SUMMARY: INTRODUCTION TO MS EXCEL-I

SESSION OVERVIEW:
By the end of this session, students will be able to-
● Understand how MS Excel helps in Data Analytics.
● Understand the interface of MS Excel.
● Perform different operations using MS Excel.

KEY TOPICS AND EXAMPLES:

1. Understand how MS Excel helps in Data Analytics:

Microsoft Excel is a popular choice among users for carrying out different analytical activities
since it provides a number of benefits for data analytics. Using Microsoft Excel for data
analytics has the following main benefits:
● Ease of use:
Excel is renowned for its intuitive features and user-friendly layout, which enable
users with different degrees of technical expertise to utilize it with ease. Basic data
analysis functions like sorting, filtering, and charting are simple for users to do
without a lot of experience.
● Familiarity:
Excel is a ubiquitous tool that many users are already familiar with due to its
widespread use in businesses, academia, and personal computing. This familiarity
reduces the learning curve for users transitioning to data analytics tasks in Excel, as
they can leverage their existing knowledge of the software.
● Versatility:
Excel provides a multitude of features to meet various data analytics requirements. In
addition to writing custom macros using Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) to
automate repetitive activities, users may create interactive dashboards, perform basic
statistical analysis, and create pivot tables and pivot charts.
● Data Import and Export: Excel supports importing data from various sources such
as databases, text files, CSV files, and online sources. Users can easily import data
into Excel for analysis and export the results to other formats for sharing or further
analysis.
● Data Cleaning and Transformation: Excel provides tools for cleaning and
transforming data, such as removing duplicates, handling missing values, and
formatting data. Users can use built-in functions and formulas to preprocess data
before analysis, ensuring data quality and integrity.
● Data Visualization: Excel offers a variety of chart types and visualization options for
creating visually appealing and informative charts and graphs. Users can easily create
bar charts, line charts, pie charts, scatter plots, and more to visualize their data and
communicate insights effectively.
● Integration with Other Tools: Excel integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft
Office applications, allowing users to share data and reports between Excel, Word,
PowerPoint, and Outlook. Users can also connect Excel to external data sources and
analysis tools for more advanced analysis.

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 ● Cost- effectiveness: Excel is already available as a part of the Microsoft Office Suite,
which makes it a cost-effective option compared to specialized data analysis software.

Industry importance of MS Excel: (10-15 min)

(Comment for instructor: Discuss other industries if required.)
Almost all companies use excel because the higher management is familiar with the tool and
do not require complex IT setup to access data. Also, it is helpful for rapid prototyping for quick
decision making, and excel is the common language across all industries. Mentioned below are some
specific industry examples which rely on Excel.
● Banking and finance:
Excel is extensively used in finance and banking for financial modeling, budgeting,
forecasting, risk analysis, and reporting. Financial analysts, accountants, and
investment professionals rely on Excel to analyze financial data, create complex
financial models, and generate reports for decision-making and regulatory
compliance.
● Business and consulting:
Excel is a staple tool in business and consulting firms for data analysis, market
research, project management, and strategic planning. Consultants use Excel to
analyze business data, develop financial models, conduct feasibility studies, and
create presentations for clients.
● Manufacturing and engineering:
Excel is widely used in manufacturing and engineering industries for inventory
management, production planning, quality control, and process optimization.
Engineers and operations managers use Excel to analyze production data, track
inventory levels, and optimize manufacturing processes for efficiency and cost
savings.
● Healthcare and pharmaceutical:
Excel is used in healthcare and pharmaceutical industries for patient data
management, clinical trials, drug development, and medical research. Healthcare
professionals use Excel to organize patient records, analyze medical data, and track
clinical outcomes for research and decision-making purposes.
● Retail and e-commerce:
Excel is used in retail and e-commerce industries for inventory management, sales
analysis, customer segmentation, and marketing campaigns. Retailers use Excel to
track sales data, analyze customer behavior, and forecast demand for products and
services.

2. Understand the interface of MS Excel:

2. A. How to open MS Excel: (5 mins)

● Click on the search bar present below in the screen.
● Type MS Excel in the search bar.
● Click on MS Excel.
● A screen opens up as shown in the picture below. (Figure 1)
● Click on the blank workbook and a new workbook will open. (Figure 2)

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 Figure 1: Figure showing steps related to opening of workbook

Figure 2: Shows the picturization of a workbook

2. B. Introduction to the Excel ribbon: (10 mins)

The idea is to introduce ribbon in excel to the students.

In Microsoft Excel, the Ribbon is organized into tabs and groups, each containing related
commands, functions, and tools. Here's an explanation of the tabs and groups in MS Excel:

Tabs:
● The Ribbon is divided into tabs, which are displayed horizontally across the top of the
Excel window.
● Each tab represents a different set of commands and tools related to specific tasks or
functions in Excel.
● The default tabs in Excel include: Home, Insert, Page Layout, Formulas, Data,
Review, and View. Additional tabs may appear dynamically depending on the context
of your current task, such as Chart Tools or Picture Tools.
Groups:
● Within each tab, commands are further organized into groups, which group related
commands together for easier access.

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● Groups are displayed as sections within the tab, often separated by lines or space.
● Each group contains a set of related commands or tools that are commonly used
together for specific tasks.
● For example, within the "Home" tab, common groups include Clipboard, Font,
Alignment, Number, Styles, Cells, and Editing. Each group contains commands
related to formatting, aligning, and editing cells.

Figure 3: Ribbon associated to home tab

Figure 4: Ribbon associated to insert tab

Figure 5: Ribbon associated to page layout tab

Figure 6: Ribbon associated to formulas tab

Figure 7: Ribbon associated to data tab

Figure 8: Ribbon associated to Review tab

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 Figure 9: Ribbon associated to View tab

2. C. Introduction to different parts of excel: (5mins)

Rows:
● Rows in Excel are horizontal lines of cells that are identified by numbers
along the left side of the worksheet, typically starting with "1" at the top.
● Each row extends from the left edge of the worksheet to the right edge, and
contains a series of cells.
● Rows are numbered sequentially, with the first row at the top of the
worksheet being row 1, the second row below it being row 2, and so on.
● Rows provide a way to organize and structure data horizontally in Excel.
Columns:
● Columns in Excel are vertical lines of cells that are identified by letters along
the top of the worksheet, typically starting with "A" at the leftmost column.
● Each column extends from the top edge of the worksheet to the bottom edge,
and contains a series of cells.
● Columns are lettered alphabetically, with the first column at the left edge of
the worksheet being column A, the second column next to it being column B,
and so on.
● Columns provide a way to organize and structure data vertically in Excel.
Cells:
● Cells are the individual rectangular boxes formed by the intersection of rows
and columns in Excel.
● Each cell is identified by a unique combination of its row number and column
letter. For example, the cell at the intersection of row 10 and column E is
referred to as cell "E10." (Figure 10)
● Cells are the basic units of data storage in Excel, and can contain various
types of data such as numbers, text, formulas, and dates.
● Cells can be formatted, edited, and manipulated individually or in groups,
making them the building blocks for creating and organizing data in Excel.

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 Figure 10: Representation of rows, columns and cell in MS Excel

2. D. How to save data in excel:(5 mins)

(Comment for instructor: Before introducing these terms practically, describe briefly the uses
of each of the terms mentioned below)

Figure 11: Representation of save, save as, open, print and import in MS Excel

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Important: At times, students tend to save Excel files in CSV format. Saving files in CSV
format will lead to the following problems:
● Loss of Formatting: CSV files do not support Excel's formatting features such as font
styles, colors, cell merging, or conditional formatting. When an Excel file is saved as
a CSV, all formatting information is stripped away, resulting in plain text data without
any visual representation.
● Loss of Multiple Worksheets: Excel workbooks can contain multiple worksheets,
each with its own set of data. However, CSV files can only represent a single table of
data. When you save an Excel workbook with multiple worksheets as a CSV, only
one worksheet will be preserved, leading to loss of data from other sheets.
● Loss of Cell Types: Excel supports various cell types such as numbers, text, dates,
formulas, and hyperlinks. However, CSV files can only store plain text data. As a
result, when you save an Excel file as a CSV, any non-text data, such as formulas or
hyperlinks, will be converted to plain text, potentially resulting in loss of functionality
or accuracy.

2. E. How to import data in MS Excel: (5 mins)

Open Excel and create a new worksheet.
● Go to the "Data" tab.
● Click on "Get Data" or "From Text/CSV" depending on your Excel version.
● Choose the source of your data (e.g., text file, database, web).
● Follow the prompts to select the file or connect to the data source.
● Adjust import settings if needed (e.g., delimiter, encoding).
● Click "Load" or "Import" to bring the data into Excel.

Figure 12: Represents different sources from which data can be imported

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 3. Basics of MS Excel:

3. A. Shortcuts in Excel:

Windows key combination Mac key combination Uses of the key

Arrow Keys Arrow Keys Move one cell up, down, left,
or right

Tabs Tabs Move one cell to the right

Shift + Tabs Shift + Tabs Move one cell to the left

Ctrl + End Control-End or Go to last cell in data region

Control-Fn-right arrow

Home Home or Fn-left arrow Move to the beginning of the

row

Ctrl + Home Control-Home or Move to the beginning of the

Control-Fn-Left arrow worksheet

Ctrl + Arrow Left / Ctrl + Cmd-left arrow/ Cmd-right Go to left-most / right-most

Arrow Right arrow cell in current row

Ctrl + Arrow Down/ Ctrl + Cmd-down arrow/ Cmd-up Go to bottom-most / to-most

Arrow Up arrow cell in current column

Ctrl + Page Down / Ctrl + Page Control-Page Down/ Move to next / move to
Up Control-Page Up previous worksheet

Alt + Page Down / Alt + Page Option-Page Up/ Move one screen to the right /
Up Option-Page Down or one screen to the left
Fn-Option-up arrow
/Fn-Option-down arrow

Ctrl + Shift + Page Up/Page Cmd-shift-[/ Cmd-shift-] Switch sheets

Down

3. B. Basic formatting in MS Excel:

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4. Perform different functions, operations and formulas using MS Excel:

4. A. Basic operations: (30 mins)

● Sorting:
○ Uses:
■ Sorting in Excel allows users to:
■ Organize data alphabetically, numerically, or by custom criteria.
■ Quickly find specific data points or patterns.
■ Analyze data more efficiently.
■ Prepare data for presentation or reporting.
■ Identify trends or outliers.
■ Compare and contrast different data sets.
■ Improve data visualization and readability.
○ Steps:
■ Select the column you want to sort by clicking on the column header.
Then, click on the "Sort A to Z" button in the Ribbon to sort the data
in ascending order or the "Sort Z to A" button to sort in descending
order.
■ If you have multiple columns and want to sort by specific criteria,
you can click on the "Sort & Filter" button in the Ribbon and choose
"Custom Sort..." from the drop-down menu. This will open the Sort
dialog box where you can specify your sorting criteria.

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● Freezing:

○ Uses:
■ Keep headers or labels visible while scrolling.
■ Maintain a reference point for analysis.
■ Compare data across different sections.
■ Ensure consistent formatting during navigation.
■ Simplify data entry and editing processes.
■ Improve readability and analysis of large datasets.
■ Enhance efficiency in data manipulation and reporting.
○ Steps:
■ Click on the cell below the row you want to freeze, or to the right of
the column you want to freeze.
■ Go to the "View" tab.
■ Click on "Freeze Panes" in the "Window" group.
■ Choose either "Freeze Top Row" to freeze rows or "Freeze First
Column" to freeze columns.

Figure 14: Represents freeze feature

● Find and replace:

○ Uses:
■ Locating specific values or text.
■ Editing multiple instances of a value or text.
■ Cleaning up data inconsistencies or errors.
■ Updating formatting attributes.
■ Correcting spelling mistakes or typos.
■ Transforming data by replacing patterns or text strings.
■ Performing conditional replacements based on specific criteria.
○ Steps:
■ Press Ctrl + F to open the Find and Replace dialog.
■ Enter the text you want to find in the "Find what" field.
■ Optionally, enter replacement text in the "Replace with" field.
■ Click "Find Next" to locate the first instance, or "Replace" to replace
it.
■ Use "Replace All" to replace all instances at once.

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 Figure 15: Represents find and replace in Excel

● Paste special:

○ Uses:
■ Paste data with specific formatting.
■ Perform mathematical operations during pasting.
■ Copy formulas without adjusting cell references.
■ Paste data as values, removing formulas or formatting.
■ Transpose data, switching rows to columns or vice versa.
■ Paste data as links or pictures for dynamic updates.
■ Preserve data integrity and structure during copying and pasting
tasks.
○ Different types of paste special:
■ Values: Paste only the values of the copied cells, without formatting
or formulas.
■ Formulas: Paste the formulas from the copied cells, adjusting cell
references as needed.
■ Formats: Paste only the formatting of the copied cells, such as font
style, color, and borders.
■ Values and Number Formats: Paste both the values and the number
formats of the copied cells.
■ Transpose: Transpose the copied data, switching rows to columns or
columns to rows.
○ Steps:
■ Copy the data.
■ Right-click the destination cell.
■ Choose your "Paste Special" from the menu.
■ Select the desired option.
■ Click OK.

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Figure 16: Represents different paste special features and transpose functionality in MS Excel
● Transpose functionality:
○ Uses:
■ Data reorganization for analysis.
■ Creating summary tables.
■ Adjusting data layout for formatting.
■ Consolidating multiple datasets.
■ Preparing data for charting.
■ Importing/exporting data from/to other applications.
○ Steps:
■ Select the range of cells you want to transpose.
■ Right-click and choose "Copy" or press Ctrl + C to copy the data.
■ Right-click on the cell where you want to paste the transposed data.
■ Choose "Paste Special" from the context menu.
■ Check the "Transpose" option.
■ Click "OK" to apply the transpose operation.

4. B. Important functionalities:
● Filter operation:

○ Uses:
■ View specific data subsets by hiding irrelevant rows based on
specified criteria.
■ Analyze data more efficiently by focusing on relevant information.
■ Identify trends, patterns, or outliers within datasets.
■ Sort data alphabetically, numerically, or by custom criteria.
■ Apply multiple filters simultaneously to refine data views further.
■
○ Steps:
■ Select the data range.
■ Go to the "Data" tab.
■ Click on the "Filter" button.
■ Use the filter arrows in the column headers to select criteria.

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 ■ Excel will filter the data based on your selection, showing only the
rows that meet the criteria.
■ To remove the filter, click on the filter arrow again and select "Clear
Filter."
● Deleting duplicates:

○ Uses:
■ Ensures accuracy
■ Improve statistical analysis
■ Enhance data quality
■ Reduce bias
■ Streamline processing
■ Facilitate insights
■ Support decision-making.
○ Steps:
■ Select the range of cells containing your data.
■ Go to the "Data" tab.
■ Click on "Remove Duplicates" in the Data Tools group.
■ Choose the columns where you want to find duplicates.
■ Click OK.
■ Excel will remove duplicate rows based on the selected columns,
keeping only unique values.
■ Ensure to review the operation as it's irreversible.

Datasets: The instructor has performed all the operations on this Dataset throughout this module.

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