BSBITU402

Develop and use complex

spreadsheets
Learner Guide
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Table of Contents

Unit of Competency...............................................................................................................................5
Application..........................................................................................................................................5
Performance Criteria...........................................................................................................................6
Foundation Skills.................................................................................................................................8
Assessment Requirements..................................................................................................................9
1. Prepare to develop spreadsheet......................................................................................................11
1.1 – Organise personal work environment in accordance with ergonomic requirements..................12
Organising personal work environment............................................................................................12
Ergonomic requirements...................................................................................................................12
Activity 1A.........................................................................................................................................19
1.2 – Analyse task and determine specifications for spreadsheets.......................................................20
What is a spreadsheet?.....................................................................................................................20
Analysing a task.................................................................................................................................20
Determining spreadsheet specifications...........................................................................................21
Activity 1B.........................................................................................................................................22
1.3 – Identify organisational and task requirements of data entry, storage, output, reporting and
presentation requirements...................................................................................................................23
Organisational and task requirements..............................................................................................23
Relevant legislation...........................................................................................................................25
Activity 1C.........................................................................................................................................27
1.4 – Apply work organisation strategies and energy and resource conservation techniques to plan
work activities.......................................................................................................................................28
Work organisation strategies............................................................................................................28
Energy and resource conservation techniques.................................................................................29
Organisational culture.......................................................................................................................31
Planning work activities....................................................................................................................31
Activity 1D.........................................................................................................................................32
2. Develop a linked spreadsheet solution............................................................................................33
2.1 – Utilise spreadsheet design software functions and formulae to meet identified requirements. .34
Meeting identified requirements......................................................................................................34
Activity 2A.........................................................................................................................................41
2.2 – Link spreadsheets in accordance with software procedures........................................................42
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Linking spreadsheets.........................................................................................................................42
Why link spreadsheets?....................................................................................................................43
Activity 2B.........................................................................................................................................44
2.3 – Format cells and use data attributes assigned with relative and/or absolute cell references, in
accordance with task specifications......................................................................................................45
Formatting cells.................................................................................................................................45
What are data attributes?.................................................................................................................46
Relative/absolute cell references......................................................................................................46
Activity 2C.........................................................................................................................................49
2.4 – Test formulae to confirm output meets task requirements.........................................................50
Testing formulae...............................................................................................................................50
Debugging formulas..........................................................................................................................51
Dealing with errors............................................................................................................................52
Hiding zeros.......................................................................................................................................53
Activity 2D.........................................................................................................................................54
3. Automate and standardise spreadsheet operation..........................................................................55
3.1 – Evaluate tasks to identify those where automation would increase efficiency............................56
Increasing efficiency..........................................................................................................................56
What is automation?.........................................................................................................................57
Templates.........................................................................................................................................58
Macros..............................................................................................................................................58
Custom toolbars................................................................................................................................58
Activity 3A.........................................................................................................................................59
3.2 – Create, use and edit macros to fulfil requirements of task and automate spreadsheet operation
..............................................................................................................................................................60
What are macros?.............................................................................................................................60
Creating macros................................................................................................................................61
Using macros.....................................................................................................................................62
Editing macros...................................................................................................................................63
Activity 3B.........................................................................................................................................64
3.3 – Develop, edit and use templates to ensure consistency of design and layout for forms and
reports, in accordance with organisational requirements....................................................................65
What is a template?..........................................................................................................................65
Developing a template......................................................................................................................68
Activity 3C.........................................................................................................................................70
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4. Use spreadsheets.............................................................................................................................71
4.1 – Enter, check and amend data in accordance with organisational and task requirements...........72
Entering data.....................................................................................................................................72
Checking data....................................................................................................................................73
Activity 4A.........................................................................................................................................74
4.2 – Import and export data between compatible spreadsheets and adjust host documents, in
accordance with software and system procedures...............................................................................75
Importing and exporting data...........................................................................................................75
Adjusting documents........................................................................................................................76
Activity 4B.........................................................................................................................................78
4.3 – Use manuals, user documentation and online help to overcome problems with spreadsheet
design and production..........................................................................................................................79
Overcoming problems with spreadsheet design and production......................................................79
Manuals............................................................................................................................................79
User documentation.........................................................................................................................79
Online help........................................................................................................................................80
Activity 4C.........................................................................................................................................81
4.4 – Preview, adjust and print spreadsheet in accordance with organisational and task requirements
..............................................................................................................................................................82
Preview and print..............................................................................................................................82
Activity 4D.........................................................................................................................................85
4.5 – Name and store spreadsheet in accordance with organisational requirements and exit
application without data loss or damage..............................................................................................86
Naming documents...........................................................................................................................86
Storing documents............................................................................................................................87
Exiting without information loss or damage.....................................................................................88
Activity 4E.........................................................................................................................................89
5. Represent numerical data in graphic form.......................................................................................90
5.1 – Determine style of graph to meet specified requirements and manipulate spreadsheet data if
necessary to suit graph requirements...................................................................................................91
Determining style of graph................................................................................................................91
Activity 5A.........................................................................................................................................95
5.2 – Create graphs with labels and titles from numerical data contained in a spreadsheet file..........96
Creating graphs.................................................................................................................................96
Activity 5B.........................................................................................................................................99
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5.3 – Save, view and print graph within designated timelines............................................................100

Saving, viewing and printing graphs................................................................................................100
Timelines.........................................................................................................................................100
Time management..........................................................................................................................100
Activity 5C.......................................................................................................................................102
Summative Assessments.....................................................................................................................103
References..........................................................................................................................................104
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Unit of Competency
Application

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to use spreadsheet software to complete business
tasks and produce complex documents.

It applies to individuals employed in a range of work environments who require skills in creation of
complex spreadsheets to store and retrieve data. They may work as individuals providing administrative
support within an enterprise, or may be independently responsible for designing and working with
spreadsheets relevant to their own work roles.

No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.

Unit Mapping Information

BSBITU402A Develop and use complex spreadsheets – equivalent unit

Pre-requisite Unit

Nil

Unit Sector

Information and Communications Technology – IT Use

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Performance Criteria
Element Performance Criteria
Elements describe the Performance criteria describe the performance needed to
essential outcomes. demonstrate achievement of the element.

1. Prepare to develop 1.1 Organise personal work environment in accordance with

spreadsheet ergonomic requirements
1.2 Analyse task and determine specifications for spreadsheets
1.3 Identify organisational and task requirements of data entry,
storage, output, reporting and presentation requirements
1.4 Apply work organisation strategies and energy and resource
conservation techniques to plan work activities

2. Develop a linked 2.1 Utilise spreadsheet design software functions and formulae
spreadsheet solution to meet identified requirements
2.2 Link spreadsheets in accordance with software procedures
2.3 Format cells and use data attributes assigned with relative
and/or absolute cell references, in accordance with task
specifications
2.4 Test formulae to confirm output meets task requirements

3. Automate and 3.1 Evaluate tasks to identify those where automation would
standardise increase efficiency
spreadsheet operation 3.2 Create, use and edit macros to fulfil requirements of task
and automate spreadsheet operation
3.3 Develop, edit and use templates to ensure consistency of
design and layout for forms and reports, in accordance with
organisational requirements

4. Use spreadsheets 4.1 Enter, check and amend data in accordance with
organisational and task requirements
4.2 Import and export data between compatible spreadsheets
and adjust host documents, in accordance with software and
system procedures
4.3 Use manuals, user documentation and online help to
overcome problems with spreadsheet design and production
4.4 Preview, adjust and print spreadsheet in accordance with
organisational and task requirements
4.5 Name and store spreadsheet in accordance with
organisational requirements and exit application without
data loss or damage
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Element Performance Criteria

Elements describe the Performance criteria describe the performance needed to
essential outcomes. demonstrate achievement of the element.

5. Represent numerical 5.1 Determine style of graph to meet specified requirements

data in graphic form and manipulate spreadsheet data if necessary to suit graph
requirements
5.2 Create graphs with labels and titles from numerical data
contained in a spreadsheet file
5.3 Save, view and print graph within designated timelines
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Foundation Skills
This section describes language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills incorporated in the
performance criteria that are required for competent performance.

Reading
 Recognises and interprets numerical and textual information within a range of sources to
determine and complete work according to requirements
 Reviews information to determine accuracy and consistency.
Writing
 Uses formal mathematical language to create formulas and enters routine data using a format
appropriate to requirements
 Develops material using syntactic structure, required format and incorporating technical
functions to meet business needs.
Oral communication
 Uses listening and questioning skills to clarify requirements.
Numeracy
 Represents mathematical information in an alternative form and analyses information to
determine required spreadsheet formulae and macros.
Navigate the world of work
 Recognises and follows explicit and implicit protocols and meets expectations associated with
own role.
Get the work done
 Applies formal processes when planning more complex/unfamiliar tasks, producing plans with
logically sequenced steps
 Uses formal thinking techniques to generate new ideas
 Uses advanced features within applications to access, store, organise data and perform routine
and complex work tasks.
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Assessment Requirements
Performance Evidence

Evidence of the ability to:

 Follow organisational and safe work practices including:

o ergonomic requirements

o energy and resource conservation techniques

 Adhere to organisational requirements for:

o ensuring consistency of style, design and layout

o saving and printing documents within designated timelines

o naming and storing documents

 Adhere to identified or task requirements when producing documents including:

o editing macros and automating some tasks

o using appropriate templates

o creating graphs to represent data

 Resolve issues by referring to user documentation and online help

 Use appropriate data storage options

 Evaluate tasks to improve efficiency

 Apply knowledge of functions and features of contemporary computer applications

 Communicate with relevant personnel.

Note: If a specific volume or frequency is not stated, then evidence must be provided at least once.

Knowledge Evidence

To complete the unit requirements safely and effectively, the individual must:

 Explain advanced functions of spreadsheet software applications

 Describe impact of formatting and design on presentation and readability of data

 Explain organisational requirements for ergonomics, work periods and breaks, and conservation
techniques.
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Assessment Conditions

Assessment must be conducted in a safe environment where evidence gathered demonstrates

consistent performance of typical activities experienced in the information and communications
technology – IT use field of work and include access to:

 Organisational policies and procedures

 Relevant workplace documentation and resources

 Industry software packages and user instructions.

Assessors must satisfy NVR/AQTF assessor requirements.

Links

Companion Volume implementation guides are found in VETNet -

https://vetnet.education.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=11ef6853-ceed-4ba7-9d87-4da407e23c10
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1. Prepare to develop spreadsheet

1.1. Organise personal work environment in accordance with ergonomic requirements

1.2. Analyse task and determine specifications for spreadsheets

1.3. Identify organisational and task requirements of data entry, storage, output, reporting and
presentation requirements

1.4. Apply work organisation strategies and energy and resource conservation techniques to plan
work activities
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1.1 – Organise personal work environment in accordance with ergonomic

requirements

By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

 Identify injuries that can be sustained in the workplace from working at a computer

 Suggest ergonomic improvements to the workplace to decrease the risk of injury

 Outline ergonomic requirements applicable to you, your workplace or your

organisation.

Organising personal work environment

Regardless of the type of work you are carrying out, there are policies and procedures in place to ensure
that you are able to perform your work tasks in a safe way. When your task is to develop and use
complex spreadsheets, you need to consider how you can safely work at your computer for long periods
of time. When working at a computer for long periods of time, believe it or not, there are opportunities
for injury.

There are many injuries you can sustain from working at a computer, including:
 Repetitive strain injury

 Eye strain and discomfort

 Back problems.

In order to minimise the chance of injury, you should ensure that your personal work environment is
organised in accordance with ergonomic requirements.

Ergonomic requirements
When developing and using your spreadsheets, it is worth considering any ergonomic requirements that
may be relevant to you. Ergonomic requirements are related to improving visibility and accessibility
whilst keeping stress and mental fatigue from sounds, vibration, motion and shock at a minimum.

Ergonomic requirements may include:

 Avoiding radiation from computer screens

 Chair height, seat and back adjustment

 Document holder

 Footrest

 Keyboard and mouse position

 Lighting

 Noise minimisation
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 Posture

 Screen position

 Workstation height and layout.

Consideration should also be given to:

 The location of the furniture within the environment

 The layout of equipment of the workstation

 The accessories that are required to operate properly.

Avoiding radiation from computer screens

A computer screen emits low levels of radiation. It is worth noting that this radiation is much less than
radiation emitted by natural sources. Computer screen radiation is considered to be well below the level
that is deemed harmful, according to the International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA).

Tips for avoiding computer radiation include:

 Avoid working in front of your computer for too long

 Use an LED monitor

 Keep a safe distance from your monitor

 Use radiation protection on your computer screen

 Consume plenty of Vitamin A and C (these can help

reduce harmful effects of computer radiation)

 Put plants around your computer (they help to absorb

some of the harmful radiation)

 Wash your face (particles of radiation can attach

themselves to your face)

 Take regular breaks.

Chair height, seat and back adjustment

When you are sat at a desk all day, your chair is a crucial component of your environment. Your chair
should allow you to be comfortable whilst accommodating your work surfaces and permitting you to
perform your required tasks. The height of your chair is really important; it should adjust to allow you to
place your feet on the floor (or footrest) whilst being able to reach your work surface. In order to fully
support your back and knees, your chair should allow for the adjustment of the seat or backrest. Ideally,
you chair adjustments should allow for your knees to be bent at a comfortable angle.
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Document holder
If required, a document holder should be available for supporting your documents. How you should
position your document holder on your work surface will depend on how your specific document is
going to be used.

Footrest
If you cannot rest your feet comfortably on the floor whilst you are seated, then you should use a
footrest.

Keyboard and mouse position

Your mouse and keyboard should be positioned at the same height next to each other, as close as
possible in order to minimise reaching. They should both be at a height that allows your forearms,
wrists and hands to be parallel to the floor. When using the keyboard or mouse, no pressure should be
put on your wrist; it should not be bent or over-extended. In order to maintain the best possible
posture, your keyboard should be lower than a typical writing surface. A smaller, low-profile mouse is
usually better than a bulky mouse; it can reduce the pressure on your wrist and arm. If your workspace
cannot accommodate a keyboard and mouse, an under desk support device should be used.

Lighting
Although working at a computer requires a lower overall light level than other tasks (around 300 lux),
the lighting within your work area should be set up in a way that minimises visual discomfort (e.g.
glare).

The glare from natural and overhead light sources should be minimised as much as possible,
for example:
 Rather than directly below overhead lights, position computer between rows of lights

 Work away from windows

 Have blinds up at any windows in order to control light when necessary

 Tilt monitor downward to reduce any reflection

 Use an LCD screen

 Use a negative contrast on your screen

 If necessary, use a good-quality anti-glare filter on your monitor.

A good way to test whether there is a glare from the light around or above you is to hold an object (like
a book) at eyebrow level. Does the screen appear clearer? If so, there is a glare on your screen.

If you experience eye discomfort when using a computer screen, it is a good idea to give your eyes
short, regular breaks. You could adjust the brightness of your screen to see if this eases the discomfort
and change the colours of your backgrounds and text.
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Noise minimisation
Before you start your task, try to identify any distracting noises and think of ways you can reduce these.

For example, use:

 Ear plugs

 Headphones

 Soft music

 A quiet fan.

Posture
Key tips for maintaining good posture when sat at your computer include:
 Keep elbows close to waist

 Keep neck and shoulders relaxed

 Keep forearms, wrists and hands parallel to the floor

 Keep your mouse close

 Keep your monitor at arm’s length

 Keep your feet rested comfortably on the floor/footrest

 Adjust the backrest of your chair to ensure full support

 Avoid awkward postures such as ‘hunching’

 Don’t twist your neck.

Do not sit in a single, rigid position for too long. You should alternate between different postures
regularly but remain in a neutral position at all times. Regular breaks are encouraged to give your body
a rest.

Screen position
Ideally, the screen of your computer should be at about arm’s length and positioned so that the top of
the screen is around eye level. This usually means that the centre of the screen is at shoulder height and
your eyes are level with the toolbar. The distance between you and your screen should allow you to
easily focus on the screen. Individuals with poor eyesight will need to figure out a screen position that
allows them to see properly whilst avoid too much flexion in the neck.

Workstation height and layout

Your work surface should complement the task that you are performing whilst accommodating your
legs when you are sat in your comfortable position. The height of your workstation should allow your
elbows to be bent at a 90-degree angle, your shoulders to be relaxed, your wrists to be straight and
your forearms to be parallel with the floor. The controls and materials that you require to complete
your task should be within reach; this will minimise unnecessary twisting and turning of the body.
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Other things to consider about your workstation include:

 Is it private?

 Is it isolated?

 Is it an open space?

 Do you have natural or artificial light?

 Is the layout appropriate?

 Can it be personalised?

Length of time spent at the computer

Long periods spent sat at a computer should be avoided wherever
possible. It can be tiring and can increase the likelihood of
developing muscular aches and pains. The repetitive movement
involved with typing, along with the required visual attention can
increase fatigue. Ideally, you should avoid spending more than five
hours a day sat at the computer typing. When this is unavoidable,
ensure that you have regular breaks.

Returning to computer work

If you are returning to work after a length of time off, increase the time spent continuously at a
computer gradually. You should start with small levels of work and gradually increase your workload
and the time spent at the computer.

As well as the points discussed above, there are many other things to think about.

For example:
 The layout of your desk

 The way you use the telephone (if applicable)

o Would a hands-free device be better?

 The technique and speed that you use to type

o Avoid the ‘hunt and peck’ technique – this makes you tense and strain your neck

o Between 10,000 and 12,000 keystrokes per hour is considered to be an

acceptable amount.

Although the points discussed above give you a guideline of the ergonomic requirements you should
follow when working at your computer to develop and use complex spreadsheets, it is worth noting that
your ideal requirements may differ from someone else’s. You should work in the way that is safe and
comfortable for you. More information about safe work practices can be found at
www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au.
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The process of assessing the ergonomic conditions of your working environment may need to be
handled by yourself on a daily basis.

For example, throughout your working day you should ask yourself:
 Do I alter my posture often enough?

 Am I using my keyboard and mouse appropriately?

 Is the lighting appropriate?

 Is my chair in the correct position?

Other areas should be managed under a risk assessment; this is the responsibility of the Human
Resources (HR) department within an organisation. A risk assessment allows for the evaluation of
potential risks; it is the employer’s responsibility to provide a safe workplace.

The policies that may exist within an organisation may relate to:
 Regular formal or informal health and safety meetings

 Reporting of potential hazards or risks

 The way to use equipment correctly

 Keeping workspaces clean, tidy and organised

 Emergency/accident/near miss procedures

 Storage and maintenance guidelines

 Manufacturer instructions

 Use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

Although it is the employer’s responsibility to provide a safe work environment, it is your responsibility
to show compliance with the policies that are in place. You should carry out all relevant procedures
effectively, safely and efficiently with as little inconvenience as possible. Policies may also relate to work
organisation strategies and energy and resource conservation techniques; these will be discussed in
Chapter 1.4.

Organisation of jobs
Your daily jobs should include a variety of tasks that use different
movements and postures. For example, computer-related tasks should
be accompanied by non-computer related tasks. If possible, the
computer related tasks should be shared around the workplace to
avoid one person spending too much time at the computer.
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In order to ensure workloads are controlled, supervisors should:

 Plan ahead and have realistic expectations

 Prioritise and delegate jobs appropriately

 Discourage multiple drafts

 Use relief staff

 Teach and train where necessary

 Provide support

 Clearly define jobs.

The image to the right summarises the ergonomic issues that have been discussed within this chapter.
The image can be found at http://www.ergonomics-info.com/office-computer-ergonomics.html.
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1.2 – Analyse task and determine specifications for spreadsheets

By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

 Explain why you might undertake a task analysis

 Explain what a task analysis might involve

 Write a simple task analysis for a spreadsheet

 Explain what a spreadsheet specification involves

 Apply specifications to a spreadsheet.

What is a spreadsheet?
At the most basic level, a spreadsheet is a table of values that is arranged into different rows and
columns. The values within this table can have predefined relationships with each other. Data can be
sorted, manipulated and arranged easily within a spreadsheet with the use of formulas. The term
spreadsheet came from the format that was used to present bookkeeping ledgers; these involved cells,
rows and columns.

Analysing a task
Before developing a complex spreadsheet, you will need to analyse the task and determine the
specifications of what your spreadsheet needs to do and contain.

When analysing a task, you should detail how you will accomplish the particular task; how will you
develop and use your complex spreadsheet? A task analysis can provide you with a structure. This
structure can make the process of describing any activities that are involved with the task much easier.
It can also help you to describe how these activities fit together and explore any possible implications of
this. In order to complete a task analysis, you should break down your task into smaller, more
manageable activities. These activities should be broken down further until a sufficient level of detail is
obtained.

A task analysis may involve:

 Describing the key activities

 Determining how complex these activities are

 Information on how long these activities are thought to

take

 Structuring these activities

 Looking at how many people will be needed to complete the task

 Finding out if the right equipment and environment is available

 Studying how people use existing products or services (in this case, spreadsheets).
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A task analysis can be as simple or as complex as deemed necessary. It can be a rough description of the
particular task or a detailed account of the task, the activities involved and exactly how to complete
these activities. Knowing when to stop analysing is important. Task analysis can be very time consuming
– you should stick to the important aspects.

In relation to developing spreadsheets, a task analysis should outline what the spreadsheet needs to
achieve. For example, the spreadsheet may need to store the incomings and outgoings of a business,
calculating the level of profit for each working month.

Determining spreadsheet specifications

After analysing the task at hand, the specifications for the task should then be determined. The
specification of your spreadsheet is a statement that gives the details of how your spreadsheet will
meet the user requirements. For example, to calculate the tax due on each employee’s salary each
month would be a user requirement. These user requirements are the most important part of your
specification. Along with this, the spreadsheet specifications will outline the purpose of your
spreadsheet, detailing why it was created and the problem that it aims to solve. Any assumptions or
limitations of the spreadsheet should also be outlined within this specification.

By determining the specifications, you are providing details so that anyone who comes to view or use
your spreadsheet at a later date can understand it. So, for any information that you don’t think is
obvious, you should note this down.

Generally, spreadsheets are used to list groups of numerical data. This numerical data can then be used
to create graphs and charts; these can be printed or inserted into another document. Microsoft Excel
allows you to create visually pleasing spreadsheets as it offers a wide range of presentation facilities.
Spreadsheets that are developed within Microsoft Excel can also be easily connected to other programs
(PowerPoint and Word).

The structure of a spreadsheet will depend on the different kinds of cells that
are used and the relationship between these cells. Cells within a spreadsheet
can be turned into data, header and computation cells, depending on their
content. Some of the rows and columns within spreadsheets are fixed and
some of the rows and columns can be duplicated if new data needs to be
added.
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1.3 – Identify organisational and task requirements of data entry, storage,

output, reporting and presentation requirements

By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

 Identify examples of the following in relation to their organisation:

o data entry requirements

o data storage requirements

o data output requirements

o reporting and presentation requirements.

Organisational and task requirements

You should be aware of any organisational and task requirements that relate to data entry, storage,
output and reporting. You should also consider organisational and task requirements of the
presentation requirements of your data.
Within different organisations, the variety of tasks will have different requirements themselves as well
as the requirements of the organisation. So although these requirements will vary dramatically, this
chapter will attempt to look at some examples.
Generally, data sets are stored within a spreadsheet; these data sets can be managed and processed
using the range of utilities that a spreadsheet has. A spreadsheet helps to present data in an organised
way and can perform financial, mathematical, statistical and organisational transformations using
formulas defined by the user.
Data entry
The methods of data entry will depend on the requirements of your task, along with the requirements
of your organisation. For example, do you need to create your own spreadsheet within a blank
document or are you importing data from an existing spreadsheet?
Storing data
The primary purpose of a spreadsheet is to store data in a structured way. Although a spreadsheet can
display and analyse in the short-term, specific databases should be favoured for long-term storage
needs. The way that you should store your data may depend on your organisation and the task itself.
Should you save a hard copy or is an electronic copy sufficient? How should these then be stored? In a
locked filing cabinet? Or on a USB stick? A key tip for storing file electronically is to back these up
regularly to avoid loss.
Data output
Data output is the process in which the data is manipulated and the studied under different
circumstances. Spreadsheets are a good method of data output; they allow for the simple
checks and computations on the data that has been inputted. Using
spreadsheet formulas, basic statistical analysis can be easily conducted. The
data that is produced should be modified in a way that ensures that it is
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presentable. Using the presentable data, further conclusions can be made. This should be in line with
any relevant organisational or task requirements. There is a wide range of software that has been
developed to help with data output; these allow for different presentations of the findings. They can
also help with the required calculations, if necessary.
For example, is your spreadsheet going to be:
 Sent as part of an email?
 Included in a presentation?
 Attached to a report?
 Included within the body or a report?
 Printed onto an overhead transparency?
Reporting and presentation requirements
Although they are designed to record, sort, calculate and store data, spreadsheets can also include
graphics. By adding graphics to a spreadsheet, the information can be communicated more effectively.

The presentation of a spreadsheet is something that will depend on the task and organisational
requirements; think about how the readability of the spreadsheet can be improved. Every organisation
will have standards which each spreadsheet should follow.

For example:
 Paper sizes

 Page style

 Colours

 Margins

 Size and style of fonts

 Field definitions

 Header and footer requirements

 Organisation details and logos

 Parameters and database connections

 Formats for numbers.

Example reporting and presentation

requirements:
 Paper size should be A4 – landscape

 Standard font should be Times New

Roman size 12
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 Logo should be in top right-hand corner of spreadsheet

 Header should include the date and the title

 Footer should include the filename and author.

Microsoft Excel has many tools that can be used for data visualisation (e.g. various charts and graphs).
Once created, these graphical presentations can be used within presentations, reports and other
publications. You can take an existing data set and present this in a chart, manually controlling the chart
type, the labelling and the colours. These aspects may depend on the task and organisational
requirements. For example, your organisation may use bar charts that incorporate different shades of
blue.

Data entry, storing data and data output will be discussed in more detail later in this unit, along with
example spreadsheets and step-by-step instructions.

Relevant legislation
When dealing with data, it is important that any relevant legislation is
considered. This may also be reflected in the organisational and task
requirements. Relevant legislation needs to be considered when
collecting, storing and transferring data and personal information.

Collecting data
Clients should be fully aware of any collection of personal information. Any personal information that is
necessary to collect should be available to the client if they wish to see it. The client in question should
also be made aware of how the information will be used and if it will be passed on to other
organisations.

Unless it is absolutely necessary, an organisation should refrain from collecting personal and sensitive
information concerning their employees or clients. The Privacy Amendment (Enhancing Privacy
Protection) Act (2012), states that the collection of personal information must be deemed necessary for
the functions of the organisation. Find more at:http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/C2012A00197.
Examples of personal and sensitive information include sexual preferences, medical history and ethnic
origin.

In Australia, the Privacy Act (1988) is a law that regulates that handling of personal information,
including the way in which information should be collected, stored and transferred. The Information
Commissioner is the national Data Protection Regulator and is responsible for overseeing the Privacy
Act. Any breaches of the Privacy Act will be investigated; these investigations may be the result of a
complaint or simply the initiative of the Commissioner. Serious breaches can be costly; up to $340,000
for individuals and $1.7 million for organisations.

Although it is not a legal requirement, a person within an organisation may be given the responsibility to
ensure that the organisation as a whole adheres to the Privacy Act (1988). To find out more about the
Privacy Act, visithttp://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-act/the-privacy-act.
 P a g e | 25

Storing data
Whilst in your organisation’s possession, a client’s personal information should be stored safely;
adequate security measures must be provided. By having these measures in place, the chances of
misuse, theft or loss can be minimised. When the information is no longer required, it should be
permanently destroyed or deleted in a secure way.

Transferring data
Any client information that you have can only be communicated with other organisations when
absolutely necessary. When this is the case, the client in question should provide permission to do so;
they should be made aware that the other organisation may not necessarily adhere to the relevant
legislation.
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1.4 – Apply work organisation strategies and energy and resource conservation
techniques to plan work activities

By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

 Outline the potential problem areas within your workplace relating to energy and
resource use

 Suggest energy and resource conservation techniques to address potential problem

areas.

Work organisation strategies

Prolonged, static postures will take their toll on your body. You need to address work organisation
strategies when planning work activities as well as the ergonomic requirements that were discussed in
Chapter 1.1 in order to avoid injury when working at your computer for long periods of time.

Work organisation strategies may include:

 Exercise breaks

 Mix of repetitive and other activities

 Rest periods.

Exercise breaks
Whilst sat at your computer, you should do small exercises at regular
intervals.

These small exercises may include:

 Head rolls

 Shoulder lifts

 Wrist drops.

Mix of repetitive and other activities

Make sure you take time away from your computer. You should avoid long periods of the same activity;
do other tasks to give you a little break from your computer. You should alternate between work
activities that use different muscles in your body in order to avoid over use.

Rest periods
When working at your computer, you should remember to take frequent mini breaks in order to refresh
and relax your muscles and joints. Have little ‘stretch’ breaks and look away from your screen every now
and then to give your eyes chance to rest too. Make sure your ‘lunch break’ actually involves a break;
get away from that computer. Remember to keep moving.

Using the information above, make sure that you plan your work activities with these work organisation
strategies in mind. When developing your spreadsheets, take into consideration the policies that may
be in place within your own organisation.
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Throughout your working day you may ask yourself:

 Am I having regular breaks to keep stress reduced?

 Am I doing exercises at my computer regularly?

 Am I alternating my tasks?

 Am I looking away from the screen often enough?

Energy and resource conservation techniques

Within the workplace, it is essential to use energy and resource conservation techniques. Not only does
it keep your (or your organisation’s) bills down, it helps to protect non-renewable resources. From
simply turning off the lights to recycling every last scrap of paper, conserving energy and resources is a
must.

Top areas to consider improving include:

 Heating

 Lighting

 Water

 Paper use.

When developing spreadsheets, the energy and resource conservation techniques you should
consider may include:
 Double-sided paper use

 Recycling used and shredded paper

 Re-using paper for rough drafts (observing confidentiality requirements)

 Using power-save options for equipment.

Double-sided paper use

Try and maximise your paper usage by printing double-sided. Most printers will do this nowadays; you
just need to adjust the settings. Also, try to get into the habit of using the ‘print preview’ feature (if
there is one available) to catch any errors before printing your document. This will help to save paper
too; every little thing will make a difference.

Recycling used and shredded paper

Make sure you don’t throw old documents away; recycle them. Use the
recycling system that is in place within your organisation. If they don’t
have one, make your own system. Aim to only use recycled paper too;
think of the trees.
 P a g e | 28

Re-using paper for rough drafts

For documents you have printed one-sided or only used up half of the page; turn this into scrap paper.
Use it to jot down your ideas and rough drafts. Remember to recycle when you’re done.

To improve the paper usage within your organisation, first, you need to know exactly how much you are
using and what practices are already in place. Find out how much paper is bought per month, how much
it costs the organisation and what type of paper is bought. From this, you can create realistic targets
related to the correct use and disposal of paper. For example, your target may be to reduce the amount
of paper used over the next 12 months by ten percent.

To keep on top of paper usage, design a system for tracking how much paper is used and by whom.

For example:

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec T
o
Month t
a
l
Paper
bought
Paper
used
Paper
recycled

Using power-save options for equipment

In order to conserve energy when using your electrical equipment, utilise their power-save options.
Most computers, if not all, will have built-in energy saving software. Find out what energy saving
mechanisms your own computer has. These options allow you to set your computer to go to ‘sleep’
after periods of inactivity. Although it will not shut down your computer fully (so you won’t lose
anything), it will consume much less energy. It is worth noting that screen savers do not count; they do
not reduce the amount of power used by your computer.

Other tips for conserving the energy used by your electrical equipment include:
 Switch them off when you are not using them, even if it’s just a break

 Turn the brightness of your screen down

 Don’t leave your equipment on standby mode

 Use efficiency rated equipment

 Unplug devices (like scanners and cameras) when they are not in use

 Plug your devices into a power strip; unplug it at the end of the day.
 P a g e | 29

In order to save energy, you need to know how much you are currently using. Once you know how
much energy is already being consumed, you can then develop ways to improve this. Can you achieve
the same results but use less energy?
 P a g e | 30

Things to keep an eye on may include:

 Hot water usage

 Cooking equipment

 Lighting

 Heating

 Air conditioning

 Computers and printers.

Keep in mind that that average computer consumes around 100watts of energy whilst turned on; to
keep this computer on for 24 hours would consume a large amount of energy. To save energy, and
money, turn computers off when you are not using them.

Organisational culture
The culture within an organisation involves the messages that are sent within the organisation and the
behaviour that is demonstrated both internally and externally. The essential parts of the culture within
an organisation are the values and the level of commitment; both of these are essential for employees
and employers. This culture is an important element when recognising potential risks within the
organisation, the impact of these risks and how they should be dealt with.

Planning work activities

You should use these work organisation strategies and energy and resource conservation techniques
when planning your work activities. When planning the work activities, you should address any relevant
organisational strategies; these strategies can be a policy or plan of action that will help you to achieve
the overall aim. For example, motivational leadership is a strategy that can be used to concentrate on
achieving the required performance through recognising human dynamics. This strategy also looks at
values-based leadership and personal growth. Performance management is another strategy that looks
at the construction of the organisational processes that are needed in order to achieve the required
performance. You need to consider how you will turn your strategy into an action; link the performance
factors with the project in a way that will optimise the activities involved.

Performance appraisal
How well is everyone doing their job? A performance appraisal will assess the performance of
employees and highlighting areas in which performance could be improved. This process can identify
any training needs and can help to use rewards to increase performance levels.
 P a g e | 31

2. Develop a linked spreadsheet solution

2.1. Utilise spreadsheet design software functions and formulae to meet identified requirements

2.2. Link spreadsheets in accordance with software procedures

2.3. Format cells and use data attributes assigned with relative and/or absolute cell references, in
accordance with task specifications

2.4. Test formulae to confirm output meets task requirements

 P a g e | 32

2.1 – Utilise spreadsheet design software functions and formulae to meet

identified requirements

By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

 Identify design features on a spreadsheet

 Provide examples of functions used on a spreadsheet

 Explain how to use functions

 Provide examples of formulae used on a spreadsheet

 Explain how to use formulae.

Meeting identified requirements

Once the organisational and task requirements of your spreadsheet have been identified, you will need
to utilise the spreadsheet design software functions and formulae to meet them.

Spreadsheet design may include:

 Analysis

 Appropriateness

 Avoidance of blank rows and columns

 Embedding cell references in formulae

 Formulae

 Formatting and reformatting

 Functions

 Headers and footers

 Headings

 Headings and labels

 Identification and parameters

 Import and export of data

 Labels

 Linked formulae

 Multi-page documents

 Pivot tables
 P a g e | 33

 Relative and absolute cell references

 Split screen operation.

This chapter will look at some of the examples above in more detail.

Avoiding blank rows and columns

Although blank rows and columns throughout your spreadsheet are not necessarily a bad thing, they
may be frustrating. Blanks can be used within Excel to determine data ranges and a blank in the wrong
place can inhibit many of the built-in features.

Rather than right-clicking each blank cell to delete it from your spreadsheet, there is a much easier way.

Follow these steps:

1. Click the sheet that contains the blank rows or columns that you wish to delete

2. Click the ‘Home’ tab

3. Click ‘Find &Select’

4. Click ‘Go To Special…’

5. In the dialogue box, check the ‘Blanks’ option

6. Click ‘OK’

7. All of the blank rows or columns should be highlighted

8. Click the ‘Home’ tab

9. Click ‘Delete’

10. Click ‘Delete Sheet Rows’ or ‘Delete Sheet Columns’.

See images below.

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Formatting and reformatting

Although formatting can often be overlooked when using spreadsheets, it is essential for
communicating your information clearly and reducing the risk of error. Consistent formatting can make
the formulas within your spreadsheet more comprehensible and can increase the readability of the
overall spreadsheet.

In order to improve the readability of your spreadsheet, consider:

 Creating a template

 The font, size and colour of text

 Manipulating height and width of cells to stop it looking cramped

 Highlighting key cells, rows or columns

 Introducing colour (carefully)

 Using the company logo to make spreadsheet look professional

 Aligning text, graphs and charts

 Making your headings bold.

Headers and footers

Headers and footers are used in spreadsheets to provide the reader with useful information.

For example, headers and footers normally include:

 The date and time

 Page numbers

 The file name.

To add a header or footer into your spreadsheet, follow these steps:

1. Click the worksheet that you wish to add a header or footer

2. Click the ‘Insert’ tab

3. Click ‘Header & Footer’

4. Click on the header or footer text box that you wish to use (either on the left, on the
right or in the centre)

5. Choose a predefined header or footer or add your text

6. When you are finished, click anywhere in your spreadsheet to close your header or
footer.

Pivot tables
This is one of the most powerful features in Excel as it allows you to extract the significance from a
large, detailed dataset.
 P a g e | 35

To insert a pivot table, follow these steps:

1. Click any cell within your data set

2. Click the ‘Insert’ tab

3. Click ‘PivotTable’

4. Click ‘OK’.

More information on how pivot tables can be used can be found at http://www.excel-easy.com/data-
analysis/pivot-tables.html.

Split screen operation

When developing and using a spreadsheet, you can split the screen, vertically or horizontally, into
sections. From this, you can see multiple copies of your worksheet. This can be useful when you need to
scroll through your spreadsheet but need to keep the headings visible. This function also allows you to
compare two different rows or columns that are located in different parts of your spreadsheet.

To apply the split screen operation, click the ‘View’ tab and click ‘Split’. See image below.

When designing a spreadsheet, there are many different functions and formulae within the available
software. You will only need to use the functions and formulae that apply to your particular
spreadsheet.

Functions may include:

 Basic financial functions (if available)

 Date functions

 Logical functions (lookup, if, choose, true, false, conditions)

 Mathematical functions (square root, integer, absolute value, round)

 Simple nested functions

 Statistical functions (standard deviation, count, maximum, minimum).

Let’s take a look at an example of each of the functions above that you may come across when
developing your spreadsheet.
 P a g e | 36

Basic financial functions

Examples of basic financial functions include:
 SLN function – returns the straight-line depreciation of an asset for one period

 NPER function – returns the number of periods for an investment

 RATE function – returns the interest rate per period of annuity

 PMT function – returns the periodic payment for an annuity

 ACCRINTM – returns the accrued interest for a security that pays interest at maturity.

Visit https://support.office.com/en-au/article/Financial-functions-reference-5157fee4-8a47-46c2-ba00-
467b31d721eb%5C for more information about these basic financial functions.

Date functions
The syntax for the DATE function is =DATE(year, month, day). For example, =DATE(02/06/2015).

The syntax for the TIME function is =TIME(hour, minute, second). For example, =TIME(6, 33, 40).

These functions may refer to specific cells. For example, =DATE(A3, B3, C3).

To add the current time and date to your spreadsheet, you can use the NOW function which looks like
this: =NOW(). This can be useful when using a spreadsheet to keep track of appointments and
deadlines.

To add today’s date to your spreadsheet, you can use the TODAY function which looks like this:
=TODAY(). This can be helpful to calculate how many days have passed since a particular date.

Lookup function (logical function)

The LOOKUP function returns a value from a one-column range, a one-row range or an array.

There are two syntax forms for the LOOKUP function:

 Vector

 Array.

The vector form of the LOOKUP function looks for a value in a one-column or one-row
range. It then returns a value from the same position in a second one-column or one-
row range.

The syntax for the vector form of the LOOKUP function is =LOOKUP(lookup_value, lookup_vector,
result_vector).

The array form of the LOOKUP function looks for a specified value in the first row or column of an array
or that value. It then returns a value from the same position in the last row or column of the array.

The syntax for the array form of the LOOKUP function is =LOOKUP(lookup_value, array).
 P a g e | 37

Square root (mathematical function)

To find the square root of a number within your spreadsheet, use the SQRT function. The syntax for this
function is =SQRT(Number). This number will refer to a particular cell; the cell that contains the number
you need to find the square root of.

For example, if you needed the square root of the number in cell B4, then you will need to use this
syntax: =SQRT(B4).

Simple nested functions

Simple nested functions combine the operations of two or more functions in a single cell. This works
because one function is used as an argument for the first function.

Standard deviation (statistical function)

There are two ways to work out the standard deviation of the data within your spreadsheet.

If your data is just a sample of the whole population, you will need to use =STDEV(VALUES). For
example, =STDEV(B2:B7).

However, if your data is a complete list of the whole population, you will need to use =STDEVP(VALUES).
For example, =STDEVP(B2:B7).

There will always be a difference between these two types of standard deviation as the sample standard
deviation has a formula that takes into account that there is a possibility that there will be more
variation in the whole population, rather than in the sample.

When using these functions within your spreadsheet, you may come across figures that don’t look right.
This means you may have to alter the formatting of the cell(s). The formatting of cells will be discussed
in more detail further on in this unit.

Formulae may include:

 Addition

 Average

 Comparison

 Division

 Exponentiation

 Multiplication

 Percentage

 Subtraction

 Combinations of above.
 P a g e | 38

Let’s take a look at a few examples.

Addition
To add values together within a spreadsheet, use the addition symbol within your formula (+). For
example, =B1+B2=B3.

If you wish to add several numbers that are within a single column or row together, you can use the
SUM function. This SUM function is a shortcut to creating a long addition formula. For example,
=SUM(B1:B7).

Finding the average

To find the average of your data in a spreadsheet, you will need to use the AVERAGE function. The
syntax for this is =AVERAGE(Number 1, Number2, Number3).

Examples:
 =AVERAGE(A1, A2, A3)

 =AVERAGE(A1, A5, A8)

 =AVERAGE(A1:A10).

Finding a percentage
To apply the percentage number format to the required cells, then follow these steps:
1. Highlight the cells that need formatting

2. Click the ‘Home’ tab

3. In the ‘Number’ group, click the ‘Percent Style button.

See image below.

To calculate percentages within a spreadsheet, the basic formula is part/total = percentage. For
example, =B3/C3. Calculating percentages can get complicated. Visit
http://blogs.office.com/2011/08/02/how-to-do-percentages-in-excel/ for more information.

The functions and formulae that you will need to use will depend on the task and organisational
requirements that relate to your spreadsheet and what you need to find out.
 P a g e | 39

2.2 – Link spreadsheets in accordance with software procedures

By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

 Explain what it means to link spreadsheets

 Outline the steps to take to link spreadsheets

 Explain why linking spreadsheets might be useful.

 Create and link spreadsheets.

Linking spreadsheets
When you open up a new spreadsheet, you will have three different sheets (these are the tabs at the
bottom of the screen). From this, you will be creating a workbook; a collection of one or more
spreadsheets.

You can create links between sheets within the same workbook or between sheets from different
workbooks. Linking information between sheets and workbooks will streamline your data management.
A link will allow a cell in one spreadsheet (the destination spreadsheet) to include information from a
cell in a different spreadsheet (the source spreadsheet). For example, a formula that adds up a whole
column within one of your sheets (the source) can be carried over to another sheet (the destination)
should you require it to.

To do this in Excel, follow these steps:

1. Click the cell in the new sheet (destination sheet) that you wish to carry the formula
over to

2. Type an equals symbol (=)

3. Now refer to the original sheet (source sheet) and click on the cell where the formula is

4. Press ‘Enter’ on your keyboard.

If you wish to do this for a whole row, then follow these steps:
1. Select the row in your original sheet (source sheet) that you wish to carry over to
another sheet by clicking and dragging

2. Copy by pressing ‘Ctrl’ and C on your keyboard

3. Click on the sheet that you wish to carry it to (destination sheet)

4. Click in the first left-hand cell

5. Right click with your mouse

6. Select ‘Paste Special’

7. Click the ‘Paste Link’ button.

 P a g e | 40

Once this is done, any change to the original cell will be mirrored within the copied cell.

It is worth noting that nonadjacent cells within a source spreadsheet cannot be mapped into a
nonadjacent cell within the destination worksheet; these must be copied individually.

Why link spreadsheets?

Linking spreadsheets can:
 Eliminate the need to update the same information over different spreadsheets

 Improve the reliability of the data

 Save time

 Keep spreadsheets at a manageable size

 Reduce the chance of error.

When linking spreadsheets, it should be done so in accordance with software procedures. Consider how
your files are stored; you don’t want any links breaking.
 P a g e | 41

2.3 – Format cells and use data attributes assigned with relative and/or
absolute cell references, in accordance with task specifications

By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

 Identify ways cells can be formatted

 Explain the difference between relative and absolute cell references

 Create a simple spreadsheet that uses relative and absolute cell references,
explaining where and why each was used.

Formatting cells
The formatting of cells within your spreadsheet involves changing the way that the cell data appears
within the spreadsheet. By formatting a cell, you are only changing the presentation of your data, not
the actual value of the data.

You can add a variety of things to your spreadsheet, including:

 Monetary units

 Dates and times

 Fractions

 Colours.

To format cells within your spreadsheet, you will start with the ‘Format Cells’ dialogue box (see picture
below). You can get to this dialogue box by right-clicking on the cell(s) that you wish to format and
choosing ‘Format Cells’.
 P a g e | 42

Adding monetary units

To add monetary units to cells within your spreadsheet, choose the ‘Currency’ option within the ‘Format
Cells’ dialogue box.

Adding dates and times

There are also many different time and date options that are available to use. Again, this is found in the
‘Format Cells’ dialogue box under the ‘Date’ or ‘Time’ option.

Adding fractions
Fractions can be added to values within your spreadsheet by choosing the ‘Fraction’ option in the
‘Format Cells’ dialogue box.

Adding colours
You can use different colours to highlight the difference between the positive and
negative values within your spreadsheet. By doing this, you can keep track of your
values easily. You can also manipulate various aspects of the cells in your
spreadsheets; for example, fonts, backgrounds and borders. Again, all of these
elements are found within the ‘Format Cells’ dialogue box.

An advanced formatting option includes locking certain cells in your spreadsheet. The
locking of cells means that the values within these cells cannot be changed or the range of values that
can be entered is restricted.

Any formatting within your spreadsheet should be done in accordance with the task specifications.

What are data attributes?

An attribute is a characteristic or a property of something, in this case, data. When developing complex
spreadsheets, data attributes are the changeable characteristics or properties of the data within your
spreadsheet. These attributes can be set to different values if necessary. Data attributes can refer to the
behaviour of your data as well as the appearance of it. For example, if you use numeric data, this data
has the numeric attribute.

Relative/absolute cell references

These two types of cell references behave differently when copied and pasted into other cells within
your spreadsheet.

By default, all cell references are relative. These relative references will change when a formula is
copied into another cell. They will change depending on the relative position of rows and columns.

For example, if you copy the formula =B1+C1 from row one to row two, the formula will automatically
become =B2+C2. This is helpful when you need to repeat the same calculation across multiple rows or
columns within your spreadsheet.

Absolute references will remain constant, no matter where you copy them to. To add an absolute
reference to a cell, you add a dollar sign to the formula. The position of this dollar sign will determine
what part of your formula becomes absolute.
 P a g e | 43

This dollar sign can be added:

 Before the column reference
 Before the row reference
 Before both references.
For example:
 $B1 – the column will not change when copied

 B$1 – the row will not change when copied

 $B$1 – neither the row nor column will change when copied.

A shortcut that you can use to add absolute cell references within your formulas is the F4 key. Excel will
automatically make the cell reference absolute. Continue to press F4 to go through all of the options for
absolute references.

Example
You need to calculate the prices of the items that you have in stock with two different price discounts.

This is your spreadsheet:

Look at the formula in cell C4. By using this formula, you are making sure that when you copy it across,
the column will remain the same. Also, this formula allows the row to change when you copy it down.
This will accommodate for the various item prices. This formula will also allow the column to change to
reflect Discount B when copied across.
 P a g e | 44

Look at the results:

By referring to the discount cells instead of manually inserting the discount into your formula, you can
easily experiment with different discount values. This way, you only have to change cell A13 or B13 and
all your values will change – you won’t need to rebuild any formulas.

Always use data attributes assigned with relative and/or absolute cell references in accordance with
your task specifications.
 P a g e | 45

2.4 – Test formulae to confirm output meets task requirements

By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

 Suggest ways of checking the formulae within a spreadsheet

 Identify the types of errors you may encounter in a spreadsheet

 Explain why errors occur and how they can be fixed.

Testing formulae
In order to confirm that your output meets the task requirements, you will need to test your formulae.
Although formulas are a very powerful feature of a spreadsheet, if you make a small mistake, they can
give you an incorrect result. This can obviously have extremely bad consequences. Unfortunately, Excel
will not tell you when these mistakes occur; you will just be given the wrong answer. Therefore, it is
your job to check any formula that you add to your spreadsheet.

There are many ways to check your formulas, including:

 Checking the references

o if you mean a3, make sure that’s what it says

 Breaking it up

o if you have complicated formulas, break them into several smaller formulas to
check they are correct

 Switching to formula view

o you can see all of your formulas at once making it easier to spot mistakes

 Checking for any mix-ups

o check for common mistakes like using the right cell references in the wrong
order.

When using long formulas, the ‘Evaluate Formula’ dialogue box can help you to locate any errors in your
formulas. This dialogue box shows you how Excel works out the formula.

To evaluate a formula using this ‘Evaluate Formula’ dialogue box, follow these steps:
1. Click the cell that contains the formula that you wish to evaluate

2. Click the ‘Formulas’ tab (see image below)

3. Click ‘Evaluate Formula’ – a dialogue box will appear

4. Click ‘Evaluate’ (click multiple times to evaluate each expression).

 P a g e | 46

This method can help you to identify where your complex formula has gone wrong.

To check for errors, follow these steps:

1. Click the cell that contains the formula that you wish to check

2. Click the ‘Formulas’ tab (see image below)

3. Click ‘Error Checking’ – a dialogue box will appear

4. The buttons to the right of the box allow you to analyse the error and look at how it can
be corrected.

Debugging formulas
There is a quick and easy way to debug a long, complex formula in your spreadsheet and fix the error.
You need to identify where in your long, complex formula the error is occurring.

To do this, follow these steps:

1. Select the cell that has this formula in

2. Click in the formula bar

3. Highlight the first part of the formula

4. Press the F9 key

5. It will show you the result of this part of the formula

6. Do this for each part of your long, complex formula until you have found where the
error is.

In the ‘Formulas’ tab in Excel, the ‘Watch Window’ option can also be used to debug formulas. See
image below.
 P a g e | 47

Dealing with errors

You will need to know how to deal with an error should one occur. You should be able to identify what
each type of error means. Once you know what type of error you are dealing with, then you will need to
figure out how to correct or hide the error.

There are many types of errors, including:

 #NAME? formula error
 #NUM! formula error
 #VALUE! formula error
 #DIV/0! formula error
 #NULL! formula error
 #REF! formula error
 #N/A formula error
 ###### error.
Let’s look at a few of these errors in more detail and ways to fix them.

#NAME? formula error

You may see this error if:
 You have misspelled a formula or named range
 You have forgotten to close any text in double quotes
 You have forgotten to omit the range operator.
To fix it, make sure:
 You have used the correct formula name
 Any user-defined functions that you are using are installed properly
 You have defined all the named ranges that you are using in the formula
 The ranges and string parameter in your formulas are right.
#DIV/0! formula error
This error will occur when you have divided something by zero. For example, if a cell contains the
formula =44/0, you will see #DIV/0! To fix this, don’t divide it by zero.

#NULL! formula error

This error is rare and is the result of the incorrect range operators being used. For example, if you have
specified an intersecting range which doesn’t actually intersect, this error will appear. You need to
double check that you have mentioned the ranges correctly.

#REF! formula error

This error will occur when one of the formula parameters is pointing to an invalid range. This can
happen if cells are deleted. To fix this, undo the actions that have caused this and think of an alternative
way to get the result that you require.
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###### error
If you can see this in one of your cells, then the contents of that cell cannot fit into the space. For
example, if your cells are only small and you enter a very long number. This error is simple to fix; adjust
the width of your column to accommodate the data.

This error may also occur if you have formatted negative numbers as a date. If this occurs, change your
numbers to positive.

Remember that formulae can sometimes return an error if a range that it references contains an error
cell.

Hiding zeros
In some instances, you may not need to display or report on the zeros within your spreadsheet.

If you wish to hide every zero within your spreadsheet, follow these steps:
1. Click the ‘File’ tab

2. Click ‘Options’

3. Click ‘Advanced’

4. Scroll down to the ‘Display options for this worksheet’ section

5. Uncheck the box ‘Show a zero in cells that have zero value.

See images below.

If you wish to hide only

some of the zeros within your spreadsheet, follow these steps:
1. Select the cells that contain the zeros that you wish to hide

2. Click the ‘Home’ tab

3. In the ‘Cells’ group, click ‘Format’

4. Click ‘Format Cells’

5. In the ‘Category’ list, click ‘Custom’

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6. In the ‘Type’ box, type 0;-0;;@

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3. Automate and standardise spreadsheet operation

3.1. Evaluate tasks to identify those where automation would increase efficiency

3.2. Create, use and edit macros to fulfil requirements of task and automate spreadsheet operation

3.3. Develop, edit and use templates to ensure consistency of design and layout for forms and
reports, in accordance with organisational requirements
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3.1 – Evaluate tasks to identify those where automation would increase

efficiency

By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

 Identify situations in which automation could increase efficiency

 Explain the benefits of automation

 Analyse a spreadsheet and identify/explain why automation would be beneficial.

Increasing efficiency
You will need to evaluate your tasks to identify those where automation would increase efficiency.

What are you using your spreadsheet for?

Examples may include:

 Accounting

o Scheduling payments

o Forecasting profits

o Controlling stocks

o Bank reconciliation

o Calculating job costs

 Budgeting

o Preparing a budget

o Comparing actual versus planned costs

 Graphing

 Scientific applications

o Converting figures (e.g. metric to imperial)

o Currency exchange rates

 Academic applications

o Calculating figures using arithmetic signs or functions

o Creating reports to analyse information.

You need to consider if your particular task would benefit from using automation.
 P a g e | 53

Times when automation may be beneficial may include when you:

 Have a large amount of data to input

 Don’t have adequate skills

 Are using the same type of graph or chart repeatedly

 Doing the same task repetitively

 Are completing a task with numerous steps.

What is automation?
Automation means that information can be transferred and manipulated within your spreadsheet with
minimum intervention from the user.

This is beneficial in many ways, including:

 Saving you time

 Reducing complex processes

 Removing existing errors from your data

 Improving accuracy

 Reducing the risk of human errors

 Allowing for flexibility

 Reducing repetitive tasks.

You can automate practically any task that your computer can ‘see’ you doing. Automation software will
record the task that you are performing by capturing your mouse and keyboard actions. From this, a
script of this task is created that can be edited and replicated when necessary. You can devise a
schedule for your tasks to run whenever you need them to.

Tasks that can be automated include:

 Comparing columns

 Running an analysis report

 Sorting data

 Deleting duplicate rows

 Transferring your Excel data

 Deleting rows based on specific criteria.

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Templates
There are many existing templates in Excel that can be used for many common uses. These can be
modified to suit your needs. There are also many templates available to download for free. To have
something unique, you can create your own templates or hire someone to do this for you.

Templates will be discussed in more detail in Chapter 3.3.

Macros
A macro is a tool that allows you to automate specific tasks and they add functionality to your work. The
use of macros means you don’t have to keep entering the same information over and over again.

Macros can help you quickly and easily:

 Format your documents in a particular way

 Produce the same chart or graph types repeatedly

 Enter a large range of information.

Macros will be discussed in more detail in Chapter 3.2.

Custom toolbars
In order to make your life easier, you can use custom toolbars for the actions that you use repetitively.
You can customise a toolbar to include your preferred buttons, any built-in menus that you use and your
own menus.

To create a customised toolbar, follow these steps:

1. Click the ‘File’ tab

2. Click ‘Options’

3. Click either ‘Customise Ribbon’ or ‘Quick Access Toolbar’ (see image below)

4. Customise your toolbars as you wish.

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3.2 – Create, use and edit macros to fulfil requirements of task and automate
spreadsheet operation

By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

 Produce a document explaining:

o what is meant by a macro

o how you create a macro

o an example of how you run a macro

o how you edit a macro.

What are macros?

Macros are an automation technique that can save you time, increase productivity and improve
consistency. For tasks that you do repeatedly, macros can be very helpful. They record your keyboard
and mouse commands as you complete the task and store these for a later date. You can retrieve these
recorded commands by a single keyboard or mouse stroke when you require that particular action.

As discussed in Chapter 3.1, macros can help you quickly and easily:
 Format your documents in a particular way

 Produce the same chart or graph types repeatedly

 Enter a large range of information.

You can program macros for something as simple as entering names and addresses into your
spreadsheet or adding identical headers and footers. Macros can also be as complex as reading the data
from a particular file and entering it into your spreadsheet for you. There are also many existing macros
that available for you to use.

Macros may include printing sections of a spreadsheet.

When using macros in Excel, you will need to ensure that you have enabled the ‘Developer’ tab.

To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click the ‘File’ tab

2. Click ‘Options’

3. Click ‘CustomiseRibbon’

4. In the ‘Main Tabs’ section, check the ‘Developer’ box

5. Click ‘OK’.
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See images below.

Creating macros
To alter the security level to temporarily enable all macros, follow these steps:
1. Click on the ‘Developer’ tab

2. In the ‘Code’ group, click ‘Macro Security’

3. Under ‘Macro Settings’, click ‘Enable all macros (not recommended, potentially
dangerous code can run)

4. Click ‘OK’.

To record a macro, follow these steps:

1. Alter the security level (steps detailed above)

2. Click the ’Developer’ tab

3. In the ‘Code’ group, click ‘Record Macro’

4. In the ‘Macro name’ box, enter the name of your new macro

5. To assign a CTRL combination shortcut key to run your new macro, type a letter that
you wish to use in the ‘Shortcut key’ box

6. In the ‘Store macro in’ list, choose the workbook where you want to store your macro

7. Type a description of your macro in the ‘Description’ box

8. To start recording, click ‘OK’

9. Perform the actions that you wish to record

10. Click the ‘Developer’ tab

11. In the ‘Code’ group, click ‘Stop Recording’.

You can also use Microsoft Visual Basic to create a macro.

 P a g e | 57

To do this, follow these steps:

1. Alter the security level (steps detailed above)

2. Click the ‘Developer’ tab

3. In the ‘Code’ group, click ‘Visual Basic’

4. If required, click ‘Module’ in the ‘Insert’ menu in the ‘Visual Basic Editor’

5. In the code window of the module, type in the macro code that you wish to use

6. Press F5 to run the macro from the module window

7. When finished, in the ‘Visual Basic Editor’, click ‘Close and Return to Microsoft Excel’
located in the ‘File’ menu.

After you have created a macro, you can assign in to an object, graphic or control.

To do this, follow these steps:

1. Right-click the object, graphic or control that you wish to assign an existing macro to

2. Click ‘Assign Macro’

3. In the ‘Macro name’ box, click the macro that you want to assign.

Using macros
There are many existing macros within Excel that are there to make your job a little easier. Just look at
the different shortcuts on your toolbar. These are there to save you having to open a formatting
dialogue box each time you need to alter something.

There are many ways to run a macro that you have created previously; this depends on how you have
assigned it to run. Before starting you will need to ensure that macros are enabled.

You can run a macro by:

 Clicking the ‘Macros’ command button in the ‘Developer’ tab

 Using a CTRL combination shortcut key

 Clicking a button on the Quick Access Toolbar

 Clicking a button in a custom group on the ribbon

 Clicking an area on an object, graphic or control

 Setting it to run automatically when the workbook is

opened.
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Editing macros
To edit a macro, you will need to use the ‘Visual Basic Editor’.

Follow these steps:

1. Click the ‘Developer’ tab

2. In the ‘Code’ group, click ‘Macros’

3. Choose the macro that you wish to edit

4. Click ‘Edit’

5. Make the changes that you want

6. When finished, click ‘Close and Return to Microsoft Excel.

When you no longer use a macro, it can be easily deleted.

To delete a macro, follow these steps:

1. Open the workbook that contains the macro that you want to delete

2. Click the ‘Developer’ tab

3. Click ‘Macros’

4. Choose the macro that you want to delete

5. Click ‘Delete’.

When creating, using and editing macros, you need to ensure that they fulfil the requirements of the
task.
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3.3 – Develop, edit and use templates to ensure consistency of design and
layout for forms and reports, in accordance with organisational requirements

By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

 Identify what a template might include and why.

 Outline the steps needed in order to develop a template

 Create a template for your workplace in line with organisational requirements.

What is a template?
A template is a starting point for any new document; it is preformatted to contain certain things. When
using Excel to create your complex spreadsheets, there are many existing templates available for to use
or to download for free. In order to ensure your organisational requirements are considered and
applied to a template, it may be more appropriate to create your own template. This chapter will look at
how to create your own template for Excel.

Templates may include:

 Font types and sizes

 Forms

 Headers and footers

 Headings

 Page formats

 Reports.

Font types and sizes

Within a template, you are able to set the font types and sizes in accordance with your organisational
requirements. For example, your spreadsheets may be required to use text in size 12 Times New
Roman. You may also need to format your template to have different font types and sizes for headings.

Forms
A form is a file that can be filled in using limited and predefined options. In a spreadsheet, a form can
perform advanced calculations of the data that is entered.

To add the ‘Form’ shortcut onto your toolbar, follow these steps:
1. Right click on the toolbar that you wish to add the ‘Form’ shortcut

2. Click ‘Customise the Ribbon’ (see Image A)

3. In the ‘Choose commands from’ drop-down menu, select ‘All Commands’ (see Image B)

4. Scroll down to find ‘Form’ (see Image C)

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5. In the ‘Customise the Ribbon’ section, add a ‘New Group’ to the tab you want your
shortcut to appear (see Image D)

6. Click ‘Add’ to add ‘Form’ to your ribbon (see Image E)

7. Click ‘OK’.

Image A:

Image B:

Image C:

Image D:

Image E:
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Your ‘Form’ shortcut will appear on your toolbar. See image.

Headers and footers

Headers and footers are used in spreadsheets to provide the reader with useful information.

For example, headers and footers normally include:

 The date and time

 Page numbers

 The file name.

To add a header or footer into your spreadsheet, follow these steps:

7. Click the worksheet that you wish to add a header or footer

8. Click the ‘Insert’ tab

9. Click ‘Header & Footer’

10. Click on the header or footer text box that you wish to use (either on the left, on the
right or in the centre)

11. Choose a predefined header or footer or add your text

12. When you are finished, click anywhere in your spreadsheet to close your header or
footer.

Headings
To enter headings into your spreadsheet, you need to make the text slightly different. For example, for
your headings, you may want to use a bigger font or the bold attribute in order to make them stand out.
The formatting of your headings will need to be in accordance with your organisational requirements.

Page formats
There is a wide range of formatting that you can apply to the pages of your spreadsheets.

For example, you can:

 Change the page orientation

 Set page margins

 Hide or display gridlines

 Hide or display row and column headings

 Set scaling options.

Any formatting that you apply to a spreadsheet should be done so in accordance with your
organisation’s requirements.
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Reports
Reports are documents that contain the data that is for viewing or reading. It can be as simple or as
complex as necessary. A report will not lead the reader to a predefined conclusion; they allow for the
reader to make their own judgement.

All of the elements discussed above can be added into a template for you to use when developing your
complex spreadsheets.

Developing a template
In order to ensure consistency of design and layout for the forms and reports you will be producing, you
may need to develop a template. This should be done so in accordance with your organisational
requirements. This chapter aims to cover how to develop a general template; it is your responsibility to
consider the requirements of your own organisation.

To use an existing template, follow these steps:

1. Click the ‘File’ tab

2. Click ‘New’

3. In the ‘Available Templates’ panel, click ‘Sample Templates’

4. Choose the template that you wish to use

5. Click ‘Create’

6. Customise the template as you wish

7. Save the new template under a new name.

To download a template, follow these steps:

1. Click the ‘File’ tab

2. Click ‘New’

3. Under ‘Office.com Templates’, click the category of template that you wish to
download

4. Once you have chosen your template, select the thumbnail image

5. Click ‘Download’

6. Customise the template as you wish

7. Save the new template under a new name.

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To develop your own template, follow these steps:

1. Create a workbook that you wish to use as a template

2. Click the ‘File’ tab

3. Click ‘Save As’

4. Enter a file name for your template

5. From the ‘Save as type’ drop-down list, select ‘Excel Template’

6. The ‘Templates’ folder will be activated – click ‘Save’.

To create a workbook based on your new template, follow these steps:

1. Click the ‘File’ tab

2. Click ‘New’

3. Click ‘My Templates’

4. Select your desired template

5. Click ‘OK’.

To edit a template, follow these steps:

1. Click the ‘File tab’

2. Click ‘Open’ to open your chosen template

3. Edit the file as you wish

4. Save the file.

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4. Use spreadsheets
4.1. Enter, check and amend data in accordance with organisational and task requirements

4.2. Import and export data between compatible spreadsheets and adjust host documents, in
accordance with software and system procedures

4.3. Use manuals, user documentation and online help to overcome problems with spreadsheet
design and production

4.4. Preview, adjust and print spreadsheet in accordance with organisational and task requirements

4.5. Name and store spreadsheetin accordance with organisational requirements and exit
application without data loss or damage
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4.1 – Enter, check and amend data in accordance with organisational and task
requirements

By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

 Create a spreadsheet, whereby you enter, check and amend data in accordance
with organisational requirements.

Entering data
Before you start entering data, you should plan your spreadsheet.

Ask yourself:
 What is your spreadsheet for?
 What is its purpose?
 What are your goals?
 What questions are you aiming to answer?
 How will the layout be designed?
When you are ready to enter your data, you should think about the best
way to do this.

List structures
Although Excel will allow you to enter data in many different ways, using a list structure can make your
work easier. A list is a rectangular set of cells in your worksheet, usually containing values of a number
of variables for each of many cases. In a list structure, the data for each case are displayed within
different rows of the spreadsheet and the data for each variable are shown in separate columns.
Usually, the first row in the spreadsheet contains the headings; the names of each of the variables. If
your data is too complicated to enter into a single list, then use a combination of lists. Each list that you
use should be stored on a separate sheet within the same workbook.

To enter text or a number into a cell, simply click on your desired cell, type your information then press
Enter. To enter the same data into multiple cells at the same time, highlight the cells that you want to
add the data to, type your required information into the active cell and press Ctrl and Enter.

You can also use the black handle at the bottom, right-hand corner of each cell – just drag it down to
where you want it. This is particularly useful when using months or days in your spreadsheet. If you type
‘Monday’ into a cell and drag the little black handle in the bottom, right-hand corner down to where you
require the days, Excel will do the rest.

For sets of data that you have to enter repeatedly, you can create custom lists.

To create a custom list, follow these steps:

1. Click the ‘File’ tab
2. Click ‘Options’
3. Click ‘Advanced’
 P a g e | 66

4. Scroll down to the ‘General’ section

5. Click ‘Edit Custom Lists’
6. In the ‘Custom lists’ box, click ‘New List’
7. Type your list entries in the ‘List entries’ box (one per line)
8. Click ‘Add’.
When entering data manually, human error is likely. To avoid human error, to save time and to ensure
consistency consider using automation (discussed in Chapter 3.1). You should aim to enter your data
correctly thefirst time; this will avoid problems later and make it easier to use.

When entering data into a spreadsheet, remember:

 Save frequently

 Keep the types of information within columns consistent

 Make sure you back-up

 To use cell references and named ranges in formulas

 Not to use numbers as column headings

 To sort your data.

Checking data
Once you have entered your required data, you will need to check that is correct and in accordance with
your task and organisational requirements.

To check your spreadsheet:

 Compare it to previous work

 Test is with known values

 Put zeros in all of the input cells and check that the output is zero

 Perform dimensional analysis

 Perform sensitivity analysis

 Read your spreadsheet as if you was the intended reader

 Have a colleague read it.

After checking your data, amendments may be necessary. Any amendments that are made should be
done so in accordance with your task and organisational requirements.
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4.2 – Import and export data between compatible spreadsheets and adjust host
documents, in accordance with software and system procedures

By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

 Identify circumstances in which Access might be used to import or export data

 Outline the steps that would be taken to import data from Excel to Access in line
with organisational requirements

 Ensure that host documents are checked and adjusted accordingly.

Importing and exporting data

You may need to import or export data between compatible spreadsheets. If this is the case, this should
be done so in accordance with software and system procedures. Data can be imported or exported from
many other programs, including between compatible spreadsheets in Excel using Microsoft Access.

Access can be used to:

 Transfer data between two other programs

 Combine data that was created in other programs

 Accumulate and store data long-term.

When you open Access,click on the ‘External Data’ tab. You will see the ‘Import and Link’ group
and the ‘Export’ group, both of which allow you to link your spreadsheets to Access.

If you want to import data from a spreadsheet, click the ‘Excel’ button in the ‘Import and Link group’.
This will open up the ‘Get External Data’ wizard, which will then take you through the relevant steps to
ensure your data is imported in the correct format.

Information you might be asked to clarify includes:

 The source of the data

 The exact data you wish to import or link

 The data type of each row/column

 The name of the table.

 P a g e | 68

A similar process will be followed if you wanted to export data from Access into a format you
could open in Excel. You should open the database you want to export information from, and
then click ‘Excel’ under the ‘Export’ group. This will again open up an ‘Export’ wizard that will
take you through the steps to correctly format the data.

For both importing and exporting data using Access, you can establish automation that will
repeat the process if you need to perform the same process again on future spreadsheets. At
the end of each wizard, you should be asked if you want to save the details of the operation.
Tick the ‘save import/export box’, fill in the relevant information and then close ‘Save
Import/Export’.

You will then be able to click on the ‘Saved Imports’ or ‘Saved Exports’ tabs to re-run the operation on
subsequent spreadsheets that take the same format. This can save you time if you have lots of similar
spreadsheets that you would run the same process on.

Adjusting documents
In order to correctly import and export data, you may need to consider:
 Proofreading

 Reformatting

 Split screen (if available).

Proofreading
The action of proofreading can help to detect errors in your spreadsheet. You should proofread any
data that you plan to import or export. This will help prevent one error being repeatedly replicated
 P a g e | 69

when data is imported or exported. You careful double check that there are no spelling errors, and that
all the numerical or formulaic fields are entered correctly.

Tips to help you proofread:

 Make sure you know what you are looking for

 Read out loud

 Work in a way that suits you.

Reformatting
When importing or exporting data between compatible spreadsheets, you may need to reformat your
data to keep it in accordance with organisational and task requirements. As discussed in Chapter 2.3,
the formatting of cells within your spreadsheet involves changing the way that the cell data appears
within the spreadsheet. To format cells within your spreadsheet, you will start with the ‘Format Cells’
dialogue box. You can get to this dialogue box by right-clicking on the cell(s) that you wish to format and
choosing ‘Format Cells’.

Split screen
The split screen option can be helpful when importing and exporting data between compatible
spreadsheets as it allows information to be moved or copied between areas easily. To find out how to
apply the split screen option, refer to Chapter 2.1.

Any adjustments made to your host documents should be in accordance with software and system
procedures.
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4.3 – Use manuals, user documentation and online help to overcome problems
with spreadsheet design and production
By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:
 Explain what is meant by a manual, user documentation and online help:

o identify the type of information included

o the benefits of each

o an example of when you have used each in the past.

Overcoming problems with spreadsheet design and production

When developing complex spreadsheets, you may come across problems with the designing and
production process. These can often be overcome by using manuals, user documentation or online help.

Manuals
Manuals are documents that intend to give assistance to a person who is using a particular system. They
are often written documents that use accompanying images or diagrams (e.g. screen shots). Manuals
aim to use language that the user will understand and they use jargon minimally. If the use of jargon is
necessary, it is usually thoroughly explained. Manuals can usually be found as a hardcopy or as a digital
copy on the internet, stored on your computer or stored on CD or DVD.

The things that a manual may include are:

 A cover page, a title page and a copyright page

 Frequently asked questions

 Where to find further help, including contact details

 Information on how to navigate through manual

 A troubleshooting section

 A glossary and/or index.

User documentation
Documentation is the information that is provided to help you use a particular program, including
technical manuals and online information. Although manuals are the most common form of
documentation, there is a wide variety of forms that they come in. User documentation is a valuable
tool for on-the-job training and can range from Installation guides to How-to guides and Administrator
guides.

User documentation is often divided into categories, for example:

 Installation

 Reference
 P a g e | 71

 Tutorial.

User documentation should:

 Use current terminology

 Contain a list of error codes

 Use clear descriptions

 Operate as stated

 Be consistent

 Include relevant references

 Document any differences within program versions.

Online help
There is a wide range of help available online too. A simple search on the internet will provide you with
almost anything that you need. Online help is often topic-orientated and delivered through some form
of computer software. Most online help provides assistance and can present information surrounding a
broad range of topics.

By using an outsourced technical documentation, you can ensure specific knowledge on the particular
issue. Although it can be costly, you only pay for the time that you use.

The advantages of using outsourced technical documentation include:

 Time saving

 High quality

 Good expertise

 Flexible.
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4.4 – Preview, adjust and print spreadsheet in accordance with organisational

and task requirements

By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

 Explain the steps you would take to:

o print several workbooks at once

o print selected data within a worksheet

o adjust where a chart will be printed on a page.

Preview and print

Before printing your completed spreadsheet, you will need to preview it and make any necessary
amendments.

To preview a Microsoft Excel document, follow these steps:

1. Click the ‘File’ tab

2. Click the ‘Print’ option

3. Your preview will appear at the right of your screen.

From this, you can assess your spreadsheet and ensure that is in accordance with any relevant
organisational and task requirements. If necessary, amendments should be made. When any
amendments to your spreadsheet have been completed, reviewed and previewed, it is then time to
print. The way that you print your spreadsheet should also be in accordance with any relevant
organisational and task requirements.

Printing may include:

 Charts

 Entire workbooks

 Selected data within a worksheet

 Worksheets.

Printing charts
You can print your chart with or without the worksheet data.

Before you print, you can adjust where your chart will be printed on the page using the ‘Page Layout’
option.
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To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click the workbook that contains that chart that you wish to print

2. Click the ‘View’ tab

3. In the ‘Workbook Views’ group, click ‘Page Layout’

4. Drag your chart to the location you desire

5. Resize the chart to suit your requirements.

To print your chart with worksheet data, follow these steps:

1. Click the worksheet that contains the chart that you wish to print

2. Click the ‘File’ tab

3. Click ‘Print’

4. You can preview how your chart will look on the printed page.

To print your chart without worksheet data, follow these steps:

1. Click the chart that you wish to print

2. Click the ‘File’ tab

3. Click ‘Print’

4. You can preview how your chart will look on the printed page.

Printing entire workbooks

To print a workbook, follow these steps:
1. Click any of the worksheets in your workbook

2. Click the ‘File’ tab

3. Click ‘Print’

4. Select ‘Print Entire Workbook’ option

5. Click ‘Print’.

To print several workbooks at once, follow these steps:

1. Ensure that all the workbooks that you want to print are in the same folder

2. In excel, click the ‘File’ tab

3. Click ‘Open’

4. Hold down Ctrl whilst selecting each workbook that you want to print

5. Right-click your selection and click ‘Print’.

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Printing selected data within a worksheet

To print a selection of data within a worksheet, follow these steps:
1. Click the worksheet that contains the selection of data that you wish to print

2. Select the range of data that you require

3. Click the ‘File’ tab

4. Click ‘Print’

5. Select ‘Print the Selection’ option

6. Click ‘Print’.

Printing worksheets
To print a worksheet, follow these steps:
1. Click the worksheet that you wish to print

2. Click the ‘File’ tab

3. Click ‘Print’

4. Select the ‘Print the Active Sheets’ option

5. Click ‘Print’.

To print several worksheets at once, follow these steps:

1. Select the worksheets that you wish to print, holding Ctrl as you do so

2. Click the ‘File’ tab

3. Click ‘Print’

4. Check your settings and click ‘Print’.

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4.5 – Name and store spreadsheet in accordance with organisational

requirements and exit application without data loss or damage

By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

 Identify what to keep in mind when naming spreadsheets

 Identify what to keep in mind when storing spreadsheets

 Explain your organisation’s policies regarding naming and storing spreadsheets.

Naming documents
Naming your spreadsheets appropriately will help in the future when you or others need to relocate
them. Each of your spreadsheet names should be clearly different and sorted into the correct order. If
necessary, use the date within the names of your spreadsheets. Your organisation may have a system in
place for naming your documents; make yourself familiar with it. You need to be able to find your
spreadsheet again so don’t worry if the name looks too long. For example, ‘spreadsheet’ is just not
going to cut it. Whichever naming system you decide on, ensure that you are consistent from then on.

File name extensions

The extension of a file name is the set of characters that is added to the end of a file name. This
extension determines which program should be used to open the document. For example, myfile.txt has
the extension ‘txt’. This indicates that this file can be opened with programs that are associated with
that extension (e.g. Notepad or WordPad).

Tips when naming your documents include:

 Use keywords

 Use your name or initials

 Use date

 Use alphabetic codes

 Use version numbers

 Use descriptors

 Use underscores

 Use common names

 Be detailed

 Be consistent.
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Storing documents
The efficient storage of your documents is necessary. You should have a good filing system that is
relevant to your own needs or your organisational requirements. Whichever storage method you decide
to use; be consistent. Remember to keep your document files separate from your program files; this will
eliminate any accidental deletions.

Tips when storing your documents include:

 Store similar documents together

 Don’t save unnecessary documents

 Avoid large folder structures

 Use shortcuts rather than having multiple copies

 Colour code your folders

 Think about storing documents online

 Make sure that the documents that you use every day can be accessed easily.

Locating files
You should take advantage of the folders within your computer (e.g. my documents and my library). You
can customise these files and add new folders to make it easier to locate your files. Using the ‘Start’ bar
or ‘Windows Explorer,’ you can search for the file that you need.In Microsoft Word, under the ‘File’ tab,
the ‘Recent’ tab holds all the recent documents that you have been working on, making it easier for you
to find them.

You can move files or folders to the appropriate locations by ‘cutting and pasting’ or ‘clicking and
dragging’.

Naming and storing spreadsheets may include:

 Authorised access

 File naming conventions

 Filing locations

 Organisational policy for backing up files

 Organisational policy for filing hard copies of

 Security

 Storage in folders and sub-folders

 Storage on disk drives, CD-ROM, USB, tape back-up, server.

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Issues when naming and storing documents that often arise may include:
 Too many characters (file names can only be up to 260 characters)

 Restricted characters (<> ? \ / ; * are all characters that cannot be used in file names)

 Compatibility issues.

Remember to:
 Regularly back your files up

 Use passwords if necessary

 Follow organisational policies when storing hard copies.

Exiting without information loss or damage

Whilst working on your spreadsheet, remember to save – often. This will help you to minimise the
chance of any information being lost or damaged.

To save a document, either:

 Press Ctrl and S together

 Click the ‘File’ tab and click ‘Save’ or ‘Save as’

 Click the save icon across the top of your document (see image).

Once you know that you have saved your spreadsheet, you can then close it. If your spreadsheet does
close without saving, you may find that your program recovers the unsaved version.

Damage to a document
Damage to a document usually involves a file corruption or a virus; you should close applications
properly to minimise the chance of these occurring. If Windows determines a program holds a security
risk, then it will close it and notify you of the risk. If this does occur, it is usually because that program
uses your computer’s Random Access Memory (RAM) in a way that may be exploited by a virus. A virus
can be harming to your computer. Data Execution Prevention (DEP) is a security feature that Windows
uses to track how the programs within your computer use memory. If this feature identifies that the
memory is being used incorrectly, it will close the program and notify you. You can add programs that
you trust to an exception list to stop this feature from closing it, but you should be sure.

If compatibility issues between documents occur and Windows closes a program, this could be due to
the possibility that the program may damage Windows if it is allowed to run.
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5. Represent numerical data in graphic form

5.1. Determine style of graph to meet specified requirements and manipulate spreadsheet data if
necessary to suit graph requirements

5.2. Create graphs with labels and titles from numerical data contained in a spreadsheet file

5.3. Save, view and print graph within designated timelines

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5.1 – Determine style of graph to meet specified requirements and manipulate

spreadsheet data if necessary to suit graph requirements

By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

 Identify different types of graph

 Explain in what circumstances different graphs should be used

 Draw an example of different types of graph.

Determining style of graph

Once all your data is entered into your spreadsheet, you may be required to represent this data in
graphical form. The style of graph that you choose will depend on your specified requirements, along
with what you are trying to analyse and report.

In general, graphs are used to understand one or all of the following:

 Relationship among data

 Overlapping of data

 Composition of data

 Comparison of data

 Type of data

 Distribution of data.

There are many different types of graphs, including:

 Bar

 Line

 Pie

 Scatter

 Stack

 3D.

Bar graphs
Bar charts can be used when:
 The axis labels are too long to fit in column chart

 You want to show ‘how much’

 Two or more variables that have the same unit of measurement are being compared
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 You want to show maximum and minimum values.

Example bar chart:

Example 3

Example 2

Example 1

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16

Line graphs
Line graphs can be used when:
 You want to show ‘how much’ has changed over a long period of time

 You want to show data trends (especially over a long period of time)

 You have too many data points to plot on a bar chart.

Example line graph:

120

100

80

60

40

20

0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Pie charts
Pie charts can be used when:
 You are summarising qualitative data

 You have less than five data points

 Your data points represent the parts of the whole pie

 You only have one data series.

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Example pie chart:

Scatter graphs
Scatter graphs can be used when:
 You are analysing two variables that depend on each other

 You are analysing the correlations or relationships between two variables

 You are trying to show ‘why’.

Example scatter graph:

120
100
80
60
40
20
0
5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Stack graphs
A stack graph can be used when:
 You want to look at changes over timeacross several variables

 The sum of the values is as important as the individual items

 You want to show multiple values for individual categories

 You want to show the full scale of survey responses

 You are showing the breakdown of data into its constituents.

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Example stack graph:

140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

3D graphs
A 3D graph can be used when:
 You want to look professional

 You want to enhance processing speeds or recall

 You want to capture attention.

Example 3D graph:

70
60
50
40 2012
30 2013
20 2014
10
2014
0
Mar Jun 2012
Sep Dec

When introducing 3D graphs to your work, do so with caution; they can sometimes be difficult to
interpret.

Whichever graph you choose to use, if necessary, you may need to manipulate your spreadsheet data to
suit your chosen graph’s requirements.

Chapter 5.2 will look at how to create graphs to represent the data within your spreadsheet.
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5.2 – Create graphs with labels and titles from numerical data contained in a
spreadsheet file

By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

 Explain the steps needed to create a graph

 Explain how to add a title to a graph

 Explain how to add axis titles to a graph

 Create an example graph using simple data.

Creating graphs
Creating graphs may include:
 Data range

 Keys and legends

 Labels and titles

 Naming

 Sizing (if possible)

 Using graph menu

 X and Y axis.

Regardless of the type of chart you need to insert, the basic procedure is the same.

To insert a chart, follow these steps:

1. Select the cells that contain the data that you wish to represent in a chart

2. Click the ‘Insert’ tab

3. In the ‘Chart’ group, choose your chart type or open the ‘Insert Chart’ dialogue box in
the bottom right-hand corner of the group (see image)

4. Choose your chart sub-type

5. Once inserted, you can add text boxes (headings and labels) using the ‘Chart Tools’ tabs
(see image).
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Once inserted, any changes that you make to your data will automatically apply to your graph too.

To add a title to your graph, follow these steps:

1. Click your graph to open the ‘Chart Tools’ tab
2. Click the ‘Layout’ tab
3. In the ‘Labels’ group, click ‘Chart Title’
4. Choose ‘Above Chart’ or ‘Centred Overlay Title’
5. Type your title into the text box that appears and format as you wish.

To add axis titles to your graph, follow these steps:

1. Click your graph to open the ‘Chart Tools’ tab
2. Click the ‘Layout’ tab
3. In the ‘Labels’ group, click ‘Axis Titles’
4. Select the axis title that you wish to add
5. Type your axis title in the text box that appears and format as you wish.
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To link your axis titles to text within your worksheet, follow these steps:
1. Click the axis title text box that you want to add worksheet text into
2. On your worksheet, click inside the formula bar
3. Type an equal sign (=) and select the cell that contains the text that you want to use
4. Press Enter.
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5.3 – Save, view and print graph within designated timelines

By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

 Identify ways to save a graph

 Explain how to print a graph with and without worksheet data

 Outline time management tips and apply these to your own role in the workplace.

Saving, viewing and printing graphs

To save a graph, either:
 Press Ctrl and S together

 Click the ‘File’ tab and click ‘Save’ or ‘Save as’

 Click the save icon across the top of your document (see image).

To print your graph with worksheet data, follow these steps:

1. Click the worksheet that contains the graph that you wish to print

2. Click the ‘File’ tab

3. Click ‘Print’

4. You can preview how your chart will look on the printed page.

To print your graph without worksheet data, follow these steps:

1. Click the graph that you wish to print

2. Click the ‘File’ tab

3. Click ‘Print’

4. You can preview how your chart will look on the printed page.

Your graphs should be saved, viewed and printed within the designated timelines.

Timelines
Timelines are where key planned events and tasks are marked in the required sequence of their
occurrence on a suitable scale. You need to ensure that the graph you are producing is printed within
the designated timelines of your organisation.

Time management
In order to keep to your designated timeline, it is beneficial to have good
time management skills. This involves consciously planning and exercising
control over your time and how you use it. For example, in order to
increase efficiency and effectiveness when developing and using your
complex spreadsheets, you should plan the amount of time you need to
spend on individual activities.
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Good time management tips may include:

 Recording your deadlines

 Prioritising your tasks

 Keeping track of your progress

 Knowing how to deal with possible problems that may arise.

Recording your deadlines

It essential that you know your deadlines prior to starting a task (e.g. developing a complex
spreadsheet), as this allows for the careful planning of your activities. Plan using diaries, schedules or
memos; whatever works best for you.

Prioritising your tasks

To make sure you use your time in the most efficient way possible, it is essential that you prioritise your
tasks. The act of prioritising your tasks allows for the most valuable use of your time. A key thing to
remember is to not spend too much time on tasks that are not as important as the other tasks. Make to-
do lists and set mini-deadlines to help keep you on track.

Keeping track of your progress

Use the diaries, schedules or memos that you have created to keep an eye on your
progress. Are you hitting the deadlines you have given yourself? Should you be doing
something differently? You need to check throughout the process that you are on
target to meet the final deadline and assess your methods if not.

Knowing how to deal with possible problems that may arise

In order to stick to your plan and timelines, you need to know how to deal with
potential problems before they occur. When a problem does occur and you don’t feel
you are able to deal with it; don’t dwell on it! Don’t waste any time; just simply refer
to someone who will know. This will keep you on track to meet your deadline.
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Summative Assessments
At the end of your Learner Workbook, you will find the Summative Assessments.

This includes:

 Skills Activity

 Knowledge Activity

 Performance Activity.

This holistically assesses your understanding and application of the skills, knowledge and performance
requirements for this unit. Once this is completed, you will have finished this unit and be ready to move
onto the next one – well done!
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References

These suggested references are for further reading and do not necessarily represent the contents of
this unit.

Websites

Basic financial functions:https://support.office.com/en-au/article/Financial-functions-reference-

5157fee4-8a47-46c2-ba00-467b31d721eb%5C

Ergonomics image:http://www.ergonomics-info.com/office-computer-ergonomics.html.

International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA): http://www.irpa.net/

Pivot Tables:http://www.excel-easy.com/data-analysis/pivot-tables.html

Safe Work Australia:www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au.

The Privacy Act:http://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-act/the-privacy-act

The Privacy Amendment Act:http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/C2012A00197

Calculating percentages: http://blogs.office.com/2011/08/02/how-to-do-percentages-in-excel/

All references accessed on and correct as of 02/05/17, unless other otherwise stated.