover, I want it to be
dynamic (i.e. change under given conditions)
and be shown on a chart.
First, however, let’s create our output data
window. I came up with the following idea.

I want to be able to select a country, department,

and product category and then have top 10
refunded order amounts ranked by their values
(from highest to lowest). In addition to that, I
need information on subcategory name, item,
supplier, and success rate impact.
Success rate impact is what we are going to
calculate ourselves. The formula’s logic is very
straightforward. Basically, you need to slightly
modify Success Rate formula that we used
before.
𝑆𝑢𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑅𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝐼𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑡 =
(𝑅𝑒𝑐𝑒𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑑 𝑂𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑟+𝑂𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡) 𝑅𝑒𝑐𝑒𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑑 𝑂𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑟
−
𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑂𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑂𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑟

Order Amount is an amount from the Top 10 list.

Apart from the output data window, I want to
have a dynamic waterfall chart that should be
automatically adjusted according to a selected
country and department. We will come to this
part later on, for now, however, let’s get started
with the table.
First, let’s go to our Input table and create two
more additional columns in order to be able to
realize our plans.
As you remember, I need to extract top 10
refunded order amounts.
So, first, we need to rank our refunded order
amount in the input file by using COUNTIFS
formula

If you look at these combo boxes with drop-

down lists again, you see that there’re 3 criteria:
Country, Department, and Product Category.
Therefore, the ranking has to be done in a
particular country and a particular product
category (it’s not necessary to rank at
Department level since product category is the
next level of the hierarchy).
Let’s create our ranking formula.
=COUNTIFS($K$20:$K$1169;"Lost";$C$20:$C$116
9;$C20;$D$20:$D$1169;$D20;$I$20:$I$1169;">"&$I
20)+1
First, we said that we want to rank only Lost
orders (range K). Next, we rank at country level
(range C). Then, at Product Category level
(range D). Lastly, we are ranking the order
amounts based on its value (range I).
Now, let’s create our last column for lookup
values. As you should have guessed, we will use
VLOOKUP formula in order to find and return
values to Top 10 list table. You should also
remember that in order to use VLOOKUP we
need to have lookup values in the leftmost
column of the table. That’s what we are going to
do in the next minutes.
To create lookup values in the input table, we
have to join Country, Department, Product
Category, Rank, and Received_Lost columns
together.

Notice: My lookup value in the leftmost column

of the table as I’m going to use VLOOKUP
formulas. Yes, I could put it to the right side of
the table and then use INDEX&MATCH
instead, but for this example I’ve decided to go
with vlookup.
As you remember, apart from having lookup
values in the leftmost column a table array, we
also need to have a lookup value that have to be
found in this array.

For such a purpose, I have prepared a special

template. Because our lookup values have to be
dynamic (i.e. constantly change).

We will create these values in column B. Before,

however, we can do it, we need to create several
“special” cells (C2, D2, E2), which are
highlighted in grey, to have information for the
lookup values. So let’s continue to walk thought
the template.
In column F, we have a list of all our countries.
In column G – Departments, and in column H –
Product categories. I will use these ranges of
cells to create drop-down lists in the Combo
Boxes.
Notice: I have formulas in column H. It’s
because I want to see only those categories, in
the drop-down list, that are related to a selected
department.

Thus, I wrote the following formulas.

In cell H3
=IF($D$2="Department 1";"Category 1";"Category 4")
In cell H4
=IF($D$2="Department 2";"Category 1";"Category 5")
 In cell H5
=IF($D$2="Department 3";"Category 1";"Category 6")
The formulas are very simple, and we went
thought IF formula before, so I will continue
with the template.
Let’s come back to our “special” cells (C2, D2,
and E2).
Cell $D$2 is a linked cell in Department combo
box.
Cell C2 is a linked cell in Country combo box.
And cell E2 is linked to Product Category combo
box.
Now we have everything we need to create the
lookup value. I’ve told you that later we will
come back to this topic, but of course you might
forget that is absolutely normal. So, if it’s the
case, I would suggest you to go through that
topic again. Now, however, you will open again
that worksheet you created before and try to
make your own combo box with a drop-down
list.
Join cells C2, D2, E2, AN7, and text “lost”.

=CONCATENATE($C$2;$D$2;$E$2;REPORT!$AN7;
”lost”)
AN7 is a cell with the first rank number from our
Top 10 Refunded Order Amount report.
“Lost” – we need to include this phrase because
we are interested only in Refunded Orders.
After multiple manipulations, we finally
managed to create our lookup values. Finally, we
are ready to use VLOOKUP formula in order to
fill the Top 10 table with necessary information.
So let’s continue with the table.
Go to the table and type VLOOKUP formula.

First, refer to a lookup value that we’ve just

created (they are in a range B2:B11 on “INPUT
file” sheet).
Next, select a table array (also from input file)
by selecting the whole table or by typing its
name (I simply called the table INPUT).
Finally, type in a column serial number that
contain Order Amount and after type zero to
have an exact match.
Since lookup value is fixed by column and table
array both by column and by row, you can now
copy the formula to other cells. However, don’t
forget to adjust the col_index_num while coping
the formula to subcategory, item, and supplier
columns.

Now, every time you change country,

department, product category, in the combo
boxes above, the information in the top 10 list
change accordingly. We still, however, need to
find Success Rate Impact.
The formula is going to be long, but nothing is
complicated. We will use SUMIFS formulas as
we did it to calculate Success Rate of Order
Intake.
𝑆𝑢𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑅𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝐼𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑡 =
(𝑅𝑒𝑐𝑒𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑑 𝑂𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑟+𝑂𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡) 𝑅𝑒𝑐𝑒𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑑 𝑂𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑟
−
𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑂𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑂𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑟

Country and product category criteria for the

SUMIFS formula are in cells C2 and E2.

The first part of the formula will look like this.

=(SUMIFS('INPUT file'!$I$20:$I$1169; Order Amount Range
'INPUT file'!$D$20:$D$1169; Product Category Range
'INPUT file'!$E$2; Reference to product category criteria
'INPUT file'!$C$20:$C$1169; Country Range
'INPUT file'!$C$2; Reference to country criteria
'INPUT file'!$K$20:$K$1169; Received_Lost range
"received") Criteria that says that we only need Received orders
+AO7)/
SUMIFS('INPUT file'!$I$20:$I$1169; Order Amount range
'INPUT file'!$D$20:$D$1169; Product Category range
'INPUT file'!$E$2; Reference to category criteria
'INPUT file'!$C$20:$C$1169; Country Range
'INPUT file'!$C$2) Reference to country criteria

Cell AO7 is a cell from Top 10 table that

contains refunded order amount.
The second part of the formula will be the
following one.
-SUMIFS('INPUT file'!$I$20:$I$1169; Order Amount Range
'INPUT file'!$D$20:$D$1169; Product Category Range
'INPUT file'!$E$2; Reference to product category criteria
'INPUT file'!$C$20:$C$1169; Country Range
'INPUT file'!$C$2; Reference to country criteria
'INPUT file'!$K$20:$K$1169; Received_Lost range
"received")/ Criteria that says that we only need Received orders
SUMIFS('INPUT file'!$I$20:$I$1169; Order Amount range
'INPUT file'!$D$20:$D$1169; Product Category Range
'INPUT file'!$E$2; Reference to product category criteria
'INPUT file'!$C$20:$C$1169; Country Range
'INPUT file'!$C$2) Reference to country criteria
Here is my final result.
Lastly, I would like to build a dynamic waterfall
chart. Let’s get it started.
First, we need to create a data table for the chart.
I’ve prepared the following template.

To build the waterfall chart, we will be using

Stacked Column chart.

It will have 5 columns: Total Order amount,

Received Order amount, and Lost Orders at
product category levels.
This chart has to be dynamic, i.e. change
accordingly to the selected conditions in the
Combo Boxes. To do so, not only values in the
chart, but also axis labels have to change
accordingly.
In cell A2 (chart template), I put the following
formula.
=CONCATENATE("Total Order Amount";"_";'INPUT
file'!C2)
So, as soon as we switch to another country in
the combo box, this label will change
respectively.
In cells C2, D2, E2, I also put formulas.
C2 =IF('INPUT file'!$D$2="Department 1";"Category
1";"Category 4")
D2 =IF('INPUT file'!$D$2="Department 1";"Category
2";"Category 5")
E2 =IF('INPUT file'!$D$2="Department 1";"Category
3";"Category 6")
The logic here is the same. Now, it’s time to
create formulas, in the chart template, in order to
find appropriate values.
First, we need to find the order values, and we
will use SUMIFS formulas again. The process is
almost the same as we did it to calculate Success
Rate Impact, so, at this point, you should have
an idea of what to do (check the Excel
spreadsheet to see what exactly I did there).
Second, we need to calculate base values in
order to be able to build the waterfall chart. To
calculate a base value for received orders, deduct
the received order amount from the total order
amount (=A3-B3). To calculate a base value for
Category 1, deduct the received order amount
and Category 1 lost order amount from the total
order amount (=A3-B3-C3), and so on. You get
the idea. Finally, we should arrive to zero.
Third, let’s find a percentage of each of the
order amounts in the total order amount. To
calculate a percentage of the received orders,
simply divide the received order amount by the
total order amount (B3/$A3), then copy and
paste the formula to cells C5, D5, and E5. You
should have 100% in total because, as you
remember, total order amount is equal to sum of
received and lost orders. Let’s build the chart.
A right mouse click on the chart and go to select
data. Select first Legend Entries (series) and
click on edit. Then, select a range that is our base
values. Click Ok.

After, add another Legend Entries and select

order amounts.
Now, go to Axis Labels and click on edit. Select
your labels from the same table.

Finally, you should get a chart like this.

The red zones are our base values, and we don’t

want to see them on the chart. So, select the red
zones, right mouse click and go to Format Data
Series. Next, go to Fill & Line option and select
No Fill. Then, go to Borders and select No Line.
Now, it’s more like a waterfall chart, but still is
not perfect. Let’s go to formatting again. Delete
Gridlines and Left axis. Change columns’
colour, so you could easily distinguish between
the different types of orders. You can also
decrease the Gap Width between the columns.

Probably, it’s not that perfect, but we are not

working on the best design project. Most
importantly that we can see where are total
orders, received orders, and lost orders on the
graph.
Finally, let’s add Data Labels for both order
amounts and base values. Right mouse click on
the chart and select add Data labels.

Delete a data label of base value on Total Order

Amount column (it’s equal to zero, and we don’t
need it anyway). Then, one by one, select the
remaining data labels of the base values and refer
them to the cells where we have calculated the
order percentages (chart table). Also, add Chart
Title and refer its name to Department Combo
Box linked cell (='INPUT file'!$D$2). That’s it.
We’ve created a dynamic waterfall chart.
Now, not only that table with top 10 refunded
order amounts but also the chart will be
automatically updated every time you change
criteria in the Combo Boxes.
 Country > Spain
Department > Department 2
Product Category > Category 6

TOP 10 Refunded Order Amounts

Success Rate
Rank Order Amount Sabcategory Item Supplier
Impact

1 2.899.254 Subcategory 19 Item 80 Supplier 845 10,5%

2 1.865.100 Subcategory 19 Item 80 Supplier 838 6,8%
3 1.683.443 Subcategory 19 Item 80 Supplier 836 6,1%
4 624.941 Subcategory 19 Item 80 Supplier 847 2,3%
5 575.235 Subcategory 19 Item 80 Supplier 843 2,1%
6 561.535 Subcategory 19 Item 80 Supplier 840 2,0%
7 560.827 Subcategory 19 Item 80 Supplier 850 2,0%
8 500.355 Subcategory 19 Item 80 Supplier 841 1,8%
9 407.602 Subcategory 19 Item 79 Supplier 821 1,5%
10 365.508 Subcategory 19 Item 80 Supplier 834 1,3%

Total 10.043.800 36,5%

Department 2

39.460.659 25.825.750

393.056 2.855.707
10.386.146

65,4% 1,0% 7,2% 26,3%

Total Order Received Order Category 4 Category 5 Category 6

Amount_Spain
So let’s summarize what we’ve accomplished in
this chapter. By having only one meaningless
data report (input file) and few formulas and
functions in hand, we’ve managed to create three
essential reports to analyse business
performance from various angles, such as
business volume analysis, performance analysis
at product categories level, and analysis of
problem areas.
No matter what kind of business you are in, more
likely, you will need to use the same formulas
and function to find, group, and then identify
weak areas in order to take appropriate actions.
Often, you will have to share your findings with
others. So, make sure that your reports are easily
operated and intelligible. Most importantly,
however, that you already have all the necessary
skills, at this point, to do it. You have to be proud
of yourself because I’m proud of you. You’ve
gone through the whole process – from getting
to know Excel basics right up to creating quite
complicated reports. Pat yourself on the back
because you are awesome!
 Final Words to Say
Congratulations! You have made it to this point.
Throughout the book, we have talked about cell
references, shortcuts, toolbar features, formulas
and even tried these out on a practical example.
You may have even come up with some new
ideas along the way. That is exactly what I was
trying to do. I hope that the guide helped you to
discover different options in terms of how you
can use the formulas and functions to build your
own reports. Excel is not complicated at all, or
something that you need to spend a lot of time
on in order to master it. My advice is just try to
emphasize on the material in the book, and you
will see the difference in your progress.
If you have any questions and/or need an advice,
feel free to email me at:
excelmanual@outlook.com
 I also would love to hear from you:
 What was the most interesting topic for you in
this book? If you could change anything related
to this book what would it be?
 What is your biggest challenge in Excel? Do you
use anything to help you with this challenge
already? What do you wish was better?
 What is the most important activity related to
Excel that you do? Is there anything else you
would like to know?
Please let me know. I will be very appreciative.
Thank You So Much for taking time out of your
day to read it! I hope that this book helped you
to understand Excel and, from now on, you will
apply these insights along your way to benefit
both in business and in work. I wish you nothing
less than success!

Kyrylo Iakovlev