In this presentation, author and Excel expert David Ringstrom, CPA, helps you expand your Excel toolbox by comparing the INDEX/MATCH functions to the XLOOKUP worksheet function in Excel 2021 and Excel for Microsoft 365. You'll also see how to transform ugly reports exported from accounting software and other platforms into analysis-ready formats by using Power Query. David will also show you how to use Excel's Solver feature to identify the combination of amounts from a list, such as invoices or deposits, that add up to an amount of your choice.

David is the author of “Exploring Microsoft Excel's Hidden Treasures: Turbocharge your Excel Proficiency with expert tips, automation techniques, and Overlooked Features”. He demonstrates every technique at least twice: first, on a PowerPoint slide with numbered steps, and second, in the subscription-based Excel for Microsoft 365. David draws your attention to any differences in Excel 2021, 2019, or 2016 during the presentation and in his detailed handouts. The handouts include an Excel workbook with most of the examples he uses during his demonstrations.

Excel for Microsoft 365 is a subscription-based product that receives periodic feature updates. Conversely, perpetually licensed versions have year numbers in their names and do not receive any feature updates.

Learning Objectives:-

• Recall the location of the Always Create Backup option.
• State which versions of Excel XLOOKUP are available.
• Identify the menu in Power Query that contains the Fill Down command.

Areas Covered:-

• Using Excel's Solver feature to find the amounts that match a total, such as which checks or invoices make up a particular total.
• Using Excel's Solver feature to find the amounts that match a total, such as which checks or invoices make up a particular total.
• Matching on two or more columns of criteria at once with XLOOKUP.
• Using Power Query to clean up accounting reports to remove pitfalls like blank rows, merged cells, missing data, and more.
• Contrasting the INDEX and MATCH combination to VLOOKUP or HLOOKUP.
• Filtering a cleaned-up accounts receivable aging report to display only overdue amounts.
• Exploring the XLOOKUP worksheet function in Excel 2021 and Microsoft 365.
• Enabling Excel’s Solver add-in for more complex what-if analyses.
• Changing the data type for columns of data within the results grid.
• Querying ChatCPT directly from within Excel by way of the LABS.GENERATIVEAI function in Excel for Microsoft 365.
• Joining text together with spaces or other characters with the TEXTJOIN function in Excel 2019 and later.
• Separating first/last names into two columns without using formulas or retyping.

Who will Benefit:-

• Professionals seeking to use Microsoft Excel more effectively.