EXCEL TIPS - SoundSage

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Wouldn't it be useful to learn how to build interactive Excel charts that respond automatically to user input using dynamic arrays?

This expert-led episode introduces the core techniques behind flexible charting in Excel, with practical examples.

Key takeaways:

Create charts that automatically adjust the number of months displayed
Use SEQUENCE to build flexible dynamic array calculations
Combine data for charts with the HSTACK function
Find the latest reporting period using MAX and EOMONTH
Extract and summarise data with INDEX, MATCH and GROUPBY
Fix a common dynamic array date bug using a simple formula adjustment
Learn why helper cells make complex formulas easier to understand

This is the first episode in a two-part series on interactive Excel charts, with the next instalment in September covering more advanced reporting techniques, including financial year reporting.

Tune in 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.

There is a useful companion video to go with this episode of Excel Tips.

And you can read more of Neale's Excel articles on INTHEBLACK.

You can find a CPA at our custom portal on the CPA Australia website.

Loving this content?

Would you like to listen to more Excel Tips and other CPA Australia podcasts like INTHEBLACK and With Interest? Head to CPA Australia's YouTube channel.

CPA Australia publishes four podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting:

With Interest

INTHEBLACK

Excel Tips

INTHEBLACK Out Loud

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You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

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From trial balances to profit and loss statements, reporting sits at the centre of modern finance.

This episode explores how finance professionals can use DAX (Data Analysis Expressions) formulas and Power Pivot to build more powerful accounting reports in Excel.

Learn how to create scalable, maintainable reporting models using Excel's data model, while applying techniques that can also be used in Power BI.

Some of the key learnings:

Understand the relationship between Power Pivot and DAX
Build accounting reports using multiple related tables
Overcome financial year limitations in pivot tables
Correct debit and credit sign issues in trial balances
Test and validate DAX measures using pivot tables
Use AI to write, explain and review DAX formulas

Listen now to improve your Excel skills.

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.

For more, check out the accompanying YouTube video of this episode.

Read more of Neale's Excel articles on INTHEBLACK, including this story that explains DAX in further detail.

Loving this content?

Don't forget to subscribe to EXCEL TIPS and share this episode with your colleagues and friends in the business community.

Would you like to listen to more Excel Tips and other CPA Australia podcasts like INTHEBLACK and With Interest? Head to CPA Australia's YouTube channel.

And don't forget to subscribe to the channel.

You can find a CPA at our custom portal on the CPA Australia website.

CPA Australia publishes four podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance and accounting:

With Interest

INTHEBLACK

Excel Tips

INTHEBLACK Out Loud

Search for them in your podcast platform.

You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

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Excel macros are far from obsolete. And here's why.

This episode explores why VBAs (Visual Basic for Applications) still play an important role in workflow efficiency for accountants and finance professionals.

Key learnings:

Why macros still matter in modern Excel workflows
How VBA compares with Power Query
The limits of Power Query for in-situ data fixes
How AI can help write and debug VBA code
How to automate data cleansing tasks in Excel
Why VBA is a useful entry point into programming
How to store macros in the personal macro workbook
Ways to run macros from the quick access toolbar

Listen now to help level up your Excel skills with macros.

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.

For more, check out the accompanying YouTube video of this episode.

Read more of Neale's Excel articles on INTHEBLACK.

Loving this content?

Don't forget to subscribe to EXCEL TIPS and share this episode with your colleagues and friends in the business community.

Would you like to listen to more Excel Tips and other CPA Australia podcasts like INTHEBLACK and With Interest?

Head to CPA Australia's YouTube channel.

And don't forget to subscribe to the channel.

You can find a CPA at our custom portal on the CPA Australia website.

CPA Australia publishes four podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance and accounting:

With Interest

INTHEBLACK

Excel Tips

INTHEBLACK Out Loud

Search for them in your podcast platform.

You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

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Most finance professionals have made this mistake at least once.

You open last month's file, update the numbers, hit save, and only then realise you should have saved it as this month's version of the file.

This is where templates can help.

In this episode, explore how Excel templates solve that problem while also improving consistency across your reporting.

Main learnings:

How Excel templates prevent accidental file overwrites
The difference between workbook, sheet and task-based templates
Where to find and manage built-in and personal templates
How to create blank templates with pre-set formats and settings
Using templates to embed headers, footers and branding
Managing template storage, including system and shared folders
How to apply templates across teams for consistency and control

Tune in 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.

For more, check out the accompanying video - https://youtu.be/RJdT6FF-w58

Read more of Neale's Excel articles on INTHEBLACK.

Loving this content? Don't forget to subscribe to EXCEL TIPS and share this episode with your colleagues and friends in the business community.

Would you like to listen to more Excel Tips and other CPA Australia podcasts like INTHEBLACK and With Interest? Head to CPA Australia's YouTube channel.

And don't forget to subscribe to the channel.

You can find a CPA at our custom portal on the CPA Australia website.

CPA Australia publishes four podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance and accounting:

With Interest

INTHEBLACK

Excel Tips

INTHEBLACK Out Loud

Search for them in your podcast platform.

You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

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What if you could simplify Excel date calculations with one powerful custom function?

Well, this episode explains how.

You'll learn:

How to handle different date increments including days, weeks and months in one function
Using the SWITCH function to create a lookup table
How the LAMBDA function can be deployed
Best practice tips for this custom function

Listen now to improve your Excel skills.

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.

For more, check out the accompanying video for this episode.

Read more of Neale's Excel articles on INTHEBLACK.

Loving this content? Don't forget to subscribe to EXCEL TIPS and share this episode with your colleagues and friends in the business community.

Would you like to listen to more Excel Tips and other CPA Australia podcasts like INTHEBLACK and With Interest? Head to CPA Australia's YouTube channel.

And don't forget to subscribe to the channel.

You can find a CPA at our custom portal on the CPA Australia website.

CPA Australia publishes four podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance and accounting:

With Interest

INTHEBLACK

Excel Tips

INTHEBLACK Out Loud

Search for them in your podcast platform.

You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

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Messy, unstructured data.

It slows reporting, creates errors, and tests everyone's patience. Right?

This episode breaks down how the new Regular Expressions (REGEX) work and how they help you find patterns in unstructured text, from email addresses to dates and hidden white space.

You will learn:

what REGEX is and why it matters for accountants and analysts
how to use REGEXEXTRACT, REGEXTEST and REGEXREPLACE
when to combine REGEXTEST with FILTER for smarter analysis
how REGEX now works inside XLOOKUP and XMATCH
ways to manage white space and non-standard characters
why building a reusable pattern library will save time.

Programmers have been using REGEX patterns for decades, but they've only just come to Excel.

The good news is Excel's new REGEX functions give finance teams a practical way to take back control.

Listen now to help improve your Excel skills.

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.

For more, check out the accompanying YouTube video of this episode.

Read more of Neale's Excel articles on INTHEBLACK.

Loving this content?

Don't forget to subscribe to EXCEL TIPS and share this episode with your colleagues and friends in the business community.

Would you like to listen to more Excel Tips and other CPA Australia podcasts like INTHEBLACK and With Interest? Head to CPA Australia's YouTube channel.

And don't forget to subscribe to the channel.

You can find a CPA at our custom portal on the CPA Australia website.

CPA Australia publishes four podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance and accounting:

With Interest

INTHEBLACK

Excel Tips

INTHEBLACK Out Loud

Search for them in your podcast platform.

You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

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You may know The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People as a cornerstone of modern business thinking.

But what happens when those same principles from this book are applied to one of the most widely used tools in finance: Excel?

In this episode, we explore how the seven habits framework can be applied by accountants and finance professionals to design and build Excel models.

The focus is practical and grounded in real work, with key learnings including:

How asking better questions leads to stronger Excel models
Why planning and prioritisation matter before building anything
Designing reports first and working back to the data
Building proactive features that reduce errors and improve usability
Using automation and AI thoughtfully to support the process

The episode also looks at where Excel fits alongside tools such as Power BI, and why judgement and planning still matter even as AI becomes more capable.

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.

For more, check out the accompanying YouTube video of this episode.

Loving this content?

Would you like to listen to more Excel Tips and other CPA Australia podcasts like INTHEBLACK and With Interest? Head to CPA Australia's YouTube channel.

And don't forget to subscribe to the channel.

Read more of Neale's Excel articles on INTHEBLACK.

You can find a CPA at our custom portal on the CPA Australia website.

CPA Australia publishes four podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting:

With Interest

INTHEBLACK

Excel Tips

INTHEBLACK Out Loud

Search for them in your podcast platform.

You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

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Excel Tips Summer Season Encore presentation from October 2025

In this episode of Excel Tips, we explore the latest Excel updates that can help to boost productivity and simplify workflows for finance and accounting professionals.

Listeners will learn:

How to use TRIMRANGE for flexible range selection
What's new with pivot table formatting and an exciting update on auto-refresh
How the TRANSLATE function works for multilingual data
The simplified syntax for BYROW and BYCOL functions
How three new Regex (regular expressions) functions can use patterns to identify data.

Packed with practical insights, this episode helps you explore Excel's latest upgrades to save time, improve analysis and elevate decision-making.

Tune in 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.

The companion video and Excel file will go into more detail to demonstrate these techniques.

Read more of Neale's Excel articles on INTHEBLACK.

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 Interest

INTHEBLACK

Excel Tips

INTHEBLACK Out Loud

Search for them in your podcast platform.

You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

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Handy new Excel features are added regularly – but some "older" functions are still particularly useful to your workflows.

Smart power users know these older functions and their value – which is why this episode highlights some of the overlooked Excel features that are still valuable to your spreadsheet work today.

Tips include:

How multiple windows make it easier to copy and compare
How the grouping feature works well with rows and columns
How auto outline and subtotals automate structure and hierarchy in datasets
Techniques for selecting visible cells to avoid errors during copying
How custom lists save time and support non-alphabetic sorting

This is a practical guide for anyone looking to sharpen their Excel capability, streamline reporting and improve their workflow efficiency.

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.

For more, check out the accompanying YouTube video of this episode.

Read more of Neale's Excel articles on INTHEBLACK.

Loving this content?

Would you like to listen to more Excel Tips and other CPA Australia podcasts like INTHEBLACK and With Interest? Head to CPA Australia's YouTube channel.

And don't forget to subscribe to the channel.

You can find a CPA at our custom portal on the CPA Australia website.

CPA Australia publishes four podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting:

With Interest

INTHEBLACK

Excel Tips

INTHEBLACK Out Loud

Search for them in your podcast platform.

You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

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Did you know that you can transform the way you can build models, reports and schedules with custom functions?

This episode guides you on how they make complex calculations cleaner and easier to maintain. You'll also learn practical ways to document, test and reuse these functions for consistent results.

In this episode, an Excel expert will:

Explain how to create custom functions using the LAMBDA function
Outline how the LET function works
Demonstrate creating a loan schedule "mega formula"
Cover useful functions like HSTACK and VSTACK

Perfect for accountants, analysts and finance professionals ready to take Excel mastery to the next level.

Tune in 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.

There is a useful companion video to go with this episode of Excel Tips.

And you can read more of Neale's Excel articles on INTHEBLACK.

You can find a CPA at our custom portal on the CPA Australia website.

Loving this content? Would you like to listen to more Excel Tips and other CPA Australia podcasts like INTHEBLACK and With Interest? Head to CPA Australia's YouTube channel.

CPA Australia publishes four podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting:

With Interest

INTHEBLACK

Excel Tips

INTHEBLACK Out Loud

Search for them in your podcast platform.

You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

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In this episode of Excel Tips, we explore the latest Excel updates that can help to boost productivity and simplify workflows for finance and accounting professionals.

Listeners will learn:

How to use TRIMRANGE for flexible range selection
What’s new with pivot table formatting and an exciting update on auto-refresh
How the TRANSLATE function works for multilingual data
The simplified syntax for BYROW and BYCOL functions
How three new Regex (regular expressions) functions can use patterns to identify data.

Packed with practical insights, this episode helps you explore Excel’s latest upgrades to save time, improve analysis and elevate decision-making.

Tune in 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.

The companion video and Excel file will go into more detail to demonstrate these techniques.

Read more of Neale’s Excel articles on INTHEBLACK.

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 Interest

INTHEBLACK

Excel Tips

INTHEBLACK Out Loud

Search for them in your podcast platform.

You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

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In this third and final episode of a three-part series, we explore how the integration of Python unlocks advanced tools for analysis, automation and visualisation.

Listeners will learn:

How Python connects with Power Query to extract and transform data
Ways to preview and filter information using Pandas functions
Techniques for reshaping horizontal data into usable formats with melt()

Python in Excel can really help your data workflows. It allows you to work with connection-only Power Queries, cleanse and reshape messy datasets and generate dynamic charts in just a few lines of code.

And with built-in libraries like Pandas and Matplotlib, you or your finance team can preview, filter and transform data in ways that are faster and more flexible than traditional Excel functions.

Who doesn’t love that?

Packed with practical insights, this episode helps you harness Python in Excel to save time, improve analysis and elevate decision-making.

Tune in 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.

LINKS

Listen to part one of this three-part series which covers the basics. Episode two discusses practical applications of Python in Excel.

And you can read more of Neale’s Excel articles on INTHEBLACK.

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 Interest

INTHEBLACK

Excel Tips

INTHEBLACK Out Loud

Search for them in your podcast platform.

You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

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In this second episode of a three-part series, you will build on the basics from part one to gain a clear understanding of how to use Python directly within Excel cells.

This includes using the Pandas library, for example, to merge datasets and create data-rich outputs with minimal code.

You’ll gain the skills to:

Learn key differences between Excel formulas and Python syntax
Discover practical coding shortcuts and structure for writing Python in Excel
Deploy a step-by-step process to create a merged table with sales and GST calculations
Use the Pandas library to work with Excel tables (called ‘data frames’ in Pandas)
Understand how Excel loads other common libraries like NumPy and Matplotlib

Whether you’re an accountant, analyst or finance leader, this episode will help you unlock more value from your Excel spreadsheets by integrating efficient Python-powered workflows.

Tune in 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 listen to part one of this three-part series on Python in Excel as well as read the accompanying article for part one.

The article for this episode is also available online at INTHEBLACK. And you can read more of Neale’s Excel articles for INTHEBLACK.

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 Interest

INTHEBLACK

Excel Tips

INTHEBLACK Out Loud

Search for them in your podcast platform.

You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

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Unlock the potential of Python in Excel with this essential first episode in a three-part series.

Designed for accountants, finance professionals and Excel power users, this episode introduces the basics of integrating Python code directly into Excel cells.

Learn how Python enhances Excel’s capabilities for data handling and visualisation without replacing core Excel functions.

You’ll discover how Python in Excel works and how code is processed using Microsoft’s Azure platform.

Understand the key steps to get started, including how to enter code using the =PY function and the role of the new Python editor in the Formulas tab.

Also explained is how Python variables behave across sheets, the concept of data frames and how Python’s popular Pandas library comes into play when working with datasets.

You’ll also learn how to manage calculation options and understand the new dependency logic within Python-enabled workbooks.

Whether you're completely new to Python or already familiar with this programming language, this episode gives you the foundational knowledge needed to begin using Python confidently inside Excel.

And don’t miss the fun trivia at the end to learn the surprising origin of Python’s name.

Tune in 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 Interest

INTHEBLACK

INTHEBLACK Out Loud

Excel Tips

Search for them in your podcast platform.

Email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

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Excel’s new functions, GROUPBY and PIVOTBY, offer a smarter way to build reports.

Instead of relying on traditional pivot tables, these new tools allow you to summarise datasets using dynamic, formula-based solutions that update automatically when the underlying data changes.

In this episode:

Understand the key differences between GROUPBY and PIVOTBY
See how these tools can save time and reduce manual errors
Explore practical applications for accountants and analysts
Discover how to modernise reporting with flexible, auto-updating formulas

For fast reference use the episode timestamps. 

00:17 - Two new functions that can change report creation 00:35 - PivotTables can create summary report based on a data set 00:52 - The limitation of PivotTables – Refreshing the data 01:06 - New functions GROUPBY and PIVOTBY 01:12 - Use a function to create a PivotTable report – no Refresh needed 01:36 - GROUPBY reports – row-based reports 01:41 - PIVOTBY reports - row and column-based reports 01:59 - Best practice data source – a formatted table 02:14 - GROUPBY arguments listed and explained 02:46 - Multiple columns and subtotals are possible but require other functions 03:09 - Two functions that combine columns – HSTACK and CHOOSECOLS 04:03 - Structured references include table names and column names 04:18 - Formatted tables automatically expand when new data is added 04:35 - Formatting subtotal rows differently using conditional formats 05:05 - Filtering and sorting is possible in the GROUPBY report 05:25 - Companion video has an example of a Slicer as filter 05:43 - Controlling sorting 06:18 - New function to add percentages to reports called PERCENT OF 06:42 - Companion video has a hack to easily combine SUM and PERCENT OF 07:02 - Multiple calculations add headings to the report – they can be removed 07:09 - Remove heading with the DROP function 07:25 - PIVOTBY function description and explanation 08:09 - Dates can be problematic as you want to group them by month 08:31 - Companion video shows the TEXT function solving the problem 08:53 - Allowing the user to modify the report 09:15 - INDIRECT function solution 10:05 - Explanation of the INDIRECT function 10:38 - Adding extra calculations to the report 11:07 - The LET function allows you to capture and modify the report

Whether optimising month-end processes or improving team workflows, GROUPBY and PIVOTBY help turn complex datasets into clear, actionable reports.

Listen now to stay up to date with these Excel capabilities.

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 Interest

INTHEBLACK

INTHEBLACK Out Loud

Excel Tips

Search for them in your podcast platform.

Email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

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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/lows
Set up stock codes, choose custom date ranges and define intervals with ease
Use Power Query to import real-time stock exchange data directly into Excel
Build 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 Interest
INTHEBLACK
INTHEBLACK Out Loud
Excel Tips

Search for them in your podcast platform.

Email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

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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 Interest
INTHEBLACK
INTHEBLACK Out Loud
Excel Tips

Search for them in your podcast platform.

Email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

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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 podcast
0:10 – Overview of Microsoft Forms
0:30 – Microsoft 365 subscription and CoPilot overview
1:35 – Update on Excel forms in the Insert ribbon
2:00 – Importing from Word or PDF documents
2:21 – Sharing forms and mobile compatibility
2:55 – Types of questions in forms (introduction)
3:10 – Straightforward choice: single and multiple selections
3:45 – Required questions and image inclusion
4:05 – Shuffle answers feature and branching based on responses
5:16 – Free-form text answer option
5:20 – Rating questions with symbols
5:45 – Date picker functionality
5:55 – Ranking type questions with drag-and-drop
6:25 – Introduction of Likert questions
6:55 – Using sections with Likert questions
7:20 – File upload feature in forms
7:35 – Net promoter score questions
8:11 – Sharing forms: URL, QR code, and embedding
8:30 – Limiting form access: public vs. organizational
8:40 – Built-in reporting mechanism for responses
9:15 – 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:

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Ready to unlock a hidden gem in your Microsoft Excel subscription?

In this episode you’ll discover the power of checkboxes with practical examples to explore how this new function can streamline your workflow.

This includes how to use TRUE/FALSE values in formulas and conditional formatting to dynamically control calculations and visuals. Learn from examples such as inflation adjustments in a budget model and applying a strikethrough format to a to-do list.

Additionally, gain insight into how checkboxes are used in the logical test of the IF function and learn essential keyboard shortcuts for an efficiency boost.

For fast reference, use the episode timestamps:

00:21 Introducing the new checkbox feature
01:03 How checkboxes work in Excel
02:35 Using checkboxes in budget models
03:23 Keyboard shortcuts for checkboxes
04:19 Protecting checkbox cells
04:50 Checkboxes with the IF function
05:32 Using checkboxes for task management
07:55 Checkboxes in formatted tables
09:20 Conclusion and further resources

You’ll find the new checkboxes function in the insert ribbon between illustrations and charts in the subscription version.

Level up your Excel game 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.

CPA Australia publishes four podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting:

INTHEBLACK
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With Interest
Excel Tips

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You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

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Ever struggled to extract crucial financial data from PDF files into Excel?

As accountants and finance professionals, this can be a regular occurrence.

To help you, this episode explores Microsoft Excel’s Power Query feature. You’ll uncover how to seamlessly import data from system-generated PDFs like invoices and statements.

From tackling tricky formatting issues to cleaning up messy rows, learn through real-world examples using an Australian Tax Office (ATO) PDF as a case study.

Additionally, you’ll gain smart strategies for handling regularly updated PDFs to automate your workflows.

For fast access, use these timestamps:

0:17 - Introduction to Importing Data from PDFs using Excel's Power Query feature.
0:37 - Types of PDFs and Their Reliability
1:05 - Use Cases for Importing PDF data
3:17 - Accessing Power Query and Importing a PDF
4:15 - Tables vs. Pages in PDFs
5:40 - The Complexity of Importing PDF Data
6:25 - Removing Repeated Headers
7:05 - Addressing Errors and Dealing with Extra Rows
9:20 - Creating a Filter Column
9:45 - Reversing Rows Again
10:05 - PDF File Names
11:20 - Reusing Power Queries
11:42 - Conclusion

If you’re ready to save time and streamline your data handling processes, this episode is a must-listen.

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.

CPA Australia publishes four podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting:

With Interest
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Excel Tips

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You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

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Excel doesn’t have a built-in timeline chart but we’ll show you how to create one. In this episode you’ll learn how using a scatter chart can help you build a timeline chart.

For easy reference, here are the episode timestamps:

0:17 - About timeline charts in Excel
1:33 - Hacking the scatter chart to make a timeline chart
2:43 - Formatting dates using the range
3:32 - Universal formatting shortcut
4:27 - Working with the data series and points
5:40 - The structure of the data to build the chart
7:21 - Linking the title to the cell
8:07 - The date format used by Excel and keyboard shortcuts
9:29 - Timeline charts overview and recap

Whether you’re tracking historical events or planning future milestones, a timeline chart is a useful tool to create in Excel.

Tune in now to learn this simple technique and start creating your own timeline charts.

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.

CPA Australia publishes four podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting:

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Excel Tips

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Calendars are your go-to tool for planning. In this Excel Tips episode, you'll learn the steps to create a single-month calendar from scratch.

Discover how to combine advanced functions to build a two-dimensional calendar structure, and how to format your dates and highlight weekends and holidays.

You'll also gain knowledge of how to customise the calendar to fit your specific needs.

For quick reference, here are the timestamps:

0:17 – Introduction to building a calendar
2:12 – Functions used in this tutorial
4:29 – How the different functions work
8:11 – Using formulas to create headings
10:30 – Changing the calendar to start the week on Monday
11:53 – Building a custom function with LAMBDA
13:28 – Applying conditional formatting for weekends
14:59 – Shortcuts covered in the tutorial
15:58 – Recap and summary of what we've learned

Tune in now to easily create personalised calendars that suit your planning needs.

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.

CPA Australia publishes four podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting:

INTHEBLACK
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Excel Tips

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You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

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Reports are crucial to your work, aren't they? Power Query is a valuable tool for importing many types of data into Excel to help you create these reports.

However, it does have limitations.

In this episode, you’ll learn how to address one of Power Query’s key shortcomings: user interactions.

By using staging queries, reference techniques and range names, users can dynamically filter data within Power Query based on user-selected criteria.

For fast access, use these timestamps:

0:17 – About the variable Power Query function
3:37 – Implementing the query function
5:46 – Using a range name for a table
7:07 – Using a query to read the variable input
9:43 – Refreshing the power query
10:11 – Recap and use cases

Listen now to learn how to add a user interaction into Power Query.

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.

CPA Australia publishes four podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting:

INTHEBLACK
INTHEBLACK Out Loud
With Interest
Excel Tips

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You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

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Looking to improve your report-building skills? If so, this is the episode for you.

Uncover tips on how to leverage multiple Excel features to create a system that effortlessly hides blank and zero rows in your reports.

Also in this episode, you’ll discover the subtotal function’s superpower and learn how you can use it to help identify if a filter needs reapplying.

You can use these handy skills to boost your report-writing efficiency.

For fast access, use these timestamps:

0:20 – Using formatted tables instead of macros for hiding rows
2:38 – About the example and tutorial file
5:10 – Applying the filter and slicer
6:35 – The subtotal function superpower

Listen 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.

CPA Australia publishes four podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting:

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With Interest
Excel Tips

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You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

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Looking for ways to gain deeper insights from your sales and costs data in Excel?

This episode explores the power of heat maps, a data visualisation technique often used for climate data, but equally effective for business analysis.

For fast access, use these timestamps:

0:15 – Using heat maps for sales and cost information.
1:59 – Colour scales options and settings.
5:15 – Conditional formatting and top and bottom rules.
7:27 – Using the large and small function.

Listen now for insights into this multi-functional Excel tool.

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.

CPA Australia publishes four podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting:

INTHEBLACK
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With Interest
Excel Tips

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You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

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There's a misconception that Excel macros are outdated or unnecessary. In this episode we set the record straight and explore their continued value.

Delve into three practical macros that can streamline various tasks in your Excel workflow.

More importantly, you’ll come away with the knowledge to decide when creating a macro makes sense for optimising your efficiency.

For fast access, use these timestamps:

0:20 - Why macros aren't dead.
1:39 - Macro warning!
2:18 - The problems macros solve.
3:07 - Macro 1 - editing column headings in pivot tables.
3:57 - Macro 2 - macro to format spill ranges.
5:07 - Macro 3 - building an index sheet in excel.
6:19 - Macro message boxes and examples overview.
7:35 - When to use macros.

Listen 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.

CPA Australia publishes four podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting:

INTHEBLACK
INTHEBLACK Out Loud
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Excel Tips

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You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

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Tune in to discover how mastering custom functions can help simplify two complex issues with Excel formulas.

Improve your problem-solving skills by harnessing the power of custom functions. For fast access, use these timestamps:

0:20 - Custom functions, episode overview.
1:39 - Summing spill ranges.
2:58 - Using prefixes in functions.
4:07 - Setting up a switch function.
5:31 - Financial year custom functions.
6:27 - Setting up a financial year function.
8:09 - Using custom functions across multiple files.
8:53 - Custom functions overview.

Listen 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.

You can catch up on a previous episode that explained custom functions. There is also an accompanying article to this podcast episode.

CPA Australia publishes four podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting:

INTHEBLACK
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Excel Tips

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You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

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Do you want to improve your dashboard-creating skills in Excel? Look no further.

This episode has all the expert tips you need to know using dynamic arrays to create a dashboard.

For fast access, use these timestamps:

About the report template and using dynamic arrays - 0:17
About dynamic arrays - 0:55
Dynamic charts and dashboards using dynamic arrays - 1:33
Variance charts and budget comparisons - 2:34
Building the tables and chats - 4:26
Additional resources 10:49

Tune 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.

You can listen to the first two in this dynamic arrays three-part series at the Excel Tips home page.

CPA Australia publishes four podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting:

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Excel Tips

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You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

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Don’t miss this episode, the second in a three-part series that explains how you can use the power of dynamic arrays in report building. Learn how to review a report that’s using dynamic arrays to create an automated month and year-to-date report.

For fast access, use these timestamps:

About the report template and using dynamic arrays 00:18
Range names for formatted tables 2:35
Budget layout and structure setup 3:34
The offset function 4:15
The filter function 5:11
SUM IF S function 6:54
Using the wildcard character 7:49
Variance calculations 8:41
The ABS function 9:39
Additional resources 10:49

Tune in now to learn more about this handy Excel subscription version functionality.

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.

CPA Australia publishes four podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting:

INTHEBLACK
INTHEBLACK Out Loud
With Interest
Excel Tips

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You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

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Are you an accountant or finance professional looking to enhance your daily workflows?

Don’t miss this episode, which delves into the exciting capabilities of dynamic arrays, empowering you to effortlessly build automated reports.

For fast access, use these timestamps:

The tutorial example report, and companion file 1:50
Dynamic array calculation and spill ranges 3:12
Referring to a spill range 4:05
Building a structure to avoid spill errors 6:59
Dynamic array formula tips 8:22
Benefits of range formulas in limiting formulas 8:47
Changing table structure to suit ranges and reporting 9:35
Overview of the benefits of dynamic arrays 10:31

Tune in now to learn more about this exciting addition to Excel’s subscription version.

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.

CPA Australia publishes four podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting:

INTHEBLACK
INTHEBLACK Out Loud
With Interest
Excel Tips

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You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

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For accounting and finance professionals, it’s vital that you keep up-to-date with changes to Microsoft Excel functionality.

This episode explains what you need to know, including the latest changes to three Excel functions, and opening and working with CSV files.

Tune in now for insights that will help enhance your productivity in 2024.

For fast access, use these timestamps:

Importing and using CSV files – 0:38
MAP, SCAN and REDUCE functions – 3:10
Using the MAP function with ranges and LAMBDA – 4:01
Using the SCAN and REDUCE functions – 9:16

Tune in now. Read the companion article here.

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.

CPA Australia publishes four podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting:

INTHEBLACK
INTHEBLACK Out Loud
With Interest
Excel Tips

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You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

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Do you want to improve your Excel skills in 2024? Start the new year on a positive note with these essential tips that can help you master a couple of Excel techniques together.

In this episode, we show you how to build custom lists and use range names.

For fast access, use these timestamps:

Custom lists explained – 0:29
Creating custom lists – 1:34
Automating lists with range names – 4:08
Creating range names (method 1) – 4:52
Transpose function – 7:30
The downside of using range names (method 1) – 7:59
Using formatted tables for range names (method 2) – 8:33
Array based range names – 10:08
Special values keyboard shortcut – 11:37
Examples using the range names – 12:43
Using helper cells and the index function – 13:45
Repeating the range name sequence – 14:48
Recap and benefits of automated custom lists 15:46

Tune 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.

CPA Australia publishes four podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting:

With Interest
INTHEBLACK
INTHEBLACK Out Loud
Excel Tips

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You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

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Starting a new role in accounting and finance? We understand it can be stressful as you try to make a good first impression.

This Excel Tips episode is specially designed with your first 100 days in mind, to help you hit the ground running.

For fast access, use these timestamps:

Interface setup – 1:29
Pin files and folders and quick access – 2:43
Using checklists – 3:50
INstruction sheets – 5:10
Notes and comments – 6:24
Setting up hyperlinks – 7:40
Using colours in Excel – 8:58
Centralise inputs – 9:54
Validations – 10:25
Save-as and copy-sheets for monthly reporting – 11:51
Tips recap – 13:08

Tune 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.

CPA Australia publishes four podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting:

With Interest
INTHEBLACK
INTHEBLACK Out Loud
Excel Tips

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You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

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If you’re looking for ways to display diverse types of data using Excel’s charts and visualisation tools, this podcast, loaded with tips, will show you how.

The example in this episode compares one month's data from this financial year with the corresponding month from the previous fiscal year.

For fast access, use these timestamps:

Column charts: 2:13
Variance charts: 3:22
Recommended charts: 4:23
Cleaning up charts: 5:24
Moving Labels: 6:58
Sparkline charts: 7:51
Waterfall (bridge) charts: 8:44
Conditional format - data bar: 9:45
Making charts for accessibility: 11:01
Conditional format – icons: 11:28
Emojis 😍: 11:28

Tune 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.

CPA Australia publishes four podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting:

With Interest
INTHEBLACK
Excel Tips
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You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

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Do you want an Excel edge?

Whether you're a seasoned pro or starting out, master these 10 new and revamped features to help streamline your workflow and boost your spreadsheet efficiency.

For fast access, use these timestamps:

Web based version of Excel: 0:30
Position of the blanks option in filter dropdown: 3:02
Power Query import updates: 4:13
CTRL key and mouse updates: 4:54
Formula bar value display: 6:06
Office Scripts: 7:14
Vertical sheet tabs: 9:25
Notes and threaded comments: 10:31
Notes and threaded comments continued
Show changes: 12:38

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.

CPA Australia publishes four podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting:

With Interest
INTHEBLACK
Excel Tips
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You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

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Excel is constantly evolving and improving, and it's crucial to stay up to date with all the latest changes. This companion podcast is here to help you sort quickly through the most relevant function updates.

Are you ready to take your Excel skills to the next level? Tune in now.

For fast access, use these timestamps:

0:29 Dynamic arrays

2:29 XLOOKUP

3:19 LET function

3:49 LAMBDA

4:56 TEXTAFTER, TEXTBEFORE and TEXTSPLIT

6:15 BYROW and BYCOL

7:00 the IMAGE function

7:45 VSTACK and HSTACK

8:31 TAKE and DROP functions

10:03 CHOOSEROWS and CHOOSECOLUMNS

10:34 DAX functions

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.

CPA Australia publishes three podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting:

With Interest
INTHEBLACK
Excel Tips

Search for them in your podcast platform.

You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

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Unleash your Excel skills by using the valuable functionality of formulas.

Go straight to episode sections:

The formula bar – 1:06
Starting formulas – 1:41
Using functions – 2:58
Function arguments – 4:09
Relative and absolute cell and range references – 7:15
The calculation sequence – 9:46
Parentheses (brackets) – 10:39
Colours in formulas – 12:37
Entering cell and Range references – 13:50
The Function Wizard – 15:57
Formula auditing – 17:01
IF error – 19:12
REF error – 20:01
Dynamic arrays and the SPILL error – 20:26

Tune in now to level up with these expert shortcuts and techniques.

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.

CPA Australia publishes three podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting:

With Interest
INTHEBLACK
Excel Tips

Search for them in your podcast platform.

You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

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Are you a university student or recent graduate? Are you looking to gain a competitive edge in the job market, specifically in the fields of accounting and finance?

Then this episode is what you need! Packed with practical advice tailored to your needs, it will equip you with valuable Excel tips that will enhance your employability as you move into your first accounting or finance role.

Delve into the world of Excel and hear expert insights on how to leverage this powerful spreadsheet tool. Tune in now and unlock the secrets to succeeding with Excel.

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.

CPA Australia publishes three podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting:

With Interest
INTHEBLACK
Excel Tips

Search for them in your podcast platform.

You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

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Unlock your Excel efficiency with these 22 time-saving shortcuts for everyday work tasks.

Tune in now to supercharge your productivity.

Timestamps:

Files and folders: 1:05
Quick access toolbar: 4:17
Keyboard types: 7:20
Keyboard shortcuts: 9:06
Save as: 12:54
Control key: 13:45
More control key shortcuts: 14:46
Copying: 15:55
Date shortcut: 17:36
Control key combinations: 18:12
The ALT key: 19:46
Grouping: 21:39
Accessing the ribbon with ALT: 22:55
Remove filters: 24:45
Pasting values: 25:01
Queries and connections: 25:07
Digital validation dialog: 25:28
Mouse shortcuts: 25:54
The format painter: 26:42
Border navigation: 27:39
Double clicking the fill: 28:28
Right clicking: 29:14

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.

There is also an accompanying online article and video of this podcast, which includes a tutorial and sample formulas.

CPA Australia publishes three podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting:

With Interest
INTHEBLACK
Excel Tips

Search for them in your podcast app.

You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

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Can ChatGPT give accurate and reliable answers to Excel questions? Neale Blackwood CPA puts this popular AI tool to the test.

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.

Read the accompanying online article of this podcast, which includes a video tutorial and sample formulas.

CPA Australia publishes three podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting:

With Interest
INTHEBLACK
Excel Tips

Search for them on your podcast platform.

You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

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Artificial Intelligence (AI) has come to Microsoft Excel, and it will make your life easier when working with data.

The AI function can easily create PivotTables and PivotCharts, which is useful for analysis and audit work. You can also generate reports at the click of a button.

Listen here to learn more.

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.

You can also read the accompanying online article and video tutorial of this podcast.

BOILERPLATE COPY (REPEATS EVERY EPISODE)

CPA Australia publishes three podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance and accounting:

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Excel Tips

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You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

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Along with the LAMBDA function, other new functions make Excel’s function language behave more like a programming language.

Which can help you in various ways.

Want to learn more?

Excel expert Neale Blackwood CPA steps you through.

Listen 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.

CPA Australia publishes three podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting:

With Interest
INTHEBLACK
Excel Tips

Search for them in your podcast platform.

Email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

And you can read the accompanying online article of this podcast.

Other Excel articles by Neale can be read on the INTHEBLACK website .

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An update to the subscription version of Microsoft Excel has the LAMBDA function, which addresses a key challenge when using dynamic arrays.

To explain more about this functionality is Excel expert, Neale Blackwood CPA.

Listen 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.

CPA Australia publishes three podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting:

With Interest
INTHEBLACK
Excel Tips

Search for them in your podcast provider.

Email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

And you can read the accompanying online article of this podcast.

Other Excel articles by Neale can be read on the INTHEBLACK website .

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When creating a line chart in Microsoft Excel, do you need to insert a vertical line to mark something on the chart?

To explain how is Excel expert, Neale Blackwood CPA.

Listen 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.

CPA Australia publishes three podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting:

With Interest
INTHEBLACK
Excel Tips

Search for them in your podcast provider.

Email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

And you can read the accompanying online article of this podcast.

Other Excel articles by Neale can be read on INTHEBLACK online.

View Details

Today’s episode examines the new data types feature in Microsoft Excel.

There are four data types you can now import from the data ribbon, and that includes stock prices.

To explain how you do all this is CPA Australia’s Excel expert, Neale Blackwood.

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.

CPA Australia publishes three podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting:

With Interest
INTHEBLACK
Excel Tips

Search for them in your podcast service.

You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

And you can read more of Neale’s Excel articles online.

View Details

Today’s episode investigates working with dates and days in Microsoft Excel.

Excel can perform basic addition and subtraction calculations using dates, as well as dedicated functions that perform more complex calcs.

To explain is CPA Australia’s Excel expert, Neale Blackwood.

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.

CPA Australia publishes three podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting:

With Interest
INTHEBLACK
Excel Tips

Search for them in your podcast service.

You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

And you can read more of Neale’s Excel articles online, including the accompanying article to this podcast.

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Today’s episode looks at a handy tool in Microsoft Excel called Goal Seek.

It can be used to create a loan schedule with an interest-free period using formulas.

To explain how you do this is CPA Australia’s Excel expert, Neale Blackwood.

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.

CPA Australia publishes three podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting:

With Interest
INTHEBLACK
Excel Tips

Search for them in your podcast service.

You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

And you can read more of Neale’s Excel articles online, including the accompanying article to this podcast.

View Details

Today’s episode will help with your formatting in Microsoft Excel.

Want to know how to make your files easier to read, understand and use?

To explain is CPA Australia’s Excel expert, Neale Blackwood.

Listen now.

Host: Neale Blackwood CPA. He has more than 30 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.

CPA Australia publishes three podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting:

With Interest
INTHEBLACK
Excel Tips

Search for them in your podcast service.

You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

And you can read more of Neale’s Excel articles online, including the accompanying article to this podcast.

View Details

In this episode, we look at three new text functions released in the latest (subscription) version of Microsoft Excel.

The functions are: “Text Before”, “Text After” and “Text Split”

To explain this is CPA Australia’s Excel expert Neale Blackwood CPA.

Listen now.

Host: Neale Blackwood CPA

Excel Tips is for accounting, business and finance professionals 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 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.

Neale Blackwood CPA has over 30 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.

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 three podcasts providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance and accounting.

With Interest
INTHEBLACK (coming soon)
Excel Tips

Search for them in your podcast service.

To find out more about our podcasts, visit our podcast page.

Or search for the shows in your podcast service.

To contact the podcast team, email podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

View Details

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 30 years of experience as 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 three podcasts: - WITH INTEREST - INTHEBLACK - 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.

EXCEL TIPS: Recent Episodes

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