Data Analysis using Excel
What will you learn
01 Prepare reliable data Structure, clean and standardise business datasets for efficient and accurate analysis. | 02 Use formulas effectively Apply core formulas, logical functions and conditional analysis to solve business problems. | |
03 Combine information Use lookup and reference techniques to bring data together from multiple tables. | 04 Analyse at scale Use PivotTables, filters and segmentation to summarise large datasets quickly. | |
05 Find trends and drivers Analyse performance, variances and trends and interpret the business meaning behind the numbers. | 06 Communicate insights Build management-ready charts and reports that convert analysis into clear conclusions and actions. |
Who should attend?
- Business analysts
- Finance professionals
- FP&A and reporting teams
- Operations professionals
- HR and people analytics teams
- Marketing and commercial analysts
- Project and programme teams
- Administrative professionals working with large datasets
- Managers who regularly analyse business information
- Professionals who use Excel for reporting, budgeting, analysis or decision support
- Employees looking to strengthen practical data-analysis capability
Pre-requisites
- Basic familiarity with Microsoft Excel recommended
- Participants should understand worksheets, cells and simple formulas
- No advanced Excel knowledge required
- Basic comfort working with business data useful
- Microsoft Excel installed on participant laptop
- Laptop required for practical exercises
Delivery format
- Hybrid – face-to-face + live stream
- Two consecutive weekend days
- Instructor-led demonstrations
- Hands-on Excel exercises
- Practical business datasets
- Individual and group activities
- Guided formula practice
- Analytical case exercises
- Reporting and visualisation activities
- Management-insight exercises
Explore the eight modules designed to build practical capability in business data analysis using Microsoft Excel, from preparing reliable datasets and applying analytical formulas to building PivotTables, identifying trends and communicating management insights.
Module 1: Foundations of Business Data Analysis in Excel
What you'll explore:
- Understanding the data-analysis process
- Structuring data for reliable analysis
- Distinguishing raw data, calculations and outputs
- Identifying common data-quality problems
- Translating business questions into analytical tasks
Module 2: Cleaning & Preparing Data
What you'll explore:
- Identifying missing and inconsistent values
- Removing duplicates
- Cleaning text and numeric fields
- Standardising dates and formats
- Preparing datasets for efficient analysis
Module 3: Core Formulas & Functions for Analysis
What you'll explore:
- Using arithmetic and summary functions
- Applying absolute and relative references
- Using COUNT, SUM and AVERAGE variations
- Applying ROUND and related functions
- Building clear and maintainable calculations
Module 4: Logical & Conditional Analysis
What you'll explore:
- Applying IF logic to business scenarios
- Using AND and OR conditions
- Applying SUMIF/SUMIFS and COUNTIF/COUNTIFS
- Analysing categories and thresholds
- Building rule-based analytical models
Module 5: Lookups & Combining Information
What you'll explore:
- Understanding lookup logic
- Applying XLOOKUP and related functions
- Using INDEX and MATCH concepts
- Combining information from multiple tables
- Troubleshooting common lookup errors
Module 6: PivotTables for Fast Business Analysis
What you'll explore:
- Building PivotTables from structured data
- Summarising large datasets quickly
- Grouping and segmenting information
- Applying filters and slicers
- Creating reusable management-analysis views
Module 7: Trends, Variances & Business Insights
What you'll explore:
- Analysing actual versus target performance
- Identifying trends over time
- Calculating and interpreting variances
- Identifying potential business drivers
- Translating calculations into management insights
Module 8: Visualisation, Reporting & Management Communication
What you'll explore:
- Selecting appropriate Excel charts
- Building clear management-ready visuals
- Highlighting trends and exceptions
- Structuring analytical outputs for decision-makers
- Presenting findings with clear conclusions and recommended actions
PRACTICAL TOOLS & RESOURCES
You will walk away with
Practical tools and templates to help you design clearer dashboards, communicate insights effectively and apply data-storytelling principles in the workplace.
| ✓ | Personal dashboard-improvement action plan A practical action plan to apply dashboard-design and data-storytelling principles directly to your workplace reporting. |
01 Power BI Storytelling Checklist | 02 Dashboard Design Canvas |
03 Audience and decision-purpose template | 04 Visual-selection guide |
05 Executive-dashboard layout templates | 06 KPI storytelling framework |
07 Dashboard critique checklist | 08 Colour and visual-hierarchy guidelines |
09 Before-and-after dashboard examples | 10 Management narrative templates |
11 Data-story structure framework | 12 Power BI dashboard quality scorecard |
13 Digital reference materials for continued workplace application | 14 Personal dashboard-improvement plan |
Practical resources you can keep using beyond the programme to improve dashboard quality, data storytelling and management reporting.
Schedule
Programme details to be announced soon; watch this space.
Connect with our team
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Dhisha Viswanathan
Programme Advisor - Digital Programme
