u.s. business internship program for young middle eastern ...pecklund/mepi/...summer internship....

U.S. Business Internship Program for Young Middle Eastern Women

Optional Business Computer Skills Review 2005

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Introduction

Introduction Who is this workshop for? Many of you participating in the U.S. Business Internship Program for Young Middle Eastern Women have very strong technical backgrounds and undoubtedly strong business computing skills. However, a number of you have indicated that you have less proficiency in this area. This workshop is meant to appeal both to the experienced and the less experienced. The aim of the workshop is to review a select set of the tools and techniques most useful in business analysis and presentation PC-based software. If you already are an expert and choose to attend, perhaps you will pick up a few tips. If you are unfamiliar with the material, I hope to show you how exciting and useful it might be for you in your internship. What software is used? The three computing tools described in this pre-reading packet involve two of the most commonly-used PC-based business computing tools: The electronic spreadsheet (specifically Microsoft Excel) and the electronic graphics presentation application (specifically Microsoft PowerPoint). What is the workshop focus? The focus of this optional is on these three topics:

The Excel Data Table, Scenario Manager, and Solver tools The Excel Pivot Table tool Non-Sequential Techniques in PowerPoint

What is the purpose of this handout? This handout is provided to you as an introduction to the topics we will cover in our workshop meeting. Although reviewing the handout is not a prerequisite to getting value from attending the workshop, you might find it helpful to have an advance view of the workshop topics. In addition, this handout covers some of the topics in more detail than we will cover them in the workshop, for those who are interested in exploring further on their own. Do I need to bring a computer to the workshop?It is not necessary to bring a computer to our workshop. In the time we have our primary focus will be on demonstrating and discussing the selected software tools and techniques.

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Introduction

Topic 1: An Introduction to the Data Table Data Tables are among the most useful of Excel’s tools for analyzing data in spreadsheet models. Some spreadsheet users shy away from using Data Tables because they don’t understand how Data Tables work or how to create them. In fact, Data Tables are simple to construct and use and are well worth the effort to learn. The XerTech example used in this document to illustrate the application of the Data Table is drawn from a text used frequently in Fuqua’s Decision Models course: “Introductory Management Science: Decision Modeling with Spreadsheets”, by Epson, Gould, Schmidt, Moore, and Weatherford, 5th edition. The Solver is a powerful Excel add-in for forecasting that can greatly speed model analysis. The Scenario Manager is an easy-to-use tool often employed once model analyses with tools like the Data Table and Solver are complete.

Should you want to get a copy of the XerTech Exercise.xls workbook described in this handout, download it from this web page: http://faculty.fuqua.duke.edu/~pecklund/MEPI/

Topic 2: An Introduction to the Pivot Table

Excel’s Pivot Table is one of the most useful tools for managing large quantities of data in Excel list (database) format. Analyses that previously were time-consuming and tedious are often quickly and easily accomplished when data is analyzed in a Pivot Table. Duke Fuqua MBA students consistently rank the Excel Pivot Table as the all-around most useful Excel tool they learn.

Should you want to obtain a copy of a sample Excel workbook with Pivot Tables, download it from this web page: http://faculty.fuqua.duke.edu/~pecklund/MEPI/

Topic 3: Non-Sequential Techniques in PowerPoint

PowerPoint seems ubiquitous in business meetings and is often a very useful tool for graphically conveying information and structuring a presentation. Many users, however, don’t realize that PowerPoint presentations need not be sequential. Instead, they can be built to accommodate on-the-fly presentation needs.

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Student Comments

Duke Fuqua MBA Student Comments You may be interested to read some comments from Duke Fuqua MBA students about their use of computing tools in internships and on their first post-MBA jobs.

I interned in brand management for the summer and Excel’s database features were the ones I used extensively on a daily basis. Raj Jain, MBA 2004

I'm 4 months into my job in finance with CSX Corp., one of the major U.S. freight railroads. A big part of what our department does

involves filtering through lots of data and summarizing it. We have heavy-duty Business Intelligence software which is nice for pulling

down big chunks of data, but what everyone uses for fast answers is Excel. This week I was trying to pin down some numbers and spent hours instead of days because I knew how to navigate around big

spreadsheets.

Andres Jokisch, MBA 2004

I had a background in programming prior to business school but I still learned quite a few new things in Excel that I hadn't used before. Marla McClure, MBA 2004

Now that I have successfully completed my internship, I realize the immense value in learning how to manipulate data

in Excel and present it effectively in PowerPoint.

Gary Lin, MBA 2005

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Student Comments

The Pivot Table skills I picked up are absolutely invaluable in my summer internship. I’m analyzing a sales database using Excel and I would be beating myself in the head with simple math functions by now without Pivot Tables. They really saved me! Tera Ferguson, MBA 2003

I learned enough Excel at Fuqua to take a number of finance courses that required advanced Excel spreadsheet modeling. I put many of my

newly acquired Excel skills to work during my summer internship in media strategy.

Dhanusha Sivajee, MBA 2004

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Contents

Contents

Page The Excel Data Table Introduction ....................................................................................... 1 The One-Variable Data Table: Basics Notes on Creating a One-Variable Data Table ....................... 2 Practice Creating a One-Variable Data Table ........................ 3 The One-Variable Data Table: Modifications and Refinements Modifying the One-Variable Data Table.................................. 8 Making the One-Variable Data Table More Powerful by Adding Formulas......................................................... 9 Data Table Formatting Note ................................................... 9 An Extension: Create Scenarios for Key Values .................... 11 The Two-Variable Data Table ........................................................... 15 Graphing the Results of a Data Table Analysis................................. 16 Excel’s Solver Add-In A quick introduction ................................................................ 23 The Excel Pivot Table: Introduction by Example A Practical Introduction ..................................................................... 38 Compare Your Sales People............................................................. 38 Compare Your Products.................................................................... 42 Compare Orders ............................................................................... 46 Compare Customers ......................................................................... 48 PowerPoint Presentation Graphics Tips for developing non-sequential presentations ............................. 51

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Contents

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The Excel Data Table

The Excel Data Table Also Charting Notes

The Scenario Manager Excel’s Solver Add-In

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Introduction Data Tables are a tool used frequently in Excel models to track how small changes in inputs affect the results of formulas in your model that are dependent on those inputs. For example, you might be interested in knowing how changes in the price your firm charges for an item affect the firm’s net income. An analysis of this sort is often termed “sensitivity analysis”.

Excel has two varieties of Data Table:

The One-Variable Data Table The Two-Variable Data Table

Both varieties work in a similar fashion. You identify one or two key input variables in your model and describe the range of values you want those inputs to take on. Then you identify one or more formulas in your model that are dependent on those inputs. When you execute the Data Table command, Excel then iterates through a process of executing each formula you’ve identified, substituting in each formula each one of the values you’ve identified for the key input variables, and recording how the value changes change the results of the formulas.

The One-Variable Data Table allows identification of a single input variable but an unlimited number of formulas. The Two-Variable Data Table allows identification of two input variables but only a single formula. The layout of your Data Tables is important and must follow Excel’s rules for Data Tables.

Advantages to using a Data Table include:

The ability to use an unlimited number of values as inputs to one or more key formulas in your model.

Having the Data Table generate outputs in a condensed matrix, making it easy to see all the possibilities you want to focus on and compare them.

The option to select the most viable or interesting result values as inputs into Excel’s Scenario Manager, if you want to focus on a handful of particular scenarios for a presentation or an archive.

Adjuncts and/or alternatives to using a data table:

Entering inputs by hand one at a time and keeping manual track of the results or saving the results on a separate worksheet (tedious work perhaps resulting in hundreds of worksheets).

Using Excel’s Solver and its Sensitivity Report.

The rest of this section discusses how to construct and execute Excel Data Tables, how to use the Scenario Manager to showcase specific Data Table results, and how you might chart Data Table results.

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The One-Variable Data Table: Basics The One-Variable Data Table allows you to identify a single decision variable in your model and see how changing the values for that variable affect the values calculated by one or more formulas in your model. Notes on Creating a One-Variable Data Table Excel’s online help instructions for creation appear below. You’ll most often see a Data Table’s input values listed down the left-most column of

the Table (instead of across the top row). The layout of your data table must conform to Excel’s rules for data tables. Non-

conformance is the most common reason for having a problem generating a data table.

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Practice Creating a One-Variable Data Table For this exercise, start with a copy of the XerTechExercise.xls workbook. (Download this workbook from the web page http://faculty.fuqua.duke.edu/~pecklund/MEPI.) The first worksheet in the workbook looks like this:

First, enter the formulas required to complete this spreadsheet model. (We’ll track the results of these formulas with a Data Table.) The locations of these formulas are indicated in the worksheet by grayed cell backgrounds.

Formulas to use: Cell B7 Fixed Expense per Copier is a sum of the three costs in B4:B6. Cell B12 Revenue = Number of Copiers Leased X Copies/Month/Copier

multiplied by Price Charged per Copy Cell B13 Cost of Goods Sold = Number of Copiers Leased multiplied by

Copies/Month/Copier X Variable Cost per Copy Cell B14 Contribution Margin = Revenue minus Cost of Goods Sold Cell B15 General & Admin. Costs = Number of Copiers Leased multiplied

by the sum of the Fixed Expense per Copier and the Space Rental Rate.

Cell B16 Net Income = Contribution Margin minus General & Admin. Costs.

The Margin per Copy calculation in E7 (Price Charged minus Variable Cost) is completed in the worksheet for you.

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http://faculty.fuqua.duke.edu/~pecklund/MEPI


When you’ve completed entering the formulas as specified above, your worksheet should look like this:

The Net Income figure in Cell B16 is a key value in this model. You probably want to maximize it. You may wonder how copy volumes affect Net Income. Try changing the value in Cell B11 (Copies/Month/Copier) to see the affect on Net Income. For example, change the value from 30,000 to 45,000. Net Income changes to $16,600.

Or, change the Copies/Month/Copier value to 65,000 or some other number to see a different effect on Net Income. What if you want to see the effect on Net Income for 10 different values for Copy/Month/Copier volume? How about 100 different values? Or 1000?

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Constructing a One-Variable Data Table will allow you to quickly see how sensitive the Net Income value is to changes in copy volume. To build a simple One-Variable Data Table:

1. Start in a blank area of your worksheet to the right of your Monthly data (Cell E11). Enter values down that column for copy volumes (Copies/Month/Copier) ranging from 24,000 to 44,000. These are your Data Table input values.

2. You want to track how changes in copy volumes affect Net Income. So in the cell to the right of the top value in your input column and one row above it, enter the Net Income formula from your model. To do this you can either type in the formula (=B14-B15) or refer to the cell in your model that already contains the formula (=B16). The value that appears in this cell should be $4,600.

3. Drag over the cells to the right of the input value and below

the formula so the entire matrix appears in reverse video. Your selection should include both the column of inputs and the cells to their immediate right as well as the formula at the top and the empty cell to its left.

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4. To begin execution of the Data Table, choose Data, Table from Excel’s menus. Excel displays the “Table” dialog with prompts both for a Row input cell and a Column input cell.

With a One-Variable Data Table we have only a single input so we supply only one value in the “Table” dialog1. And because our input values are arranged in a column, we supply a value for the “Column input cell”.2 What should we enter for “Column input cell”? To understand what’s required here, understand that when we execute the Data Table, the Data Table will run through as many iterations of our model as we have input values. On each iteration, the Data Table will substitute a different input value for Copies/Month/Copier (Cell B11) in our model and record the effect that particular input value has on the Net Income formula. This process is the equivalent of your entering these different input values one by one into Cell B11 of the model and writing down the effect of each one of those changing values on Net Income. Instead, the Data Table will perform this sequence very quickly and record the results inside the Data Table matrix. In the Column input cell text box, enter B113 or point to that cell and have Excel fill in the cell reference for you. Note that you’re not entering a value here, but a cell reference to the cell in your model whose value Excel will vary as it iterates through the Data Table. On each iteration, the Data Table will — in sequence — substitute one of the input values you’ve specified in your Data Table input column.

5. Once you’ve specified the Column input cell in the “Table” dialog, click the OK button and let Excel run the Data Table and complete the results matrix for you.

1 For a Two-Variable Data Table we would supply values both for row input and column input. 2 If we arranged our inputs in the One-Variable Data Table along a row instead of in a column we would enter a cell reference in the “Row input cell” box instead. 3 You need not enter an absolute reference. If instead of entering a cell reference you point to the cell and have Excel enter the cell reference for you, Excel enters an absolute reference.

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6. Your completed One-Variable Data Table should look like this: The values under the Net Income formula (shown as $4,600) are the values the Data Table generated during its iterations of the model. Reading across the rows of the Table we can see, for example, that if the volume of Copies/Month/Copier is 24,000, Net Income will be a negative $200. If instead Copies/Month/Copier is 44,000 then Net Income will be $15,800. I formatted the result values as currency and bolded them. You can format Data Table values in any way you like. One-Variable Data Table: Modifications and Refinements Modifying the One-Variable Data Table You can change the input values down the left-hand column of the Data Table. The Data Table recalculates automatically.

In the example at right I’ve changed the input values to get a better picture of the effects of lower copy volumes. I changed the input values from my original Data Table (24,000 to 44,000) to range from 22,000 to 32,000. The values in the second column of the Data Table recalculated automatically.

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-Net Income 22,000 ($1,800) 23,000 ($1,000) 24,000 ($200) 25,000 $600 26,000 $1,400 27,000 $2,200 28,000 $3,000 29,000 $3,800 30,000 $4,600 31,000 $5,400 32,000 $6,200 33,000 $7,000 34,000 $7,800 35,000 $8,600 36,000 $9,400 37,000 $10,200 38,000 $11,000 39,000 $11,800 40,000 $12,600 41,000 $13,400

Making the One Variable Data TabWhen you examine the model you’lSold, Contribution Margin, and Genthe value for Copies/Month/Copievalues is to copy volume using a On

A characteristic of a One-Variable Dbut it can include any number of formon the Data Table input values.

Extend your One-Variable Data TabCopies/Month/Copier on RevenueGeneral & Admin. Costs. To do this

1) Enter each one of those fformulas) in the same ro

2) Re-select the Data Table encompasses the input vIncome cell and all the ocell in the upper left-han

You can also extend the number of input values in your Data Table if you want to see more possibilities. If you do so, however, you must erase the previous Data Table results and then re-execute the Data Table (reselect the new, expanded Data Table cells and issue the Data, Table commands). Note that if you attempt to delete only a portion of a Data Table’s results Excel displays this errordialog:

Although you can format individual result cells, you can’t delete individual cells or change their values. le More Powerful by Adding Formulas

l note that the values for Revenue, Cost of Goods eral & Admin. Costs change each time you change

r. Can you track how sensitive each one of these e-Variable Data Table? The answer is yes.

ata Table is that it can have only one input variable ulas, provided those formulas depend in some way

le to include a sensitivity analysis for the effects of , Cost of Goods Sold, Contribution Margin, and : ormulas (or references to the cells holding those w as the existing Net Income formula. matrix. That is, the rectangle of cells that alues, all the cells to their right as well as the Net ther formula cells to its right along with the blank d corner.

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3) Choose the Data, Table commands and in the “Table” dialog identify Cell B11 as the Column Input Cell.

4) Click OK to close the dialog and execute the Data Table. Your resulting Data Table should look something like this:

Net Income Revenue COGS Contrib.

Margin Gen/Admin

Costs 22,000 ($1,800) $44,000 $26,400 $17,600 $19,400 23,000 ($1,000) $46,000 $27,600 $18,400 $19,400 24,000 ($200) $48,000 $28,800 $19,200 $19,400 25,000 $600 $50,000 $30,000 $20,000 $19,400 26,000 $1,400 $52,000 $31,200 $20,800 $19,400 27,000 $2,200 $54,000 $32,400 $21,600 $19,400 28,000 $3,000 $56,000 $33,600 $22,400 $19,400 29,000 $3,800 $58,000 $34,800 $23,200 $19,400 30,000 $4,600 $60,000 $36,000 $24,000 $19,400 31,000 $5,400 $62,000 $37,200 $24,800 $19,400 32,000 $6,200 $64,000 $38,400 $25,600 $19,400

Data Table Formatting Note In the illustration above, I’ve reformatted the cells holding the references to formulas that appear on the top row of the Data Table. My purpose in reformatting those cells is to make them display text labels instead of displaying the results of the formulas they refer to. This reformatting doesn’t affect the results generated by the Data Table. However it can make the Data Table easier to read.

For example,

Instead of displaying: You see: $10,000 Revenue $6,000 COGS $4,000 Contrib. Margin $19,400 Gen/Admin Costs

To reformat your Data Table formula cells in this fashion 1. Select the cell you want to reformat. 2. Right-click the cell and choose the Format

option on the pop-up menu that displays. The Format Cells tabbed dialog opens.

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3. Choose the Number tab to bring that tab to the front, if necessary. 4. Choose the Custom option on that tab. 5. Replace whatever is currently in the “Type” box with the text label you want to use

for the cell. Enclose the label name in double quote marks. For example:

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The Excel Scenario Manager

Create Scenarios for Key Values At this point you’ve built a One-Variable Data table to see the effect of copy volumes on Net Income. You extended your Data Table to allow you to see the effect of copy volumes on these other key values in the model:

Revenue Cost of Goods Sold Contribution Margin General & Admin. Costs

The Data Table results are in a convenient and compact matrix making it easy to spot break-even values and to compare values. What if there are some key value combinations you particularly want to highlight? Perhaps you’re giving a pitch to a manager or boss or there are a few key scenarios you want to be able to return to by looking at them as part of in your model and not by finding them in your Data Table results matrix? If you have any of these needs, Excel’s Scenario Manager is useful. The Scenario Manager allows you to specify particular scenarios and name them and then return to a view of any one of your scenarios by selecting that scenario by name. The Scenario Manager can also create a summary of your scenarios for you. To generate Scenarios:

1. Your spreadsheet model should be open and visible. 2. Choose Tools, Scenario Manager to open the “Scenario Manager” dialog. Using

this dialog you’ll define the different scenarios you want to track for your model. Generally, you’d define a half-dozen or fewer of the scenarios you’re mostly likely to want to return to for additional study.

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3. Click the Add button to begin defining the first scenario. I like to begin by naming and defining the status quo in the model. In this case, the status quo is where Copies/Month/Copier is 30,000. I’ll name that scenario “Expected Demand” and indicate that the “Changing cell(s)” is B11, the cell that holds the value for Copies/Month/Copier. Click OK to see the prompt for the Changing Cell value for this Scenario.

4. Enter the value you want this Scenario to use for the Changing Cell you’ve

identified.

5. Click OK to return to the main “Scenario Manager” dialog where you can

again hit the Add button to define another Scenario. For practice, you might include these three Scenarios:

Scenario Name Copies/Month/Copier Value

Expected Demand

30,000

Very Low Demand

5,000

Very High Demand

50,000

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When you have all three Scenarios added, your “Scenario Manager” dialog will look like this:

6. To use one of the Scenarios, click its name in the “Scenarios” list and then click the Show button. Excel changes the model to display the value of Copies/Month/Copier associated with that particular scenario and any values dependent on that value (such as Revenue, Cost of Goods Sold, Contribution Margin, and General & Admin. Costs) change too.

For example, if you choose the “Very Low Demand” Scenario and ask the Scenario Manager to show you that option, the key parts of your model will look like this:

The Copies/Month/Copier value is changed to 5,000 (very low demand) and the values for the formulas under the “Monthly” column have changed accordingly.

This permits you to view the effect of a change in volume within the model itself, if that’s more effective than viewing it in the context of a Data Table. You might use the

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Data Table first to see the effects of a large range of values and then focus on particular values by putting making them Scenarios in the Scenario Manager.

7. If you want the Scenario Manager to generate a summary of your Scenarios for you, first identify all the Scenarios you’re interested in and then click the Summary button on the main “Scenario Manager” dialog. In the “Scenario Summary” dialog that displays, choose Scenario summary as the “Report type”. For “Result cells”, identify any cells in your model that change as a result of your changing Scenarios and whose values you want to track. For our model, likely values to have the Scenario Manager track might be Revenue, Cost of Goods Sold, Contribution Margin, and General & Admin. Costs. You can identify that range of cells by entering B12:B16 in the “Result cells” text box.

8. Click OK to generate the Scenario Summary. Excel puts the summary on a

new worksheet. The summary looks like this:

Excel displays the summary in outline format. Plus and minus boxes in the summary’s left-hand margin allow you to expand or condense the summary display. The margin boxes holding “1” and “2” are an alternative means for expanding and condensing.

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The Two-Variable Data Table Excel’s Two-Variable Data Table works in a fashion similar to the One-Variable Data Table. However, with the Two-Variable Data Table you can specify two decision variables and a variety of inputs and only a single formula.

Continuing with the XerTech example, if we wanted to track the effect of both copy volume and price charged per copy on Net Income, we could set up a Two-Variable Data Table to look like this:

Net Income 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.2520,00022,00024,00026,00028,00030,00032,00034,00036,00038,000

In the upper left-hand cell of the Data Table is a copy of the formula from elsewhere in the model or a reference to the cell that holds the formula in the model.

Down the left-most column are the copy volumes we want the Data Table to track. And across the upper row are the price-per-copy charges we want the Data Table to track. When executed, the Data Table will fill the matrix with Net Income values for each combination of copy volume and price-per-copy that we’ve included.

Execute the Two-Variable Data Table in the same way you would execute the One-Variable Table. That is, select the entire matrix to the right and below the values you’ve specified, choose Data, Table, and complete the “Table” prompt that displays.

This time, because you’ve specified two inputs, you must enter values for both Row input cell and Column input cell in the “Table” dialog. In our example, Copies/Month/Copier (Cell B11) is our column input and Price charged per copy (Cell E5) is our row input.

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Click the OK button to execute the Data Table and see the results:

Net Income 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.2520,000 $20,600 $60,600 $100,600 $140,600 $180,60022,000 $24,600 $68,600 $112,600 $156,600 $200,60024,000 $28,600 $76,600 $124,600 $172,600 $220,60026,000 $32,600 $84,600 $136,600 $188,600 $240,60028,000 $36,600 $92,600 $148,600 $204,600 $260,60030,000 $40,600 $100,600 $160,600 $220,600 $280,60032,000 $44,600 $108,600 $172,600 $236,600 $300,60034,000 $48,600 $116,600 $184,600 $252,600 $320,60036,000 $52,600 $124,600 $196,600 $268,600 $340,60038,000 $56,600 $132,600 $208,600 $284,600 $360,600

Just as for the One-Variable Data Table: You can format the results in any way you choose. You can change any input value (down the left-hand column or across the top row)

and the Data Table will automatically recalculate. You can add additional input values and recalculate the Data Table by re-selecting

the new area and re-executing. You can not change a results value or erase a single results value or a group of

results values from the Data Table results matrix. Instead, you must select and erase all the results.

Graphing the Results of the Data Table Analysis You may want to display the results of your sensitivity analysis by means of a graph.

($6,000)

($4,000)

($2,000)

$0

$2,000

$4,000

$6,000

$8,000

$10,000

$12,000

$14,000

$16,000

15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 35,000 40,000 45,000

Net

Inco

me

Copy Volume

Net income: copies/month at $.05/copyIn most cases, graphing a subset of your results will prove to be more effective than attempting to graph the entire results matrix. In this case, I’m interested in the relation between copy volume and the $0.05 charge per page. Let’s see how to chart the data using an XY (scatter) plot (as shown at right) and then see why this is a particularly effective chart type for this data.

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To chart the data: 1. Highlight the portion of the Data Table that holds the data you want to

graph. In this case, I’m interested in the relation between copy volume and the $0.05 charge per page.

2. Start the Chart Wizard and in Step 1 select the XY (scatter) chart type. Click

Next to move to the second Wizard step and Next again to move to the third.

3. In Step 3 you might add a title and axis labels. Click Next to continue.

4. In the last Chart Wizard step, specify that you want to put the chart on the same worksheet as the data.

Excel floats the chart over the worksheet contents. Click the chart to select it and then drag it to move it to any other location. Drag by one of the corners to resize.

Click any element in the chart to select it and then right-click to see reformatting options. Reformatting you might want to consider: Resizing the chart. Changing the colors of the chart background and series markers. Reducing the size of the Y axis labels. Changing the scale and size of the X axis.

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Why is the XY chart the best chart type for this data? Unlike all Excel’s other chart types, the XY chart can plot two groups of numbers as a single series of XY coordinates. It can effectively show uneven intervals or clusters of data because the X axis – as well as the Y axis – is used to represent data values. By contrast, in the more commonly-employed line or column charts, the X axis is used to identify different categories while the Y axis is the “value” axis.

In our XY chart the Y axis is scaled to track net income and the X axis – instead of indicating categories – is scaled to track copy volume. Because our original volume data increases in a regular sequence, plotting the data as a bar, column, or line charts might at first glance appear useful. But what if the data were different? Let’s change our volume data in the Data Table to an irregular sequence, as indicated at right, below:

Original Changed Sequence Sequence

Net Income20,00022,00024,00026,00028,00030,00032,00034,00036,00038,00040,00042,000

Net Income16,00021,00024,00027,50030,00032,00035,00035,70041,32142,10044,00048,000

When we make our Data Table data sequence uneven, the XY chart looks like this:

($10,000)

($5,000)

$0

$5,000

$10,000

$15,000

$20,000

$25,000

15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 35,000 40,000 45,000 50,000

Net

Inco

me

Copy Volume

Net income: copies/month at $.05/copy

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With an XY chart, the values on the horizontal (X) axis appear in a regularly-spaced sequence, but the plotted data points do not need to be spaced regularly in the horizontal direction. Instead, they reflect the actual data. Note, by contrast, how the same data appears when plotted as a line chart. In the chart below, copy volume appears as the top line and net income as the line beneath. Although this chart does show the data, it’s quite difficult to read properly. Excel scales the chart’s Y axis to handle both the largest copy volume (up to 48,000) as well as the largest net income value (up to $19,000). The viewer is left to correlate each point on the top line with its corresponding point on the bottom line, which is not an easy task. If a chart should provide an alternate view of the data that tells a story about the data, this chart is not a success.

-10,000

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

The bar chart type isn’t any improvement in terms of readability.

-10,000 0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000

1

3

5

7

9

11

Net IncomeVolumeBar chart of the data: Also

misleading & hard to read

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Neither is the column chart shown below.

-10,000

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

VolumeNet IncomeColumn Chart

In summary, the XY chart type best tells the story of our data:

($10,000)

($5,000)

$0

$5,000

$10,000

$15,000

$20,000

14,000 19,000 24,000 29,000 34,000 39,000 44,000 49,000 54,000

Net

Inco

me

Copy Volume

Net income: copies/month at $.05/copyXY Chart

Even a quick glance at the XY chart shows us that as copy volumes increase, net income rises. And, that the break-even point is around a volume of 24,000 pages. The uneven progression of the volume values is more obvious here, where it’s quite subtle in the other chart types.

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The Excel Solver Add-In

The Excel Solver Add-In A tool for automating model optimization.

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olver – A Descriptive Introduction S

What is the Excel Solver? Solver is an add-in that’s part of Microsoft Excel. Find Solver on Excel’s drop-down Tools menu. Solver isn’t separate from Excel; if you have Excel you have Solver. However, to be available, Solver must be installed and it must be loaded into your copy of Excel as an add-in. If on your home PC you don’t see Solver in the Tools menu, choose Tools, Add-Ins and look for “Solver Add-In” in the list of add-ins. When you find it, toggle it on (so a checkmark displays to the left of the entry). If you don’t find Solver in the add-ins list, go back to your Office/Excel installation CD and rerun the Office/Excel Setup program. Choose the Add or Remove Features option. Under Excel, find “Add-Ins” and under “Add-Ins” find “Solver”. Install Solver. Then back in Excel toggle on Solver using Tools, Add-Ins as described above.

How is Solver useful? Solver is one of Excel’s tools for forecasting using “what-if” analysis4. Use Solver to find the best solution to a problem you’ve modeled in a spreadsheet. Solver can determine the maximum or minimum value for a formula in one cell (the “target cell”) by changing other, related cells. Solver adjusts the values in the “changing cells” you specify to produce the result you specify from the target cell formula. The changing cells must be related either directly or indirectly to the formula in the target cell. You can apply constraints to restrict the values Solver can use in the model and the constraints can refer to other cells that affect the target cell formula. For example, use Solver to find the maximum profit you can generate by changing advertising expenditures. Or use Solver to find the minimum production cost possible in a factory.

How Do You Define and Solve a Problem Using Solver? 1. From Excel’s menus choose Tools, solver to open the “Solver Parameters” dialog. 2. In the Set Target Cell box, enter a cell reference or name for the target cell. The target

cell must contain a formula. To have Solver find the largest possible value for the target cell, click Max. To have Solver find the smallest possible value for the target cell, click Min. To have Solver change the spreadsheet values to make the

4 Other Excel forecasting tools: Data Tables, Scenarios, and Goal Seek.

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target cell a certain value, click Value of and then type the value in the box.

3. In the By Changing Cells box, enter a name or reference for each adjustable cell, separating nonadjacent references with commas. The adjustable cells must be related directly or indirectly to the target cell formula. You can specify up to 200 adjustable cells. (To have Solver automatically propose the adjustable cells based on the target cell, click Guess.)

4. In the Subject to the Constraints box, enter any constraints you want to apply. You can apply constraints to the target cell, the changing cells, or to any other cell related directly or indirectly to the target cell. Important Note: You must click the Add button in the constrains part of the dialog to enter a constraint.

5. Click Solve. Solver attempts to find a solution to the problem. If Solver finds a solution, it displays the solution by changing the values on your worksheet. If Solver does not find a solution, it displays a message dialog.

6. If Solver found a solution and you want to keep the solution values on the worksheet, click Keep Solver Solution in the Solver Results dialog box. If you don’t want to keep Solver’s solution, click Restore Original Values.

How to Save Your Work with Solver When you save a workbook using the normal File, Save commands, you’re automatically saving the last selections you specified in the “Solver Parameters” dialog box. The next time you open the workbook and click Tools, Solver the “Solver Parameters” dialog will be filled in with your last selections and specifications. You can save more than one set of Solver parameters in a single worksheet by choosing the Save Model option when Solver completes. How to Unload the Solver Add-In Although it’s not necessary to do so, for completeness these notes describe how to remove Solver from your PC’s memory. From Excel’s menus choose Tools, Add-Ins. In the “Add-Ins” dialog, clear the check box next to the entry for “Solver Add-In”. Close the dialog. Then restart Excel.

To See Examples of Using Solver Microsoft has included with Excel a file with multiple worksheets showing how Solver might be used in a variety of situations. Look in the Office\Samples folder for the file named SOLVSAMP.xls, 143K. Or, download this file from the web page http://faculty.fuqua.duke.edu/~pecklund/MEPI

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olver: A Demo Introduction

Download from the web page mentioned above the Excel file named SolverDemo.xls. The “Solver Demo” worksheet in this workbook is a typical marketing model that shows sales rising from a base figure (perhaps from the sales force) along with increases in advertising, but with diminishing returns.

S In this example we use Solver to find out whether the advertising budget is too low and whether advertising should be allocated differently over time to take advantage of the changing seasonality factor.

The sample worksheet in the file SolverDemo.xls; view starting with row 6. The values and calculations in this model:

Row Contains Description 7 Fixed values Seasonality: A factor indicating that sales

are higher in Q1 and Q4, and lower in Q1 and Q3.

9 =35*C7*(C15+3000)^0.5 Forecast for Units Sold each quarter: row 7 contains the seasonality factor; row 15 contains the cost of advertising.

10 =C9*$F$3 Sales revenue: forecast for units sold (row 9) times price (cell F3).

11 =C9*$F$4 Cost of sales: forecast for units sold (row 9) times product cost (cell F4).

12 =C10-C11 Gross margin: sales revenues (row 10) minus cost of sales (row 11).

14 Fixed values Salesforce: expenses.

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Row Contains Description 15 Fixed values Advertising budget: about 6.3% of sales. Continued…

16 =0.15*C10 Overhead expenses: sales revenues (row

10) times 15%. 17 =SUM(B14:B16) Total costs: salesforce expenses (row

14) plus advertising (row 15) plus overhead (row 16).

19 =C12-C17 Product profit: gross margin (row 12) minus total costs (row 17).

20 =C19/C10 Profit margin: profit (row 19) divided by sales revenue (row 10).

3 Fixed values Product price (Cell F3). 4 Fixed values Product cost (Cell F4).

xample 1: Solving for a Value to Maximize Another Value

chanOne way you can use Solver is to determine the maximum value of a cell by ging another cell. The two cells must be related through the formulas on the

worksheet. If they’re not, changing the value in one cell won’t change the value in the other cell. In this first example, you might want to know how much you need to spend on advertising to generate the maximum profit for the first quarter. You want to experiment with changing advertising expenditures in an attempt to maximize profit.

E

1. On Excel’s menus, click Tools, Solver to open the “Solver Parameters” dialog. 2. In the Set target cell box, type C19 or select cell C19 (first-quarter profits) on the

worksheet. 3. Select the Max option. 4. In the By changing cells box, type C15 or select cell C15 (first-quarter advertising)

on the worksheet. 5. Click Solve.

Messages display on the status bar as Solver sets up the problem and starts working. After a moment, you'll see a message that Solver has found a solution. Solver finds that Q1 advertising of $17,093 yields the maximum profit $15,093. After you examine the results, you can select Restore original values and click OK to discard the results of this first experiment and return cell C15 to its former value. Resetting the Solver Options To return the options in the “Solver Parameters” dialog box to their original settings so you can start a new problem, click the Reset All button.

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xample 2: Solving for a Value by Changing Several Values

anotYou can also use Solver to solve for several values at once to maximize or minimize her value. For example, you can extend the first exercise above by solving for the

advertising budget for each quarter that will result in the best profits for the entire year. Because the Seasonality factor in row 7 enters into the calculation of Units Sold in row 9 as a multiplier (for Q1 the calculation is =35*C7*(C15+3000)^0.5), it seems logical that you should spend more of your advertising budget in Q4 when the sales response is highest, and less in Q3 when the sales response is lowest. However, let Solver determine the best quarterly allocation.

E

1. On Excel’s menus, click Tools, Solver to open the “Solver Parameters” dialog. 2. In the Set target cell box, type G19 or select cell G19 (total Product Profit for the

year) on the worksheet. 3. Make sure the Max option is selected. 4. In the By changing cells box, type C15:F15 or select cells C15:F15 (the advertising

budget for each of the four quarters) on the worksheet. 5. Click Solve.

After you examine the results, you can click Restore original values and then OK to discard the results and return all cells to their former values. You've just asked Solver to solve a moderately complex nonlinear optimization problem; that is, to find values for the four unknowns in cells C15 through F15 that will maximize profits. (This is a nonlinear problem because of the exponentiation that occurs in the formulas for Units Sold in row 9). The results of this unconstrained optimization show that you can increase profits for the year to $79,706 if you spend $89,706 in advertising for the full year. Most realistic modeling problems have limiting factors that you’ll want to apply to certain model values. You can apply a constraint to the target cell, the changing cells, or any other value that’s related to the formulas in these cells.

xample 3: Adding a Constraint

youSo far, the budget recovers the advertising cost and generates additional profit, but 're reaching a point of diminishing returns. Because you can never be sure that your

model of sales response to advertising will be valid next year (especially at greatly increased spending levels), it doesn't seem prudent to allow unrestricted spending on advertising.

E

Suppose you want to maintain your original advertising budget of $40,000. In this variation, add a constraint that limits the sum of advertising for all four quarters to $40,000.

1. On Excel’s menus, click Tools, Solver to open the “Solver Parameters” dialog. 2. Click Add to open the “Add Constraint” dialog.

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3. In the Cell reference box, type G15 or select cell G15 (advertising total) on the worksheet. Cell G15 must be less than or equal to $40,000. The relationship in the “Constraint” box is <= (less than or equal to) by default, so you don't have to change it. In the box next to the relationship, enter the value 40000.

4. Click OK. 5. Click Solve.

After you examine the results, you can choose Restore original values and then click OK to discard the results and return the cells to their former values. Solver’s solution allocates amounts ranging from $5,117 in Q3 to $15,263 in Q4. Total Profit has increased from $69,662 in the original budget to $71,447, without any increase in the advertising budget.

xample 4: Changing a Constraint

deciWhen you use Solver you can experiment with slightly different parameters to de the best solution to a problem. In this final example, try changing a Solver

constraint to see whether the results are better or worse than before. In the sample worksheet, change the constraint on advertising dollars from $40K to $50K to see what that does to total profits.

E

1. On Excel’s menus, click Tools, Solver to open the “Solver Parameters” dialog. 2. The constraint $G$15<=40000 should already be selected in the “Subject to the

constraints” box. Click Change. 3. In the “Constraint” box, change 40000 to 50000. 4. Click OK. 5. Click Solve. 6. Click Keep solver solution and then click OK to keep the results that are displayed

on the worksheet. Solver finds an optimal solution that yields a total profit of $74,817. That's an improvement of $3,370 over the last figure of $71,447. In most firms, it's not too difficult to justify an incremental investment of $10,000 that yields an additional $3,370 in profit, or a 33.7% return on investment. This solution also results in profits of $4,889 less than the unconstrained result, but you spend $39,706 less to get there. Saving a Problem Model When you choose File, Save from Excel’s menus to save your workbook, the last selections you made in the “Solver Parameters” dialog become a part of the worksheet. You can define more than one Solver setup for a worksheet by saving each one individually using the Save Model option in the “Solver Options” dialog. Each problem setup consists of the cells and constraints that you entered in the “Solver Parameters” Parameters dialog box. When you choose Save Model, the “Save Model” dialog appears with a default selection, based on the active cell, as the area for saving the model. The suggested range includes a

28


cell for each constraint plus three additional cells. Make sure that this cell range is an empty range on the worksheet.

1. From Excel’s menus, click Tools, Solver to open the “Solver Parameters” dialog. 2. Choose Options to load the “Solver Options” dialog. 3. Click Save Model. 4. In the Select model area box, type J15:J18 or select cells J15:J18 (or some other

empty space) on the worksheet. 5. Click OK.

Note: You can also enter a reference to a single cell in the Select model area box. Solver will use this reference as the upper-left corner of the range into which it will copy the problem specifications.

To load these problem specifications later:

1. Click Load Model in the “Solver Options” dialog. 2. Type J15:J18 in the Model area box or select cells J15:J18 on the worksheet. 3. Click OK. 4. Solver displays a message asking if you want to reset the current Solver option

settings with the settings for the model you’re loading. Click OK to proceed.

For Reference: The problem before Solver’s solution.

Note: Product Price in Cell F3, Product Cost in Cell F4.

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A Practical Pivot Table Introduction

Excel’s Pivot Table A practical, problem-solving introduction.

This article is from: http://office.microsoft.com/assistance/2002/articles/xlconPTExamples.aspx

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http://office.microsoft.com/assistance/2002/articles/xlconPTExamples.aspx


A Practical Pivot Table Introduction Are you unsure how you might use an Excel PivotTable report to analyze your data? This article shows how to start with a basic data source and create PivotTable reports that answer common questions about your data. It provides examples that report on salesperson, product, order, and customer data, but you can use these techniques for just about any type of source data. To make the examples extra easy to follow, they're all formatted with the Report 5 format, which you can apply to your own PivotTable reports with the Format Report command. To follow along in Excel, start by downloading the file named Reports.exe from this web page:

http://faculty.fuqua.duke.edu/~pecklund/MEPI Compare your salespeople Start the PivotTable report Start with source data that contains information about your salespeople. Here’s a partial view of source data records used for the reports in this section.

Click a cell in the source data. On the Data menu, click PivotTable and PivotChart Report. Follow the instructions in steps 1 through 3 of the wizard. Note that you can lay out the PivotTable report by clicking the Layout button in step 3 of the wizard, or you can lay out the report directly on the worksheet. With the basic Pivot Table constructed, start asking and answering questions about the data.

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What are the order amounts for each salesperson? Drag the Salesperson field into the Row area, and then drag the Order Amount field into the Data area.

What are the order amounts for salespeople in a specific country? Drag the Country field into the Page area. You can then switch between "pages" to view the data for each country.

How are salespeople ranked by order amounts? To sort the salespeople, click the Salesperson field, click PivotTable on the PivotTable toolbar, and then click Sort and Top 10. Under AutoSort Options, click Descending, and then click Sum of Order Amount in the Using field box.

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Who are the top five salespeople? To view the top items in a field, click the Salesperson field, click PivotTable on the PivotTable toolbar, and then click Sort and Top 10. Under Top 10 AutoShow, click On, click Top in the Show box, and then enter 5.

How did salespeople perform in a specific quarter? Drag the Order Date field into the Row area. Note that the source data contains actual order dates, but it would be nice to group the dates by quarter. To do this, right-click the Order Date field, point to Group and Show Detail, and then click Group. In the By box, click Quarters. Note that in the example below, the Order Date field name has been changed to Quarters.

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How does each salesperson's performance vary by quarter? Drag the Sales person field to the left of the Order Date field. Note that in the example below, the Order Date field name has been changed to Quarters.

What are the details for a specific order amount? Double-click a cell in the PivotTable report to see the data "behind" it. Here are part of the details for cell C5, Buchanan's first-quarter sales:

What percent is a specific order of the total order amounts? In this case, you'll create a new data field and use a custom calculation. That way, you can compare the original data field (Summary) and the new calculated data field (Percent of Total). First, drag the Order Amount field into the Data area. Double-click the new Order Amount field, click Options, and under Show data as, click % of total. (A more complete illustration follows.)

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What bonus amount should each salesperson receive? All salespeople receive a 10% bonus, but you'd like to award a 15% bonus if they exceed $20,000 in orders per quarter. To create a formula that uses PivotTable data, you can use a calculated field. Click the report, click PivotTable on the PivotTable toolbar, point to Formulas, and then click Calculated Field. In the Name box, type Bonus Amount. In the Formula box, enter the formula you want. If you want to use data from an existing field in your formula, click the field in the Fields box, and then click Insert Field.

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Compare your products Start the PivotTable report Start with source data that contains information about your products. Here are some of the source data records used for the reports in this section.

Click a cell in the source data. On the Data menu, click PivotTable and PivotChart Report. Follow the instructions in steps 1 through 3 of the wizard. Note that you can lay out the PivotTable report by clicking the Layout button in step 3 of the wizard, or lay out the report directly on the worksheet. Now, with the basic Pivot Table constructed, you can answer some questions about the data. What are the sales totals for each category of product? Drag the Category field into the Row area, and then drag the Sales field into the Data area.

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What are the sales totals for each product? Drag the Product field into the Row area.

What are the three best-selling products in each category? To view the top items in a field, click the Product field, click PivotTable on the PivotTable toolbar, and then click Sort and Top 10. Under Top 10 AutoShow, click On. In the Show box, click Top and then enter 3.

What are the quarterly sales by product? Drag the Quarter field into the Column area.

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How do the sales in the first quarter compare with those in the second? To focus on two quarters only, click the dropdown arrow in the Quarter field. Select the check boxes for just the first two quarters.

What are the average, largest, and smallest Beverage sales subtotals? You can use more than one summary function for subtotals. Double-click the Category field, and then click one or more options under Subtotals.

What is the average sale and minimum sale? Here, you create two new data fields, and then change the summary function for each data field. That way, you can compare the original data field (Sum) and the two new data fields (Average and Minimum). First, drag the Sales field into the Data area a second time, and again a third time. Double-click the second data field, and then click Average under Summarize by. Double-click the third data field, and then click Min under Summarize by.

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The effect is sales summarized in three different ways: As a sum, as an average, and showing the minimum.

Compare orders Start the PivotTable report Start with source data that contains information about your orders. Here are some of the source data records used for the reports in this section.

Click a cell in the source data. On the Data menu, click PivotTable and PivotChart Report. Follow the instructions in steps 1 through 3 of the wizard. Note that you can lay out the PivotTable report by clicking the Layout button in step 3 of the wizard, or you can lay out the report directly on the worksheet. How do you view an individual order? Drag the Product, Unit Price, Quantity, and Discount fields into the Row area. Drag the Extended Price field into the Data area. Then drag the OrderID field into the Page area. You can then switch between "pages" to view the data for each order. PivotTable reports can include or exclude hidden information in subtotals. For example, the totals in the orders below don't include items for tax and freight charges. If you want to include all items in the totals, you can use the Include Hidden Items in Totals button on the PivotTable toolbar. See the illustration on the page that follows.

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How many units of each product were sold? Drag the Product field into the Row area, and then drag the Quantity field into the Data area.

What's the average unit price of each product? Drag the Product field into the Row area, and then drag the Unit Price field into the Data area. Now you can change the summary function for the Unit Price data field from Sum to Average. Double-click the Unit Price field, and then click Average under Summarize by.

What are the ten most expensive products? First, you need to change the summary function for the Unit Price data field to Maximum. Double-click the Unit Price field, and then click Max under Summarize by. Next, display the top ten items in the Product field. Click the Product field, click

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PivotTable on the PivotTable toolbar, and then click Sort and Top 10. Under Top 10 AutoShow, click On. In the Show box, click Top and then enter 10.

Compare customers Start the PivotTable report Start with source data that contains information about your customers. Here are some of the source data records used for the reports in this section.

Click a cell in the source data. On the Data menu, click PivotTable and PivotChart Report. Follow the instructions in steps 1 through 3 of the wizard. Note that you can lay out the PivotTable report by clicking the Layout button in step 3 of the wizard, or you can lay out the report directly on the worksheet. Now with the Pivot Table created, answer questions about the data. What products do your customers purchase, and in which quarter? Drag the Customer and Product fields into the Row area. Then drag the Qtr 1, Qtr 2, Qtr 3, and Qtr 4 fields into the Data area, as shown below.

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What were the top two products purchased by each customer in the third quarter? Click the Product field, click PivotTable on the PivotTable toolbar, and then click Sort and Top 10. Under Top 10 AutoShow, click On. In the Show box, click Top and then enter 2.

Who was your top customer in the first quarter? Click the Customer field, click PivotTable on the PivotTable toolbar, and then click Sort and Top 10. Under Top 10 AutoShow, click On. In the Show box, click Top and then enter 1.

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Who were the top two customers for each product? Drag the Product field to the left of the Customer field. Click the Customer field, click PivotTable on the PivotTable toolbar, and then click Sort and Top 10. Under Top 10 AutoShow, click On. In the Show box, click Top and then enter 2.

This article is from: http://office.microsoft.com/assistance/2002/articles/xlconPTExamples.aspx

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http://office.microsoft.com/assistance/2002/articles/xlconPTExamples.aspx

Notes on Flexible PowerPoint

PowerPoint Brief notes on creating flexible presentation paths.

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POWERPOINT PowerPoint is used extensively in business settings when people get together to share information. PowerPoint can be used in a number of ways but most often it’s used as a presentation tool where “slides” are shown or projected in a regular sequence from the first slide to the last. For anyone interacting with an audience, having the option to vary the sequence, introduce new material, jump to a different program, etc. can be very useful. This section is an overview of techniques in PowerPoint that enhance presentation flexibility. Technique 1: The Hidden Slide PowerPoint allows you to designate one or more slides in your presentation as “hidden slides”. Although visible when in normal and slide sorter view, hidden slides by default do not display when in screen show mode (during a presentation). You might include a few hidden slides at various points in your presentation where you anticipate questions from your audience. If you have a hidden slide that addresses a question, you can “unhide” the slide. How to Create a hidden slide from normal view by choosing Slide Show, Hide Slide from PowerPoint’s menus. Display a hidden slide during a presentation by right-clicking an empty area of a slide and choosing Go to Slide from the context menu that displays. Select the hidden slide from the list of slides.

The number of a hidden slide is displayed in parentheses. For example here the hidden slide is shown as (2).

To go to a hidden slide one can alternatively establish a graphic or button on a visible slide that directs PowerPoint to the hidden slide and displays it. The method used here is hyperlinking, a topic described below.

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Technique 2: The Table of Contents PowerPoint can automatically generate a table-of-contents slide that lists the titles of all slides in a presentation that you want included. By hyperlinking a slide title on the table of contents to the slide itself, you can easily jump to any point in a presentation. How To Create a PowerPoint presentation as usual. Make sure to include titles on all slides you want included in the table of contents. Display your presentation in slide sorter view. Note that the Slide Sorter toolbar automatically displays. Select the slides you want included in the table of contents (not including the title slide). Then click the Summary Slide button on the Slide Sorter toolbar. PowerPoint generates the table of contents slide and locates it just before the first slide you selected.

A table of contents or summary slide looks like the illustration at left. To make a slide title in the summary slide list a hyperlink, select and right-click the title and choose Hyperlink from the context menu that displays.

The “Insert Hyperlink” dialog displays.

At left, select “Place in This Document”. In the “Select a place in this document” window find the slide, select it, and click OK. PowerPoint adds a hyperlink to the selected text. The default hyperlink format is underlining.

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With hyperlinks added to each of the summary slide title entries, you can click any title to jump directly to that slide. (Note that you must be in Screen Show mode for the links to work.)

To return to the summary slide, right-click a blank area of the slide and choose Go to Slide. Then choose Summary Slide from the list of titles displayed. Or, for a smoother effect, add a button or graphic of some kind to each linked slide. Hyperlink that button or graphic back to the summary slide.

For example, a button like the one at right can be hyperlinked to the summary slide and provide an easy return.

Efficiency Note: If a button of this kind is added using the Slide Master view, it need be created only one time and will appear on every slide but the title slide. Technique 3: Hyperlink to another PowerPoint Presentation If hiding slides seems awkward or if you prefer to group optional slides together, consider hyperlinking from one PowerPoint presentation to another. If you use this technique, you must make sure your hyperlinked presentation remains accessible to your main presentation (it’s easiest to keep both together in the same folder). When you click the hyperlink to jump to another presentation, PowerPoint starts the presentation in place of the current slide. When the hyperlinked presentation is finished, PowerPoint returns you to the previously current slide. How To In your main PowerPoint presentation, create the object on a slide (text or a graphic) to be used for the hyperlink. Right-click the object and choose Hyperlink from the context menu that displays. The “Insert Hyperlink” dialog opens.

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In the “Insert Hyperlink” dialog, choose “Existing File or Web Page” in the “Link to” column. Then identify the file to link to and make sure its path and address appear in the “Look in” and “Address” lines. Click OK.

When you hover your mouse pointer over the link text or graphic, a pop-up note shows what the link points to. In the illustration at left, the link points to a PowerPoint file named MoreInfo.ppt located in C:\TEMP.

Click the link to start up the other PowerPoint presentation. When you’ve finished with that presentation, exit and the initial presentation reappears on the screen at the slide with the link. Technique 4: Hyperlink to another File You may want to be able to call up a file in another application from your PowerPoint presentation. For example, it might be helpful to have a link to an Excel spreadsheet. If you needed the spreadsheet information, you could click the link and PowerPoint would start up Excel and load the workbook containing the sheet. How To This is another case of hyperlinking from a PowerPoint file to another file. The technique is the same as described previously, except that this time you identify the other file so PowerPoint can start up that file’s application and open the file.

Complete the “Insert Hyperlink” dialog as before. In the example at left, the graphic is used as the hyperlink indicator that calls up Excel and the selected Excel file named 05ForecastingL1Demo.xls.

Conclusion Above are some of the most obvious techniques that allow you to proceed through a PowerPoint presentation in a non-sequential way. Other hyperlinking possibilities (such as to a web page) are certainly feasible as well.

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