This document provides an overview of Excel tips and tricks for joining, summarizing, extracting, and organizing data. It covers combining data from different sources using functions like VLOOKUP, INDEX & MATCH, and CONCATENATE. It also discusses splitting and selecting data using TEXT TO COLUMNS, LEFT, MID, RIGHT functions and the GoTo menu. Methods for summarizing and analyzing data with SUMIFS, COUNTIFS, and pivot tables are presented. Finally, the IFERROR function is introduced for error checking formulas.

1. Excel Tips and Tricks
A practical guide on methods to join, summarize, extract,
and organize data.

2. Presenter Info
Benjamin Martinez, CPA
• Director of Internal Audit – CNM
• 16+ Years of Governmental Audit Experience
• Secretary – Albuquerque Chapter of AGA

3. Excel Tips and Tricks
Learning Objectives
• Brief Excel Overview
• Combining Data from Different Sources
• Data Splitting and Selection
• Summarizing & Analyzing Data
• Error Checking Formulas

4. Excel Basics
Excel basic concepts to understand
• Formula Bar
• Dynamic References (A1)
• Change cells referenced in formulas when pasting formula to another
cell.
• Static References ($A$1, $A1, A$1, $A$1:$B$10)
• Maintain cell, column, row, or range reference static when pasting a
formula to another cell.
• Range References (A1:B10, A:A, 1:1)
• Can be a range of rows & columns, entire row(s), or entire column(s).

5. Combining Data
Relevant Functions
• Combining data from multiple sources into one table:
• VLOOKUP
• INDEX & MATCH
• Combining multiple cells into one cell:
• CONCATENATE

6. Which to Use?
VLOOKUP vs. INDEX & MATCH
• VLOOKUP
• Easier to set up and replicate/adjust
• Requires matching column to be first column of data
• INDEX & MATCH
• More dynamic ability to match
• Does not require specific order of columns
• Can be set up to search for rows and columns

7. VLOOKUP
Use: Finding matching data in a table and returning a value from a specified column.
• Format: =VLOOKUP(Lookup Value, Table, Column, Range Lookup)
• Lookup Value: The value you are trying to match (i.e. Employee Name/Number)
• Table: Columns and Rows to be searched. Can be entire columns or ranges of rows and columns.
• Column: The column from which to return the matching value.
• Range Lookup: True (Exact Match) or False (Approximate Match)
• Practical Demonstration
• Related: HLOOKUP works similarly for documents that are set up horizontally.

8. INDEX & MATCH
Use: Combined to find matching data in a column, return the row
associated with the data, and return a corresponding value.
• This combination of functions has more flexible searching ability than VLOOKUP, as
it does not require that the value to be matched be in the first column searched.
• MATCH function returns the row value utilized by INDEX function to return the
contents of the associated cell.

9. MATCH
Use: Searches for a specified item in a range of cells and returns the relative position
(row) of the item.
• When used with INDEX, it returns the row value that INDEX requires to locate the desired data.
• Format: =MATCH(Lookup Value, Table, Match Type)
• Lookup Value: The value you are trying to match (i.e. Employee Name/Number)
• Table: Column and Rows to be searched. Can be entire column or a range of rows in a single
column.
• Match Type: 1 (largest value >= Lookup Value), 0 (exact match), -1 (smallest value >= Lookup
Value).
• For Match Type 1 the Table must be sorted in ascending order.
• For Match Type -1 the Table must be sorted in descending order.
• Practical Demonstration

10. INDEX
Use: Returns the value of an element in a table selected using the row and
column (Array Form).
• Format: =INDEX(Array, Row Number, Column Number)
• Array: The Columns and Rows to be searched. Can be entire columns/rows or
ranges of rows and columns.
• Row Number: The Row of the Array element desired.
• Column Number: The Column of the Array element desired.
• Note: The INDEX function can be utilized with only 1 of the 2 elements.
• MATCH often utilized in the Row Number and/or Column Number inputs.
• Practical Demonstration

11. CONCATENATE
Use: Combines multiple source cells and data input into a single cell.
• Format: =CONCATENATE(Text 1, Text 2, Text 3, [repeats until Excel limit reached])
• Text X – Can be numbers, text or spaces (in quotes), or cell references
• If combining a small number of cells, the ampersand (&) can be used similarly to the
concatenate function.
• Text or spaces added in this way should be in quotes
• Numbers added in this way do not need to be in quotes
• CONCATENATE is being replaced in newer Excel versions by CONCAT
• Practical Demonstration

12. Data Splitting & Selection
Splitting data from one cell into multiple cells
• Text to Columns Function (Delimited, Fixed Width)
Extracting data from within a cell into a new cell
• LEFT Function
• MID Function
• RIGHT Function
Selecting Specific Cells (useful for pasting formulas & data filling or copying specific
information)
• GoTo Menu
• Blank Cells
• Visible Cells Only

13. Text To Columns
Text to Columns is a Wizard found in the Data tab in Excel
• Fixed Width
• Useful with uniform data (i.e. account numbers, phone numbers, etc.) which
have the same number of characters and format.
• Separator lines are placed during the Text to Columns Wizard.
• Delimited
• Splits data using delimiters selected.
• Tab, semicolon, comma, space, other (user selected).
• Output format can be selected during wizard (including skipping columns).
• Practical Demonstration

14. Functions to Extract Data from Cells
Use: Extracts data from cells based on Formulas below.
• Format: =LEFT(Text, # of Characters)
• Text – Can be text or cell reference
• # of Characters – Defaults to 1 character if omitted, starts from the leftmost character.
• Format: =MID(Text, Starting Character, # of Characters)
• Text – Can be text or cell reference
• Starting Character – The character to begin extraction
• # of Characters – Defaults to 1 character if omitted, starts from the Starting Character.
• Format: =RIGHT(Text, # of Characters)
• Text – Can be text or cell reference
• # of Characters – Defaults to 1 character if omitted, starts from the rightmost character.
• Practical Demonstration

15. Data Selection
Selecting Specific Cells (useful for pasting formulas & data filling or copying specific
information)
• GoTo Menu
• Blank Cells
• Useful for filling in data
• Practical Demonstration
• Visible Cells Only
• Useful for Copying Data
• Useful when Rows are hidden (i.e. when subtotaled)
• Practical Demonstration

16. Summarizing & Analyzing Data
Summarizing data based on multiple columns instead of just a single Subtotal
• SUMIFS Function
• Sums amounts based on multiple criteria or a single criterion.
• COUNTIFS Function
• Counts the number of items based on multiple criteria or a single criterion
• Practical Demonstration
• Pivot Tables an also be utilized to Summarize & Analyze data.

17. Error Checking
Checks for Errors in Formulas that can be diagnosed instead of just returning a #N/A
by Excel.
• Format: =IFERROR(Value, Error Value)
• Value – This is the formula you want to test for errors.
• Error Value – This is what will be returned. (i.e. “Missing Employee”)
• When combined with an IF function, it can return the Error Value or the result of
the Formula. Useful combined with VLOOKUP and INDEX & MATCH functions.
• Practical Demonstration

18. Questions?

19. Thank You!
Benjamin A Martinez, CPA
Director of Internal Audit
Central New Mexico Community College
bmartinez312@cnm.edu
Phone: 505-224-3000 Ext. 54548