Excel Lesson 15 Working with Auditing and Analysis Tools Microsoft Office 2010 Advanced Cable / Morrison

Objectives Use the Trace Precedents feature. Use the Trace Dependents feature. Use the Trace Error feature. Check for errors in functions. Perform a what-if analysis using the Goal Seek feature. 2 2

Objectives (continued) Create a scenario. View the scenario summary. Consolidate data. Create a one-way data table.

Vocabulary audit consolidating dependent precedent Scenario Manager tracer arrow 4 4

Introduction Excel offers many tools to: Trace Precedents Check for accuracy in formulas Solve problems with formulas Analyze existing data Trace Precedents Trace Dependents Trace Error

Introduction (continued) Error Checking Goal Seek Scenario Manager Data Table

Using Trace Precedents When you audit something, you are checking it for accuracy. Precedents refer to cells that supply the values used in a function. The Trace Precedents feature finds the cells that are used in a function. Select cell containing a formula, go to Formulas tab, click Trace Precedents

Using Trace Precedents (continued) Example of trace precedents

Using Trace Dependents The Trace Dependents feature works by locating formulas and/or functions that depend on the value in a selected cell. Select cell containing a value used in other calculations, go to Formulas tab, click Trace Dependents A tracer arrow is drawn from the selected cell, called the dependent, pointing to the cell with the function.

Tracer Arrows Tracing precedents/dependents produce tracer arrows that can be printed. Click Remove Arrows to turn them off.

Using Trace Error To locate the source of an error, click the cell with the error and then click the Trace Error command. Excel displays an information icon next to the cell with an error status. Click the icon to see a list with options on how to resolve the error.

Using Trace Error (continued) Only useful when the formula displays an error message.

Checking for Errors The Error Checking feature is used to check all of the formulas and functions in a worksheet that has a lot of data. If no errors are found, a dialog box lets you know that the error check for the worksheet is complete.

Checking for Errors When an error is located, the Error Checking dialog box gives information about the error.

Evaluate Formula Evaluate Formula allows you to see step-by-step each value used and calculation performed in a formula. Useful for making sure a formula does what it’s supposed to do and uses the data it’s supposed to use. or

Be Careful! Error Checking will NOT find formulas that giving incorrect results, only those producing error messages. Use Trace Dependents/Precedents to make sure your formula uses correct data. Use Evaluate Formula to review exactly what the formula is doing with its data. Constructing the formula to calculate what it is supposed to it STILL up to you!

Data Validation Data Validation Rules allow you to check data entered in a worksheet to make sure it is valid for that entry. Select the cell or range where data will be validated, go to the Data tab, click Data Validation…

Data Validation Rule Define the data validation rule on the Settings tab. There are a variety of options. (Note that List allows you to define a list of acceptable values; all others will be invalid.)

Data Validation Input Message The input message will be displayed when the cell is selected.

Data Validation Error Alert N.E.V.E.R.! create a data validation rule without entering an easy-to-understand error alert.

Watch Window The Watch Window allows you to select cells to keep an eye on as data changes.

Goal Seek Goal Seek allows you to ask “What if…” The Goal Seek feature finds the unknown value you need in order to accomplish your goal. “What if we want to increase average sales to 75 by increasing Economics book sales?” Data tab, Data Tools Group, What if Analysis, Goal Seek.

Goal Seek Set Cell is what you are setting a goal for To Value is your goal By changing cell is the data that can be adjusted to meet the goal.

Goal Seek Note that when you click OK after Goal Seek is finished, the change is made in the worksheet.

Creating Scenarios Goal Seek allows you to change one value. The Scenario Manager performs a “what-if” analysis that lets you change several cells of data.

Viewing the Scenario Summary The summary will display the range entered in the scenario values and the Result Cells entered here.

Creating Scenarios (continued) Scenario Manager dialog box with scenarios

Viewing the Scenario Summary The Scenario Manager lets you view the created scenarios in a formatted report on a separate worksheet. Excel automatically names the new worksheet Scenario Summary and applies formatting. You may also choose to view the summary in a PivotTable.

Scenario Summary

Consolidating Data In Excel, consolidating involves bringing data from several worksheets together into one worksheet. You can choose various functions to use when consolidating (Sum, Average, etc.) Data, Consolidate Note that the consolidation data is not updated when the values on which it is based have changed.

Consolidating Data (continued) Completed Consolidate dialog box

Creating a One-Way Data Table A one-way data table uses one function to change cells that use this function. Example of a one-way data table

Summary In this lesson, you learned: The Trace Precedents feature finds the cells that are used in the function. The Trace Error feature locates cells that are used in a formula to assist in identifying the source of an error.

Summary (continued) The Trace Dependents button works by locating formulas or functions that depend on the value in a selected cell. If a cell containing a formula has an error, the Trace Error feature displays the cells used in the formula. You can check for errors throughout an entire worksheet, using the Error Checking feature.

Summary (continued) The Goal Seek feature can perform a “what-if” analysis based on a single function. The Scenario Manager performs a “what-if” analysis and lets you view the results based on changing several cells of data. You can view scenarios in the scenario summary.

Summary (continued) Data from multiple worksheets can be totaled using the Consolidate feature. A one-way data table shows various results for a function within a range of cells.