Good decision-making is key to a company’s success. And the first step to making smart decisions is by using powerful tools to analyze data and draw meaningful insights. Microsoft Power BI offers a vast catalog of features that provide the ability to explore data and get the most out of it. Let’s take a look at some of these features.

Data integration

Power BI allows organizations to connect to various data sources, such as databases, spreadsheets, cloud-based services, and APIs, to consolidate and transform data into a unified view. This enables businesses to have a holistic view of their data and make informed decisions based on accurate and up-to-date information.

Data modeling

To make sense of large amounts of data, you need to have the ability to create data models. Power BI lets you build custom data models from scratch or use templates to quickly get started. With its drag-and-drop interface, you can rapidly create powerful data models, define relationships between spreadsheets, and customize calculating using a wide range of preset formulas. This enables businesses to gain deeper insights from their data and uncover patterns and trends that may not be apparent initially.

Interactive visualizations

When it comes to identifying trends and patterns, Power BI’s interactive visualizations provide the perfect tool for the job. This feature allows you to quickly create sophisticated visualizations such as bar charts, line charts, pie charts, maps, and more. From there, you can easily interact with your data and drill down into details to gain a better understanding of the underlying trends. You can even customize visualizations to track the metrics that matter most to your business.

AI-powered insights

The great thing about Power BI is that it’s not just a data visualization tool. It also leverages artificial intelligence to predict future trends and outcomes. This means businesses can use Power BI to make intelligent projections and forecasts that will help them make better decisions down the road. For instance, Power BI can provide realistic cash flow projections throughout the year based on historical data, allowing companies to make smarter budgeting decisions.

Collaborative reporting

Power BI enables businesses to create and share interactive reports and dashboards with their team and other stakeholders. This promotes collaboration and allows for real-time data analysis and decision-making. Users can also set up alerts and notifications to receive updates on key metrics or changes in data, ensuring that decision-makers are always informed and can take prompt action when needed.

Power BI can be an invaluable tool for businesses that are looking to carve out a competitive advantage. If you want to elevate your decision-making process, Power BI may be just the right tool for you. Call us today to learn more about how we can help you make the most of Power BI and its features.

Imagine having an application that could identify opportunities for growth and help you make the right moves. With Microsoft Power BI, this is no longer a pipe dream but a reality. Power BI offers a comprehensive set of tools that help you analyze data, identify trends, and stay competitive. Here’s how Power BI can empower businesses with foresight.

Data integration

Power BI allows organizations to connect to various data sources, such as databases, spreadsheets, cloud-based services, and APIs, to consolidate and transform data into a unified view. This enables businesses to have a holistic view of their data and make informed decisions based on accurate and up-to-date information.

Data modeling

To make sense of large amounts of data, you need to have the ability to create data models. Power BI lets you build custom data models from scratch or use templates to quickly get started. With its drag-and-drop interface, you can rapidly create powerful data models, define relationships between spreadsheets, and customize calculating using a wide range of preset formulas. This enables businesses to gain deeper insights from their data and uncover patterns and trends that may not be apparent initially.

Interactive visualizations

When it comes to identifying trends and patterns, Power BI’s interactive visualizations provide the perfect tool for the job. This feature allows you to quickly create sophisticated visualizations such as bar charts, line charts, pie charts, maps, and more. From there, you can easily interact with your data and drill down into details to gain a better understanding of the underlying trends. You can even customize visualizations to track the metrics that matter most to your business.

AI-powered insights

The great thing about Power BI is that it’s not just a data visualization tool. It also leverages artificial intelligence to predict future trends and outcomes. This means businesses can use Power BI to make intelligent projections and forecasts that will help them make better decisions down the road. For instance, Power BI can provide realistic cash flow projections throughout the year based on historical data, allowing companies to make smarter budgeting decisions.

Collaborative reporting

Power BI enables businesses to create and share interactive reports and dashboards with their team and other stakeholders. This promotes collaboration and allows for real-time data analysis and decision-making. Users can also set up alerts and notifications to receive updates on key metrics or changes in data, ensuring that decision-makers are always informed and can take prompt action when needed.

Power BI can be an invaluable tool for businesses that are looking to carve out a competitive advantage. If you want to elevate your decision-making process, Power BI may be just the right tool for you. Call us today to learn more about how we can help you make the most of Power BI and its features.

Making the right business strategies relies heavily on data analysis and timely insights. With Microsoft Power BI, businesses can access vast amounts of relevant data quickly and easily, turning it into actionable information to support their decision-making processes. In this article, we’ll explore how Power BI can help businesses make data-driven decisions.

Data integration

Power BI allows organizations to connect to various data sources, such as databases, spreadsheets, cloud-based services, and APIs, to consolidate and transform data into a unified view. This enables businesses to have a holistic view of their data and make informed decisions based on accurate and up-to-date information.

Data modeling

To make sense of large amounts of data, you need to have the ability to create data models. Power BI lets you build custom data models from scratch or use templates to quickly get started. With its drag-and-drop interface, you can rapidly create powerful data models, define relationships between spreadsheets, and customize calculating using a wide range of preset formulas. This enables businesses to gain deeper insights from their data and uncover patterns and trends that may not be apparent initially.

Interactive visualizations

When it comes to identifying trends and patterns, Power BI’s interactive visualizations provide the perfect tool for the job. This feature allows you to quickly create sophisticated visualizations such as bar charts, line charts, pie charts, maps, and more. From there, you can easily interact with your data and drill down into details to gain a better understanding of the underlying trends. You can even customize visualizations to track the metrics that matter most to your business.

AI-powered insights

The great thing about Power BI is that it’s not just a data visualization tool. It also leverages artificial intelligence to predict future trends and outcomes. This means businesses can use Power BI to make intelligent projections and forecasts that will help them make better decisions down the road. For instance, Power BI can provide realistic cash flow projections throughout the year based on historical data, allowing companies to make smarter budgeting decisions.

Collaborative reporting

Power BI enables businesses to create and share interactive reports and dashboards with their team and other stakeholders. This promotes collaboration and allows for real-time data analysis and decision-making. Users can also set up alerts and notifications to receive updates on key metrics or changes in data, ensuring that decision-makers are always informed and can take prompt action when needed.

Power BI can be an invaluable tool for businesses that are looking to carve out a competitive advantage. If you want to elevate your decision-making process, Power BI may be just the right tool for you. Call us today to learn more about how we can help you make the most of Power BI and its features.

As the owner of a small- or medium-sized business (SMB), you may feel like you’re always stretched thin. You have to manage tight budgets, juggle multiple roles, and make sure your employees have the tools and resources they need to do their jobs. It can be tough to find time to focus on growing your business. But what if there was an all-in-one solution that could help you do it? Enter Microsoft 365.

Do more with less

Microsoft 365 is a comprehensive suite of tools and services designed to help SMBs get more done. It delivers the full power of Office apps, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, with the convenience of cloud-based collaboration. It also gives you access to features like secure file sharing, document workflow automation, and real-time communication. Best of all, Microsoft 365 is designed to work with the tools and services you already use.

With Microsoft 365, you can save time and money by eliminating the need for additional software or hardware. It’s easy to set up and manage, and it’s available at affordable price points. You can even use a single subscription to cover all the devices in your business, from PCs to phones to tablets.

Stay connected, wherever you are

By leveraging Microsoft 365, you can keep your team connected and engaged, regardless of their location. With cloud-based services like Microsoft Teams, you can have virtual meetings, chat with colleagues, and collaborate on projects in real time. And when you need to access files, emails, or other data while away from the office, you can do so securely with the Microsoft 365 mobile app.

Gain valuable insights with AI

Tools like Power BI and Azure AI enable you to gain valuable insights into your business. With Power BI, you can quickly create interactive dashboards that provide up-to-date information about the performance of your company. This can help you make better decisions and identify trends that could be a source of new opportunities.

Meanwhile, Azure AI allows you to leverage the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve customer service, automate processes, and optimize your business operations.

Secure your data

Finally, Microsoft 365 offers a range of advanced security features that help protect your data and keep your business safe. These include multifactor authentication, data loss prevention, and encryption to keep sensitive information secure. And if you ever need assistance with any of these functions, Microsoft’s world-class support team is always on hand to help.

In today’s competitive world, it’s essential for SMBs to have the tools and resources they need to succeed. Microsoft 365 can help you do just that. With its easy setup, affordable pricing, and powerful features, it’s a great way to give your business an edge. Try it today and see the difference Microsoft 365 can make in your SMB’s growth.

Don’t know where to get started? Contact us today! We’re here to help you discover the full potential of Microsoft 365.

As a small- or medium-sized business (SMB) owner, you know that growth is essential for success. But achieving growth can be difficult, especially when you’re working with limited resources. That’s where Microsoft 365 comes in.

Do more with less

Microsoft 365 is a comprehensive suite of tools and services designed to help SMBs get more done. It delivers the full power of Office apps, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, with the convenience of cloud-based collaboration. It also gives you access to features like secure file sharing, document workflow automation, and real-time communication. Best of all, Microsoft 365 is designed to work with the tools and services you already use.

With Microsoft 365, you can save time and money by eliminating the need for additional software or hardware. It’s easy to set up and manage, and it’s available at affordable price points. You can even use a single subscription to cover all the devices in your business, from PCs to phones to tablets.

Stay connected, wherever you are

By leveraging Microsoft 365, you can keep your team connected and engaged, regardless of their location. With cloud-based services like Microsoft Teams, you can have virtual meetings, chat with colleagues, and collaborate on projects in real time. And when you need to access files, emails, or other data while away from the office, you can do so securely with the Microsoft 365 mobile app.

Gain valuable insights with AI

Tools like Power BI and Azure AI enable you to gain valuable insights into your business. With Power BI, you can quickly create interactive dashboards that provide up-to-date information about the performance of your company. This can help you make better decisions and identify trends that could be a source of new opportunities.

Meanwhile, Azure AI allows you to leverage the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve customer service, automate processes, and optimize your business operations.

Secure your data

Finally, Microsoft 365 offers a range of advanced security features that help protect your data and keep your business safe. These include multifactor authentication, data loss prevention, and encryption to keep sensitive information secure. And if you ever need assistance with any of these functions, Microsoft’s world-class support team is always on hand to help.

In today’s competitive world, it’s essential for SMBs to have the tools and resources they need to succeed. Microsoft 365 can help you do just that. With its easy setup, affordable pricing, and powerful features, it’s a great way to give your business an edge. Try it today and see the difference Microsoft 365 can make in your SMB’s growth.

Don’t know where to get started? Contact us today! We’re here to help you discover the full potential of Microsoft 365.

Small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) like yours are the backbone of the global economy. You play an essential role in creating jobs, fostering innovation, and driving economic growth. But to stay competitive, you need to have access to the latest technology, and that often feels like an insurmountable challenge for SMBs with limited resources. Fortunately, Microsoft 365 can help.

Do more with less

Microsoft 365 is a comprehensive suite of tools and services designed to help SMBs get more done. It delivers the full power of Office apps, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, with the convenience of cloud-based collaboration. It also gives you access to features like secure file sharing, document workflow automation, and real-time communication. Best of all, Microsoft 365 is designed to work with the tools and services you already use.

With Microsoft 365, you can save time and money by eliminating the need for additional software or hardware. It’s easy to set up and manage, and it’s available at affordable price points. You can even use a single subscription to cover all the devices in your business, from PCs to phones to tablets.

Stay connected, wherever you are

By leveraging Microsoft 365, you can keep your team connected and engaged, regardless of their location. With cloud-based services like Microsoft Teams, you can have virtual meetings, chat with colleagues, and collaborate on projects in real time. And when you need to access files, emails, or other data while away from the office, you can do so securely with the Microsoft 365 mobile app.

Gain valuable insights with AI

Tools like Power BI and Azure AI enable you to gain valuable insights into your business. With Power BI, you can quickly create interactive dashboards that provide up-to-date information about the performance of your company. This can help you make better decisions and identify trends that could be a source of new opportunities.

Meanwhile, Azure AI allows you to leverage the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve customer service, automate processes, and optimize your business operations.

Secure your data

Finally, Microsoft 365 offers a range of advanced security features that help protect your data and keep your business safe. These include multifactor authentication, data loss prevention, and encryption to keep sensitive information secure. And if you ever need assistance with any of these functions, Microsoft’s world-class support team is always on hand to help.

In today’s competitive world, it’s essential for SMBs to have the tools and resources they need to succeed. Microsoft 365 can help you do just that. With its easy setup, affordable pricing, and powerful features, it’s a great way to give your business an edge. Try it today and see the difference Microsoft 365 can make in your SMB’s growth.

Don’t know where to get started? Contact us today! We’re here to help you discover the full potential of Microsoft 365.

Celonis, the process mapping startup, has been on a nice run the last several years, forging significant partnerships with IBM and ServiceNow, while announcing a $1 billion Series D last June on a massive $11 billion valuation.

With that kind of capitalization, the company decided to expand its reach today when it announced the acquisition of Process Analytics Factory (PAF) for $100 million. Celonis gets an eight-year-old German company with expertise in process mapping the Microsoft ecosystem, which should help Celonis move into that space.

Celonis CEO and co-founder Alexander Rinke said that his company has carved out a big role in the automated workflow ecosystem, figuring out how work moves in an automated fashion to help point out inefficiencies and look for ways to make work flow more smoothly through the organization. He says that includes automation, collaboration and virtual platforms.

“Obviously, a big part of that is Microsoft with Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Office. So we acquired PAF to enable that and bring the unique insights and targeted actions we provide to Microsoft users,” Rinke said.

PAF founder and CEO Tobias Rother gave the familiar argument that the two companies will be better together. “This combination leverages the strength of Celonis market leadership with the foundation that PAF has created in the Microsoft Power Platform. This allows our companies to build the bridge between the Microsoft Power Platform and the Celonis Execution Management System,” he said in a statement.

PAF launched in 2014 with the goal of embedding process mining insights into the Microsoft platform. “They have a huge head start in this space, and we thought if we can bring this functionality into the Celonis world, there will be a huge benefit for their customers, our customers and prospects. And for everybody who uses Microsoft,” Rinke said.

As he points out, that’s just about everybody in his target market. In fact, 97% of the Fortune 500 use Microsoft Office.

The company has been on a roll in recent years, forging relationships with much larger companies like IBM, SAP and ServiceNow, while also building a large presence with consulting firms like Deloitte, Accenture and WiPro, among many others. All of this is driving sales and the massive valuation.

It has also made several strategic acquisitions like today’s. PAF represents the fourth acquisition for the company. Rinke said the deal closed at the end of last year, and they are in the process of building the PAF functionality into the broader Celonis platform. The plan is to roll that out in May. The deal included 30 employees coming over to Celonis. The company should hit 3,000 employees some time later this year.

Celonis launched in 2011 and raised $1.4 billion, according to Crunchbase data. While the company has ambitions to go public at some point, Rinke was not ready to commit to any timeline.

Many successful business owners throw around the phrase “make your own luck,” but what do these words truly mean? Partly, it means not being deterred by terrible circumstances but rather learning from these setbacks to gain better opportunities in the future. Microsoft’s Power BI puts that principle into practice: with predictive forecasting based on previous data, it helps you better prepare for future business challenges.

Power BI is a separate Microsoft product on its own, but if you have a Microsoft 365 Enterprise E5 subscription, then you can avail of Power BI for Microsoft 365. Both versions use a variety of statistical techniques, such as modeling and data mining, to analyze current and previous information to make accurate predictions. Power BI also provides users with the ability to generate reports, interactive charts, and 3D visualizations of business performance.

What’s more, Power BI’s built-in predictive forecasting models can automatically detect data seasonality, allowing users to immediately see the annual, regular, and predictable changes in data. It also enables users to see how results are affected by certain parameters. All they have to do is set parameters such as the time or the confidence interval according to their preferred configuration, and the software will analyze data accordingly. Simply put, users can perform advanced forecasting without the complexity that usually accompanies these kinds of processes.

Power BI’s predictive forecasting can also help fill in gaps with data. Power View, an interactive data exploration and presentation tool, fills in missing values from a data set before carrying out a forecast for a more accurate result.

Get started with Power BI for Microsoft 365 predictive forecasting by doing the following:

1. Upload a workbook with a Power View time series line chart to Power BI for Microsoft 365.
2. Open the file in Power BI.
3. Click on the forecast arrow or drag the forecast dot in the line chart to make the forecasting parameters appear in the Analytics pane at the right of your report. To get your desired forecast or projection, configure the following parameters:

• • Forecast length – This lets you look as far into the future as you wish, be it in days, months, or years.
  • Confidence interval – This parameter allows you to indicate the probability of how close predicted values will be to the actual numbers. For instance, you can set the parameter at 80% to be certain that next year’s actual sales figures will be 80% within the range of your forecast. The higher the confidence interval, the closer the prediction is to the actual results.
  • Ignore last – Outliers in data sets can distort averages and forecasts. For instance, you want to look into sales for the past 12 months, but you know that the data of every month goes through adjustments before being locked in. With this parameter, you can take out data from the most recent month if the numbers haven’t been adjusted yet.
  • Seasonality – A data set is said to exhibit seasonality when a pattern can be discerned from the data values over cycles of time. If you anticipate seasonality in a particular workbook, you can specify the pattern to occur monthly, quarterly, or yearly.

Predictive forecasting, if used properly, can immensely help with the overall strategic planning, market penetration, and operations of your business.

Looking to learn more about Microsoft 365 and its features? Call us today for a chat.

People have always been intrigued by what the future holds. But while seers use crystal balls and tarot cards to get a glimpse of what’s to come, business leaders shouldn’t have to base their business forecasts on pseudoscience. Instead, they should use a scientific tool that collects and analyzes data to do reliable predictive forecasting, such as Microsoft’s Power BI.

Power BI is a separate Microsoft product on its own, but if you have a Microsoft 365 Enterprise E5 subscription, then you can avail of Power BI for Microsoft 365. Both versions use a variety of statistical techniques, such as modeling and data mining, to analyze current and previous information to make accurate predictions. Power BI also provides users with the ability to generate reports, interactive charts, and 3D visualizations of business performance.

What’s more, Power BI’s built-in predictive forecasting models can automatically detect data seasonality, allowing users to immediately see the annual, regular, and predictable changes in data. It also enables users to see how results are affected by certain parameters. All they have to do is set parameters such as the time or the confidence interval according to their preferred configuration, and the software will analyze data accordingly. Simply put, users can perform advanced forecasting without the complexity that usually accompanies these kinds of processes.

Power BI’s predictive forecasting can also help fill in gaps with data. Power View, an interactive data exploration and presentation tool, fills in missing values from a data set before carrying out a forecast for a more accurate result.

Get started with Power BI for Microsoft 365 predictive forecasting by doing the following:

1. Upload a workbook with a Power View time series line chart to Power BI for Microsoft 365.
2. Open the file in Power BI.
3. Click on the forecast arrow or drag the forecast dot in the line chart to make the forecasting parameters appear in the Analytics pane at the right of your report. To get your desired forecast or projection, configure the following parameters:

• • Forecast length – This lets you look as far into the future as you wish, be it in days, months, or years.
  • Confidence interval – This parameter allows you to indicate the probability of how close predicted values will be to the actual numbers. For instance, you can set the parameter at 80% to be certain that next year’s actual sales figures will be 80% within the range of your forecast. The higher the confidence interval, the closer the prediction is to the actual results.
  • Ignore last – Outliers in data sets can distort averages and forecasts. For instance, you want to look into sales for the past 12 months, but you know that the data of every month goes through adjustments before being locked in. With this parameter, you can take out data from the most recent month if the numbers haven’t been adjusted yet.
  • Seasonality – A data set is said to exhibit seasonality when a pattern can be discerned from the data values over cycles of time. If you anticipate seasonality in a particular workbook, you can specify the pattern to occur monthly, quarterly, or yearly.

Predictive forecasting, if used properly, can immensely help with the overall strategic planning, market penetration, and operations of your business.

Looking to learn more about Microsoft 365 and its features? Call us today for a chat.

Wouldn’t it be nice if there was an application that could help predict risks and opportunities for your business products or services? Microsoft has turned this concept into reality with Power BI’s predictive forecasting. Familiarize yourself with the capabilities of predictive forecasting and how this business intelligence feature can help your organization.

Power BI is a separate Microsoft product on its own, but if you have a Microsoft 365 Enterprise E5 subscription, then you can avail of Power BI for Microsoft 365. Both versions use a variety of statistical techniques, such as modeling and data mining, to analyze current and previous information to make accurate predictions. Power BI also provides users with the ability to generate reports, interactive charts, and 3D visualizations of business performance.

What’s more, Power BI’s built-in predictive forecasting models can automatically detect data seasonality, allowing users to immediately see the annual, regular, and predictable changes in data. It also enables users to see how results are affected by certain parameters. All they have to do is set parameters such as the time or the confidence interval according to their preferred configuration, and the software will analyze data accordingly. Simply put, users can perform advanced forecasting without the complexity that usually accompanies these kinds of processes.

Power BI’s predictive forecasting can also help fill in gaps with data. Power View, an interactive data exploration and presentation tool, fills in missing values from a data set before carrying out a forecast for a more accurate result.

Get started with Power BI for Microsoft 365 predictive forecasting by doing the following:

1. Upload a workbook with a Power View time series line chart to Power BI for Microsoft 365.
2. Open the file in Power BI.
3. Click on the forecast arrow or drag the forecast dot in the line chart to make the forecasting parameters appear in the Analytics pane at the right of your report. To get your desired forecast or projection, configure the following parameters:

• • Forecast length – This lets you look as far into the future as you wish, be it in days, months, or years.
  • Confidence interval – This parameter allows you to indicate the probability of how close predicted values will be to the actual numbers. For instance, you can set the parameter at 80% to be certain that next year’s actual sales figures will be 80% within the range of your forecast. The higher the confidence interval, the closer the prediction is to the actual results.
  • Ignore last – Outliers in data sets can distort averages and forecasts. For instance, you want to look into sales for the past 12 months, but you know that the data of every month goes through adjustments before being locked in. With this parameter, you can take out data from the most recent month if the numbers haven’t been adjusted yet.
  • Seasonality – A data set is said to exhibit seasonality when a pattern can be discerned from the data values over cycles of time. If you anticipate seasonality in a particular workbook, you can specify the pattern to occur monthly, quarterly, or yearly.

Predictive forecasting, if used properly, can immensely help with the overall strategic planning, market penetration, and operations of your business.

Looking to learn more about Microsoft 365 and its features? Call us today for a chat.

Businesses use Microsoft Excel for many purposes, including creating formulas, planning budgets, recording expenditures, and more. A spreadsheet can handle limitless amounts of information, making it an extremely useful tool for storing and analyzing data such as text and numbers. With its essential upgrade, Excel lets you do so much more.

Previous Excel upgrades include the addition of dynamic arrays and array formulas, a feature that enabled single formulas to return an array of values. Another upgrade was the Stocks and Geography function, which lets users add stock and geography data into a spreadsheet with the help of the search engine Bing. These are both useful, but Microsoft decided to add even more functionality to the program.

New data types

Excel has always been a formidable tool for storing text, numbers, and formulas and allowing users to process information out of them. Still, the data that one could put in Excel grids were limited because they were flat. Recent upgrades improve upon that limitation.

Luckily, users can now add data types to Excel, making the program more dynamic and intelligent. These data types effectively expand what information inside cells can do. In particular, cells can now contain not just text and number data, but a connected, up-to-the-minute collection of information such as currencies, cities, population, stocks, and the like. Simply put, cells can interact with charts and formulas with live data.

Data in cells can be used as a reference for an even larger collection of different data types, images, and actions. In other words, you’re no longer just typing data and writing formulas into a cell, although you can still do both. Rather, a cell can contain a specific set of information that branches out into subsets of data that you would otherwise need to type directly into the cell.

For example, if you’re creating or upgrading a customer information spreadsheet, things like transaction history, preferences, or phone numbers don’t have to be typed one by one. Adding customer-specific data types could simplify this process: entering a customer name in a cell would link to a network of information about a specific entry (i.e., customer) using a scroll-over menu, as opposed to having to enter all that information manually. This makes data input more flexible, efficient, and less prone to error resulting from copy-pasting and manual entry.

Enhancements for Power BI customers

It is, however, users of Microsoft Power BI, the company’s business intelligence program, who will greatly benefit from the upgrades. If your company uses Power BI, data published into your account will automatically link to Excel, which makes the flow of company data types into the program more seamless.

In addition, Microsoft’s data connection technology Power Query will allow users to create custom data types, while pre-configured data types (through a partnership with knowledge engine provider Wolfram Alpha) will also soon be added to let users track different types of information.

This only scratches the surface of what these Excel upgrades can do. For more Office and general productivity tips, consult our IT experts today.

Microsoft Excel can be used to record inventory, create simple and complex formulas, and manage data. The world’s most popular spreadsheet program is chock full of features, and with a recent upgrade, users will be able to do more with their own data. Here’s how to make the most of it.

Previous Excel upgrades include the addition of dynamic arrays and array formulas, a feature that enabled single formulas to return an array of values. Another upgrade was the Stocks and Geography function, which lets users add stock and geography data into a spreadsheet with the help of the search engine Bing. These are both useful, but Microsoft decided to add even more functionality to the program.

New data types

Excel has always been a formidable tool for storing text, numbers, and formulas and allowing users to process information out of them. Still, the data that one could put in Excel grids were limited because they were flat. Recent upgrades improve upon that limitation.

Luckily, users can now add data types to Excel, making the program more dynamic and intelligent. These data types effectively expand what information inside cells can do. In particular, cells can now contain not just text and number data, but a connected, up-to-the-minute collection of information such as currencies, cities, population, stocks, and the like. Simply put, cells can interact with charts and formulas with live data.

Data in cells can be used as a reference for an even larger collection of different data types, images, and actions. In other words, you’re no longer just typing data and writing formulas into a cell, although you can still do both. Rather, a cell can contain a specific set of information that branches out into subsets of data that you would otherwise need to type directly into the cell.

For example, if you’re creating or upgrading a customer information spreadsheet, things like transaction history, preferences, or phone numbers don’t have to be typed one by one. Adding customer-specific data types could simplify this process: entering a customer name in a cell would link to a network of information about a specific entry (i.e., customer) using a scroll-over menu, as opposed to having to enter all that information manually. This makes data input more flexible, efficient, and less prone to error resulting from copy-pasting and manual entry.

Enhancements for Power BI customers

It is, however, users of Microsoft Power BI, the company’s business intelligence program, who will greatly benefit from the upgrades. If your company uses Power BI, data published into your account will automatically link to Excel, which makes the flow of company data types into the program more seamless.

In addition, Microsoft’s data connection technology Power Query will allow users to create custom data types, while pre-configured data types (through a partnership with knowledge engine provider Wolfram Alpha) will also soon be added to let users track different types of information.

This only scratches the surface of what these Excel upgrades can do. For more Office and general productivity tips, consult our IT experts today.