Advanced Excel
Most finance teams use a fraction of what Excel offers and rebuild the same workbook every month. The gap is rarely knowledge of obscure functions; it is structure. A well built model updates when you paste new data. A poorly built one gets rebuilt, and the rebuilding is where both the hours and the errors come from.
1
Assess
Current skill and files
2
Teach
Functions and structure
3
Rebuild
One of your own files
4
Automate
Remove the repetition
5
Support
Questions afterwards
How the Training Works
01
Assessment
We look at the workbooks the team actually maintains and establish where the time goes. That is usually more informative than a skills questionnaire, because people report what they know rather than what they do.
- Review of recurring workbooks the team maintains
- Time spent per month on rebuilding identified
- Current skill level established per attendee
- Content pitched to the group rather than to a syllabus
02
Core Functions and Structure
Functions matter, but structure matters more. Separating input, calculation and output is what turns a workbook from something rebuilt monthly into something refreshed monthly.
- Lookup and dynamic array functions in practice
- Logical and error handling functions
- Separation of inputs, calculations and outputs
- Named ranges, tables and consistent referencing
03
Data Handling
PivotTables and Power Query, taught against real data. Power Query in particular removes the manual clean up step that most teams repeat every single month.
- PivotTables and pivot charts for analysis
- Power Query for import, cleaning and transformation
- Combining data from multiple sources
- Refreshable connections replacing manual copy and paste
04
Rebuilding a Real Workbook
We take one of your recurring workbooks and rebuild it during the session. Attendees leave with something they use immediately rather than an exercise file they never open again.
- A live workbook rebuilt during the session
- Manual steps identified and removed
- Error checks and validation built in
- Documentation of how the rebuilt file works
05
Follow Up Support
Questions surface when people apply this to their own work. A defined follow up window is what converts a training day into a change in how the team works.
- Defined follow up period for questions
- Review of workbooks built after training
- Additional short sessions where a gap emerges
- Reference material retained by attendees
What You Receive
- Training pitched to the actual skill level of the group
- One of your own workbooks rebuilt during the session
- Reference material and exercise files retained
- Documentation of the rebuilt workbook
- Attendance record for CPD purposes
- Defined follow up period for questions
Indicative Timeline
A full day covers the core content. Where a team needs Power Query and model building in depth, two days spaced a week apart works better, because the gap lets people apply the first day before the second.
- Assessment and workbook review: three to five days
- Delivery: one day, or two spaced a week apart
- Follow up period: agreed at booking
- Optional workbook review after training
What We Cover
Content pitched to the group, with the emphasis on what removes recurring manual work.
Lookup Functions
XLOOKUP, INDEX and MATCH, and why nested VLOOKUPs cause most of the breakage.
Dynamic Arrays
FILTER, SORT and UNIQUE, which replace a great deal of manual copying.
PivotTables
Summarising and analysing without rebuilding the summary every month.
Power Query
Import, clean and transform once, then refresh, rather than repeating the clean up.
Model Structure
Separating inputs from calculations so a workbook can be audited and trusted.
Error Checking
Validation and reconciliation checks built in so a broken formula is visible.
Frequently Asked Questions
What level is this pitched at?
At the group, which we establish beforehand. Mixed rooms are common and manageable provided we know in advance. What does not work is a fixed syllabus delivered regardless of who is present.
Do we work on our own files?
Yes, and it is the part attendees consistently rate highest. Rebuilding a workbook the team maintains means they leave with something in use rather than a sample file.
Is Power Query worth learning?
For anyone repeating a monthly import and clean up, it is the single highest return skill in Excel. It converts an hour of manual work into a refresh button, and it is genuinely learnable in a day.
Will this help with our reporting pack?
Usually substantially, because most packs are rebuilt rather than refreshed. Where the underlying issue is that data cannot be reached at all, automation of the reporting itself is the better answer than better spreadsheets.
How many people per session?
Eight to twelve works best for a hands on session. Beyond that individual attention disappears, and the practical work is where the value is.
Do attendees need their own laptops?
Yes, with Excel installed and access to their own working files. It is a hands on session rather than a demonstration, so working on their own machine matters.
Related Services
This sits inside our Training practice. Related work: Automated Reporting and Analytics where the reporting should be automated rather than better built by hand, and Monthly Accounting and Reporting.
