Technology

MS Excel Data Validation and Conditional Formatting

Live Webinar
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    Speaker
    Bob Umlas, Excel MVP
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    Date
    Jul 16, 2024
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    Time
    13:00 PM EST
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    Duration
    90 Min
$129.00
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Overview:

 

This session on Excel's data validation and conditional formatting covers a comprehensive range of techniques designed to enhance data accuracy, consistency, and visualization. The training begins with an introduction to data validation, explaining its importance in ensuring that only correct and meaningful data is entered into a spreadsheet. Participants learn to set up basic validation rules, such as restricting entries to whole numbers, decimals, dates, and text lengths. The session then explores more advanced validation options, including creating custom formulas for validation, setting up drop-down lists for consistent data entry, and applying error messages and input prompts to guide users.

 

The next segment focuses on conditional formatting, starting with an overview of its purpose and benefits. Participants are shown how to use predefined formatting rules to highlight cells based on their values, such as coloring cells that contain specific text, fall within a certain range, or exceed a particular threshold. The session also covers the creation of custom conditional formatting rules using formulas, allowing for more complex and tailored formatting options. Attendees learn to apply conditional formatting to entire rows or columns based on specific criteria, enhancing the ability to quickly identify trends, outliers, and key data points.

 

Additionally, the session provides best practices for using data validation and conditional formatting in tandem to create robust, user-friendly spreadsheets that minimize errors and maximize data clarity. By the end of the session, participants are equipped with the skills to effectively manage and present their data, making them more efficient and effective in their roles.

 

Session Highlight:


Data Validation:


·       Input Control: Restricts the type of data that can be entered into a cell.

·       Dropdown Lists: Allows creation of dropdown lists for standardized data entry.

·       Error Alerts: Displays customizable error messages for invalid data entries.

·       Input Messages: Shows guidelines or instructions when a cell is selected.

·       Custom Rules: Supports complex validation criteria through custom formulas.


Conditional Formatting:


·       Automatically applies formatting based on specific conditions.

·       Highlights cells with different colors, icons, or data bars.

·       Identifies trends, outliers, and important data patterns.

·       Uses rules based on cell values, formulas, or date occurrences.

·       Enhances data visualization and interpretability in spreadsheets.

 

Benefits For Attending:

 

Learning about data validation and conditional formatting in Excel offers significant benefits. It ensures data accuracy and consistency by restricting inputs to acceptable values and highlighting errors, thus reducing mistakes. Conditional formatting enhances data analysis by visually emphasizing important trends, patterns, and outliers, making it easier to interpret large datasets. Together, these tools improve the reliability and clarity of data, facilitating better decision-making and efficient data management.

 

Why Should You Attend:

 

Attending a training session on Excel's data validation and conditional formatting is invaluable for anyone seeking to enhance their data management and analysis capabilities. Data validation ensures accuracy and consistency by restricting the type of data that can be entered into a cell, reducing errors and maintaining data integrity. Learning to implement drop-down lists, date restrictions, and custom validation rules can streamline data entry processes and improve overall efficiency.

 

Conditional formatting, on the other hand, allows users to automatically highlight cells based on specific criteria, making it easier to identify trends, outliers, and key insights at a glance. Mastering these tools enables users to create dynamic, visually engaging spreadsheets that convey information effectively.

 

Overall, this training empowers individuals to manage large datasets more effectively, improve data quality, and present data in a way that supports better decision-making. These skills are crucial for professionals in any industry, enhancing their analytical abilities and boosting productivity.

 

Who Should Attend:

 

This session is aimed at anyone who uses Excel at a any level and wants to learn applying conditional formatting and data validation. The training will be delivered using the latest version of Excel for Windows however all the functionality is also available to users of earlier versions of Excel.

 

Ask your question directly from our expert during the Q&A session following the live event.

 

Bob Umlas worked for a major tax and accounting firm, using Microsoft Excel® 8 hours a day, writing custom applications for staff and clients from 1998 to 2018.

He has been using Excel since 1986 - version 0.99 (on the Macintosh)! He was a contributing editor to Inside Microsoft Excel for many years, a magazine devoted exclusively to Microsoft Excel and published by The Cobb Group and later Ziff-Davis. At the time, most issues contained either an article by Mr. Umlas on using VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) or some tip or technique from him on using Excel. He has had more than 300 articles published on subjects ranging from beginner to advanced macros, and on tips, shortcuts, and general techniques using virtually all aspects of Excel.

Mr. Umlas was voted an “MVP” (Most Valuable Professional) by Microsoft each year from 1994-2018 (25 years!) for his contributions to the various online Forums about Excel and is known world-wide for his contributions in Excel. As an MVP, he met yearly with his fellow MVPs at Microsoft’s headquarters in Redmond, where he had access to the product developers. He has been a beta tester for new versions of Excel since version 1.5 and was asked by Microsoft for his input for newer versions of Excel. In 1995 he led a session called "Maximizing Excel Development Using Array Formulas" at Microsoft's Tech Ed Conference in New Orleans, and he led a session called Tips and Tricks at a Microsoft convention in New York City. He has also led two Excel sessions (Array Formulas, Tips & Tricks) at the Advisor's Developer Conference in San Francisco in February 1998.

He has led 5 sessions at an Excel User Conference in Atlantic City on Tips & Tricks, Array formulas, VBA, Formulas, and User forms. He has led at about 7-8 of these user conferences since 2005.

He is also the author of “This isn’t Excel, it’s Magic!”, “Excel Outside the Box”, “More Excel Outside the Box”, “Cool Excel Sh*t” is more tips & tricks and lastly, published for Kindle, is “Excel Preschool: Finally Understanding what Excel is all About” – a book for the very beginner!

He has co-authored several chapters in many books on Excel and has done the technical editing for 4 books for Excel 2019, as well as about 12 books for prior versions of Excel and 4 books for Office 365’s Excel.

He is also the technical editor of many of Bill Jelen’s books.

Mr. Umlas used to co-lead the New York PC User's group on Excel every month for about 10 years. He started leading this group again in 2018. He has been teaching Excel to individuals and corporations for several years. Currently, Mr. Umlas leads a 12-hour class in Excel called Excel in Depth and a 6-hour class on VBA.

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