Summary Business Decision Modelling Learning Unit 2

Learning Unit 2
Navigating a Spreadsheet
 Excel = main tool to work with business data
 Purpose: capture, organise, and process data into information
 Rows = numbered horizontally
 Columns = lettered vertically
 Cell = intersection of a row and column
 Each of the blocks that we can enter data into
 The column number is always first, followed by the row number e.g., A1


Capturing Data in Excel
 Type numbers, text, or dates into cells
 Enter directly into a cell or via formula bar
 Tab → move right; Enter → move down
 Excel suggests repeated entries (auto-complete)
 Good practice: give your sheet a useful name


Moving Around Quickly
 Useful shortcuts:
 Ctrl + Home → cell A1
 Ctrl + → / ↓ → last column and row that has data
 Ctrl + ← / ↑ → move back
 Scrollbars move view without changing selection
 Freeze Panes (View → Freeze Top Row) keeps headings visible when scrolling


Selecting Ranges
 Select ranges with mouse (drag) or keyboard (Shift + arrows)
 Range notation: e.g., A1:E4
 Select entire row/column by clicking heading
 Select non-adjacent cells: Ctrl + click


Moving & Deleting Data
 Cut & paste (Ctrl + X, Ctrl + V) or drag-and-drop
 Move whole row/column by dragging while holding down Shift
 Delete key → clears content only
 Right-click row/column header → Delete entire row/column
 Right-click row/column header → Insert row/column


Formatting Data
 Makes your data easy to read
 Resize columns/rows manually or use auto-fit (double-click border)
 Formatting options (Home tab):
 Font, size, bold, italics, underline
 Alignments, wrap text, merge & center
 Number formatting (decimals, %, dates, currency depending on locale)
 Keep formatting clear, consistent, and professional:
 Headings = bold & coloured
 Data rows = uniform style