The VLOOKUP function enables you to search for a value in one column and return another from the same row in a different column. As it works from top to bottom, the ‘V’ stands for vertical. Arguably, it’s the most famous function in Excel and one of the first you’ll…

Ever watched a cup draw on television? I’m sure you have. Arguably, the most famous one is football’s FA Cup. I’ve built the virtual equivalent in Excel. Of course, it cannot replicate the experience of picking balls out of a bag, pot or capsule, but it’s the next best thing! …

Proving it does have a place in big data. — Big data is a term used since the early 1990s to describe “huge, overwhelming, and uncontrollable amounts of information”. The rapid rise of the internet has meant the volume of data has increased exponentially over the past two decades. There is no universal threshold determining where big data starts. However…

Another game-changer from Microsoft — It’s fair to say that Excel formulas are becoming like a programming language. Over the past couple of years, Microsoft has fundamentally changed Excel’s calculation engine and introduced a set of functions that allow us to construct formulas to do much more with less. It doesn’t stop there. If you…

How to extract Microsoft MVP data. — If you’re a technophobe, you probably want to avoid coding at all costs. Thankfully, Microsoft Power Automate empowers you to create powerful workflows without a jot of code. No-code (and low-code) solutions are all the rage in 2022, so it’s time to jump on the bandwagon! I must confess: I’m…

Be amongst the first to test new features. — Want to get ahead of the curve in your favourite Office app? Join the Office Insider Program to test and explore new features in Office apps before they are released to the wider public. In doing so, you are helping developers improve them by submitting diagnostics data and feedback. Whether…

For Windows users. — Want to digitise that document, receipt, or book page? Data from Picture is an Excel feature that allows you to extract the text from an image and insert it into a worksheet. This can be a real timesaver and prevents the need to carry out data entry work manually. It’s…

What do lottery balls, dice, and a roulette wheel have in common? They are based on randomness, which cuts across numerous fields and exists in different forms. You might want to generate random numbers to test a financial model, create sample data, or simulate sports fixtures. This article takes a…

Three worksheet examples explained. 📅 — Calendars are useful for scheduling events, constructing to-do lists, and managing projects. Many applications exist for mobile and desktop, such as Outlook, iCloud Calendar, and Google Calendar. Whilst these are feature-packed and great for day-to-day use, nothing beats an Excel calendar for true customisation. This article looks at three modern…