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Excel Tips

Excel Tips

By: CPA Australia
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 Excel Tips is a podcast for accounting, business and finance professionals who are looking to sharpen their spreadsheet skills and learn new hacks and tricks from Neale Blackwood CPA, a Microsoft Excel expert. Excel Tips helps spreadsheet users discover Excel’s hidden features and shortcuts and understand how best to apply the newest features and functionality. The podcast is a companion to regular articles in INTHEBLACK, CPA Australia’s award-winning business magazine. Every podcast episode includes links to the accompanying Excel Tips digital magazine article. Neale Blackwood CPA has more than 20 years of experience as a Microsoft Excel educator. He is the author of more than 200 INTHEBLACK articles as well as a book, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants. Subscribe today to stay up-to-date with the latest episodes. Excel Tips is presented by CPA Australia, one of the world’s largest accounting bodies, with core services that include education, training, technical support and advocacy. CPA Australia publishes four podcasts: With Interest, INTHEBLACK, INTHEBLACK Out Loud and Excel Tips. To find out more about our podcasts, visit https://www.cpaaustralia.com.au/tools-and-resources/podcasts - or search for the shows in your podcast service. To contact the podcast team email us at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au.© CPA Australia Economics
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Episodes
  • Better share price reports with Excel’s new tool

    Better share price reports with Excel’s new tool
    May 1 2025
    Need to turn stock market data into smart, professional reports? Discover how to use Excel’s new and powerful Stock History function to quickly transform raw share price data into clear, insightful reports. Learn how to streamline reporting, visualise trends and make better-informed decisions with ease. In this episode, gain the skills to: Access daily, weekly or monthly data, including volume, opening/closing prices and highs/lowsSet up stock codes, choose custom date ranges and define intervals with easeUse Power Query to import real-time stock exchange data directly into ExcelBuild interactive, professional-grade charts (including stock and combo charts) to visualise trends Whether you're preparing reports for clients, internal dashboards or just keeping a close eye on the stock market, this episode gives you the tools, steps and techniques you need to do it with confidence using Excel. For fast reference, use the episode timestamps: 0:00 – Introduction to Excel Tips podcast 0:18 – Overview of Stock History function 0:31 – Using Stock History for reporting share price information 1:00 – Internet access requirement for Stock History 1:11 – Disclaimer for information accuracy 1:35 – Options for reporting frequency (daily, weekly, monthly) 2:08 – Setting up share code and trading day considerations 2:47 – Defining start and end dates for reports 3:45 – Reporting intervals and their corresponding numbers 4:39 – Using MATCH function for human-friendly reporting 4:59 – Customising report headers 5:23 – Defining properties for the Stock History function 5:35 – How to add multiple properties to reports 6:30 – Importing stock exchange names and codes 6:40 – Using Power Query for stock data updates 7:20 – Overview of Excel stock chart features 7:30 – Understanding stock price movements in charts 8:25 – Overview of monthly vs weekly stock charts 9:44 – Creating combo charts for better comparisons 10:30 – Introduction to Sparkline charts 10:05 – Converting vertical to horizontal data for Sparklines 10:35 – Adjusting Sparkline chart vertical axes 11:03 – Updating Sparklines for spill ranges 11:18 – Function updates and internet speed considerations 11:32 – Conclusion on the usefulness of Stock History Listen now to level-up your stock market share price reporting skills in Excel. Host: Neale Blackwood CPA. He has more than 20 years of experience as a Microsoft Excel educator and is the author of more than 200 INTHEBLACK articles as well as a book, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants. You can find a CPA at our custom portal on the CPA Australia website. Would you like to listen to more Excel Tips episodes? Head to CPA Australia’s YouTube channel. CPA Australia publishes four podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting: With InterestINTHEBLACK INTHEBLACK Out LoudExcel Tips Search for them in your podcast platform. Email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au
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    13 mins
  • Elevate your Pareto analysis skills with Excel

    Elevate your Pareto analysis skills with Excel
    Mar 31 2025
    The Pareto principle is a powerful concept for business. In this episode we’ll explore this principle (also known as the 80/20 rule) and learn how to apply it effectively in Excel for smarter, data-driven decisions. Discover how to pinpoint vital data – such as the 20 per cent of clients generating 80 per cent of your revenue as an example – to create valuable insights. We’ll also dive into Excel's powerful analytical tools, including Pareto charts, the UNIQUE function, SUMIFS, and the power of PivotTables to bring your Pareto analysis data to life. You’ll understand how to combine these features with techniques such as conditional formatting and custom charting to segment your data, visualise the 80/20 distribution and prioritise your efforts for maximum effect. For fast reference, use the episode timestamps: 0:07 – Introduction to the Pareto principle and Excel 0:40 – Explanation of the 80/20 rule 1:10 – Background on Pareto and the principle 1:40 – Overview of Excel features related to Pareto analysis 2:25 – Explanation of the Pareto chart 3:25 – Limitations of the built-in Excel Pareto chart 4:00 – Creating a combo chart to mimic the Pareto chart 4:15 – Use of UNIQUE, SORT and SUMIFS functions in Pareto analysis 4:45 – Overview of pivot tables and their role in Pareto analysis 5:10 – Adding cumulative percentage to pivot tables 6:25 – Tracking client progression over time with Pareto analysis 6:55 – Using pivot table filters to identify top 80% clients 7:45 – Introduction to slicers in pivot tables for segmentation 8:22 – Segmentation with formulas and the FILTER function 8:43 – Overview of conditional formatting related to Pareto analysis 9:05 – Adding interaction to conditional formats 9:44 – Importance of investigating the universality of the 80/20 rule 10:00 – Conclusion and encouragement to focus on key factors in analysis Listen to this episode now to gain practical tips and techniques to apply the Pareto principle across various business scenarios, helping you work smarter, not harder. Listen now. Host: Neale Blackwood CPA. He has more than 20 years of experience as a Microsoft Excel educator and is the author of more than 200 INTHEBLACK articles as well as a book, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants. You can find a CPA at our custom portal on the CPA Australia website. Would you like to listen to more Excel Tips episodes? Head to CPA Australia’s YouTube channel. CPA Australia publishes four podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting: With InterestINTHEBLACK INTHEBLACK Out LoudExcel Tips Search for them in your podcast platform. Email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au
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    11 mins
  • Unlock the power of Microsoft Forms in Excel

    Unlock the power of Microsoft Forms in Excel
    Mar 3 2025
    What if you could seamlessly collect and analyse data right inside Excel? In this episode, learn more about Microsoft Forms, a powerful tool in Microsoft 365 (which, by the time you read this may be renamed Microsoft 365 CoPilot). Discover how Forms integrates directly into Excel, making it easier than ever to gather feedback, conduct quizzes, and streamline processes like expense approvals and recruitment. For fast reference, use the episode timestamps: 0:00 – Introduction to Excel Tips podcast0:10 – Overview of Microsoft Forms0:30 – Microsoft 365 subscription and CoPilot overview1:35 – Update on Excel forms in the Insert ribbon2:00 – Importing from Word or PDF documents2:21 – Sharing forms and mobile compatibility2:55 – Types of questions in forms (introduction)3:10 – Straightforward choice: single and multiple selections3:45 – Required questions and image inclusion4:05 – Shuffle answers feature and branching based on responses5:16 – Free-form text answer option5:20 – Rating questions with symbols5:45 – Date picker functionality5:55 – Ranking type questions with drag-and-drop6:25 – Introduction of Likert questions6:55 – Using sections with Likert questions7:20 – File upload feature in forms7:35 – Net promoter score questions8:11 – Sharing forms: URL, QR code, and embedding8:30 – Limiting form access: public vs. organizational8:40 – Built-in reporting mechanism for responses9:15 – Closing remarks on Microsoft Forms capabilities xplore how to import questions from Word or PDFs, share Forms via email, QR codes, or websites, and ensure a smooth mobile experience. You’ll also learn about the diverse question types - choice, ratings, date pickers, file uploads, and even Net Promoter Score - and how Forms' reporting and branching features can enhance your workflows. If you're in accounting, business or finance, and want to optimise data collection and reporting, this episode is a must-listen. Level up your skills by tuning in now. Host: Neale Blackwood CPA has more than 20 years of experience as a Microsoft Excel educator. He is the author of more than 200 INTHEBLACK articles as well as a book, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants. Additional show notes, links, etc. CPA Australia publishes four podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting: INTHEBLACK INTHEBLACK Out LoudWith InterestExcel Tips Search for them in your podcast platform. You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au
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    10 mins

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