Introduction to Spreadsheets

A spreadsheet originally existed as a paper sheet for data work and ruled in grids of columns and rows.
As data work became more complex, the spreadsheet (spread-sheet) became wider and wider spanning
hundreds of rows and columns.

Types of Spreadsheets
Electronic spreadsheets have now replaced the paper spreadsheets and now exist in virtual formats in
electronic devices such as desktop computers, laptop computers, tablets, and mobile phones. There are
several electronic spreadsheets applications such as Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, Lotus 1-2-3,
OpenOffice, Quattro Pro, Numbers, Sheetster, OpenRefine, etc.

A common feature of spreadsheets is their grid outlook. Some spreadsheets are designed for specific
operating systems or platforms such as Windows, others run on all OS platforms (called cloud or web-
based app).

Spreadsheets are primarily designed for data analysis which includes research and analysis of numerical,
financial, accounting, logical, or statistical data. Spreadsheets come with scores of in-built data analysis
features and tools that simplify complex tasks, enable research, enable tracking and repetitive tasks. You
have not put a spreadsheet application to real use if you have not analysed data with it.

Introduction To Excel
Microsoft Excel is the industry standard spreadsheet program developed by Microsoft Corporation and
used for data calculations, analysis, visualization and much more. Excel is next only to Word as the
most popular and most used of all Microsoft Office products.
The only reason why you want to automate your tasks with Excel is to get it done faster, more
accurately and easily.

Qualities of Excel Over Other Spreadsheets

Excel has remained the choice spreadsheet application across the world because of its qualities. Most
other spreadsheets don’t have anywhere near the following Excel qualities:

 Nativity
While most Excel spreadsheet competitors are cloud (online) based, Excel is Native. A native
app is designed to suit the local device and operating system that runs it. There is Excel for
Windows OS, Excel for Mac OS thereby avoiding conflicts, making response to commands and
processing faster and you do not need internet connection to use any feature or command. Excel
has a separate cloud based versions in Excel Online. The cloud version, like other cloud based
apps carry limited features. The bulk of the features are accessible only when you connect to the
online server.

 Popularity
Of all known spreadsheet applications, Microsoft Excel stands out as world’s most accessible,
most popular and most used spreadsheet application. Excel is installed in over 95% home and
office Desktops, Laptops, Tablets and Mobile Phones. It is easy to find help to problems and its
popularity makes document creation and sharing with others very easy.

 Data Analysis Capabilities

Excel has more built-in formulas and functions, charting options and data analysis tools that
enables it handle very complex analysis and large datasets, than any other spreadsheet
application.

True Life: My Stock Audit Story

“I was part of a 2-man Stock Audit Team to a Chevron facility in Delta State of Nigeria during
my 1995/1996 NYSC programme at Materials Management Division of NAPIMS, NNPC in
Lagos. The annual exercise had a 2-week duration.

Our job was to audit drilling materials supplied and consumed by the oil exploration company
in the past one year to ensure there was compliance with the Joint Venture agreements. This
exercise involved data collection, data capture, data analysis, and generation of reports. To aid
our work, we were each given a scientific calculator.

Having studied the job requirements, I suggested the use of a computer to my boss and
convinced him it would do a better job than calculators, and he got one assigned to me. I was so
sure the computer will come with an Excel installation and it did.

I spent the first two days capturing and formatting all the data which included conversion and
unification of various currencies. At end of day two, I had analysed the data and generated
 reports for our outdoor audit of stocks on day three and four. Back at the office on the fourth
day, I fed in the field data, generated final reports, and we booked our departure flight for next
day.

The next day at the office, we made presentations to our host and by 5:30pm, we were aboard a
flight back to base in Lagos. We spent only five instead of fourteen days assigned for this
exercise. My Excel proficiently saved us cost, time, and got us a more accurate result.”

These qualities combined bring productivity to your job. Productivity means getting a task done quicker,
at less cost, and with more accuracy. This Microsoft Excel series will help you become productive by
learning how to manage students contacts, exams records, staff record including payroll, pension plans,
interest rate on loan, track physical assets and stocks, keep up-to-date information on your contacts,
design meal time table, amortization, manage birthday notices, retirement plans, and several other
everyday data analysis needs.

There are practice exercises in each chapter. They refer you to relevant questions in mathematic
textbooks to help you understand and solve mathematics problems better, easier and quicker, the Excel
way. This series will also prepare you sit and pass Excel certification examinations.

Excel Versions
There are several versions of Excel often named after year of release. Example includes Excel 2000,
Excel XP, Excel 2003, Excel 2007, Excel 2010, Excel 2011 for Mac, Excel 2013, Excel for Office 365,
Excel 2016, Excel 2019, Excel Web App.

What’s New in a version?

Appearance, accessibility and usability of features are being improved in newer versions of Excel to
make tasks quicker and simpler to achieve. For example, in Excel 2013 and newer versions, mere
selection of lists of numbers will display information about such selection.

Newer versions come with Quicktip which provides shortcut to data Analysis features.
 Quick Analysis Tool

The primary function of Excel has not changed – Data Analysis. The procedure for computing a formula
has not changed, neither as the spreadsheet identity of gridlines. Whatever the version, you can
successfully analyse your data.