5 Benefits of Microsoft Excel in your Company
Microsoft Excel gives businesses the tools they need to get the most out of their data. And when it comes to making the most of resources and maximizing return on investment, that’s when it becomes a very important tool. Companies are collecting ever-increasing volumes of data from multiple sources, including in-store transactions, online sales transactions, and social media. These companies need to be able to compare and analyze this information quickly and efficiently with Microsoft Consulting Firm.
Excel spreadsheets are commonly used in all businesses to display financial information and other data relevant to the running of the business. This could be information relevant to the customer relationship management, sales, marketing, or human resources department. With so many business functions now dependent on it and the Internet, Excel continues to be seen as a vital tool for managing and running a business effectively.
Here are five of the best features and benefits of Microsoft Excel:
Build great graphics
Excel allows business users to get the most out of their data, by using formulas through a grid of cells. Data is inserted into individual cells in rows or columns, which allows it to be sorted and filtered, and then appears in a visual presentation. Using tables, charts, and grouped columns adds meaning to data that can otherwise only exist in row after row of numbers. These visualizations can add extra emphasis for business reports and persuasive marketing material. Excel recommends charts best suited for the type of data that is presented on the X and Y axis.
Use conditional formatting
Excel users can format their spreadsheets using different shades of colors, bold, and italics, to differentiate between columns and bring the most important data to the fore. This function can be useful in the presentation of accounting information, such as the profit before taxes and the balance that will be transferred by the company. Users can select an appropriate color scheme using the quick scan button, and then using the Format tab.
Help identify trends
When presenting the data in the form of tables or graphs, it can be helpful to include midlines, which explicitly detail the key trends that emerge from the data. This can help demonstrate key points to other users in a direct way – for example, an executive from a different department during a board meeting. Excel allows trend lines to extend beyond the chart, to provide predictions of future activity – and such forecasts can help companies develop their future strategy.
Collect data
Excel can be used to bring information from different files and documents together, so it exists in one place. As well as raw data and information from other spreadsheets, it is possible to import text and images. Other objects can be added using the Insert tab, spreadsheets or can be added to the file.
Online access
Excel is available as part of Office 365 Business and Office 365 Premium Business. This means employers and employees have access to the program from a wide range of devices, from almost anywhere. As long as they have a PC, laptop, smartphone with an Internet connection, they will be able to access Excel, making it possible to work remotely.
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Impressive professional development benefits from Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and more
One way to boost your retention rate is to offer employees professional development benefits. Read about eight tech companies’ ongoing education opportunities.
Workshops, seminars, online courses and certifications, tech conferences, guest speakers, access to necessary software and hardware–these are some of the ways that companies can provide employees with ongoing professional development opportunities.
According to the 2018 Workplace Learning Report from LinkedIn Learning, 94% of employees surveyed would stay at a company longer if it invested in their career. A 2017 developer survey from StackOverflow found that developers “emphasized the importance of career development over any other factor by a large margin.”
Business News Daily explains the numerous benefits of offering professional development programs, which include enabling employees to:
Improve or update existing knowledge and skills;
Develop new skills;
Gain expertise, keeping them ahead of the competition;
Improve overall job satisfaction; and
Develop soft skills (i.e., leadership, communication, collaboration, time management) which improves the ability to collaborate more effectively.
SEE: Why IT pros need soft skills to advance their careers (free PDF) (TechRepublic)
Amazon, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, and Zillow were all listed on the 2018 Comparably Best Companies for Professional Development list (large companies), as rated by employees. The following list outlines some of the ways these and other tech companies are investing in their employees’ futures.
Amazon
In 2012, Amazon launched its Career Choice program; the benefit offers up to $12,000 for tuition, fees, and textbooks. Career Choice is open to all hourly associates employed for one continuous year and to employees in 13 countries and across subsidiary companies. The program has had more than 16,000 participants worldwide (12,000 in the US).
Unlike traditional tuition reimbursement programs, Amazon funds education only in areas that are in high-demand based on sources that include the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. The most popular fields of study include commercial truck driving, healthcare, and information technology. Other fields include aircraft mechanics, computer-aided design, machine tool technology, medical laboratory science, dental hygiene, and nursing.
Amazon has built more than 40 Career Choice classrooms so far in the US and more than 10 in Europe. New Amazon fulfillment centers will have on-site classrooms as part of their standard blueprint.
Google creates a “culture of learning”–an “environment that encourages curiosity and knowledge sharing,” which promotes better business outcomes. The company takes a unique approach to career development and ongoing learning for its employees through the Googler-to-Googler (G2G) program.
In the program, employees teach their peers new job skills. Volunteers (or “g2g’ers”) come from different departments and can teach courses, participate in 1:1 mentoring, and design learning materials. The most popular classes focus on negotiations, leadership, and role-related skills such as sales training, Android training, and Python coding.
According to Google, 80% of all tracked trainings are run through G2G; for more specialized or executive training, Google utilizes outside vendors to teach some classes, but this is done “sparingly.”
Google also uses a program called Career Guru to help with career development. Similar to a mentorship program, Career Guru connects employees with company leaders who offer in-depth explanations on what it’s like to work in different roles within the company–this can help employees understand what roles are available and how they can qualify.
Dell Technologies
Through the Dell Technologies Career Development program, employees can take advantage of one-on-one meetings with mentors and leaders, networking opportunities, regular 360-degree feedback, continuous formal and virtual training, and mentorship programs.
According to the company, “Dell Technologies has transformed learning to be engaging, relevant, and leading edge.” In response to the evolving needs of their business and learners, the company is “changing how, when, and where employees develop critical skills to thrive and succeed both for now and the future.” The company has made key investments like the implementation of a leading-edge learning experience platform called the Dell Technologies Learning Studio and re-imagined immersive leadership development to help employees achieve, develop, grow, and succeed.
The Learning Studio is an interactive platform for learning and improving the development experience; it enables a personalized learning experience where learners have access to premium external content. Employees can get content from sources like LinkedIn Learning, TED Talks, and edX, as well as Dell Technologies’ internal content. Employees have the option to follow curated learning paths or build their own.
Through the use of AI, the Learning Studio generates recommendations based on the employee’s career and learning interests. Featured pathways include developing future, professional, and leadership skills, as well as business-specific technical learning.
Additional information about leadership programs and professional development opportunities offered by Dell Technologies is available on the company’s website.
Intel
Intel has an extensive professional development program.
Also provided: Development tools like the Career Connections tool, a platform to initiate and maintain a learning partnership, and Rotational Assignments through the Development Opportunity Tool (DOT), in which employees receive opportunities intended to supplement their overall career development plan, build skills, expand business acumen, and broaden their network of colleagues.
Microsoft
Microsoft offers amazing perks to its employees, including career development. According to Microsoft’s website, its philosophy is “to support [the company’s] growth mindset culture and meet the learning needs of employees around the world. [Microsoft’s] training philosophy focuses on providing the right learning, at the right time, in the right way.” As such, the company provides a wide array of learning and development opportunities, which include:
Personalized, integrated, and relevant views of all learning opportunities via Microsoft Learning and LinkedIn Learning.
In-the-classroom learning and sharing with learner boards.
On-the-job “stretch” opportunities for advancement.
Frequent promotion opportunities.
Ongoing career development coaching through manager connections.
Customized manager training to enhance coaching and mentoring skills.
Adobe
