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Courses/Office Productivity/MS Excel

Operations Management Techniques in Excel

Streamline your operations by mastering data automation and analysis tools to transform complex tasks into efficient workflows for smarter decision-making.

Created byDavid Ringstrom
5.0
(1 reviews)
BeginnerUpdated Feb 2, 2026
Operations Management Techniques in Excel

What You'll Learn

check_circleAutomate data extraction via Power Query.
check_circleRetrieve values with XLOOKUP and VLOOKUP.
check_circlePerform what-if analysis with Goal Seek.
check_circleSummarize data using Pivot Tables.
check_circleGenerate forecasts and visualize trends.
check_circleRecord macros to automate routine tasks.

About This Course

Unlock the full potential of your spreadsheets and stop letting the software push you around with the course Operations Management Techniques in Excel. Led by expert David Ringstrom, CPA, this course is designed to transition users from brute-force manual data entry to efficient, automated operations management. Whether you are an accountant or a business professional in any field, you will learn how to overcome common obstacles in Excel and establish workflows that save time and reduce errors.

This comprehensive training moves beyond basic spreadsheet usage, focusing on the specific tools and techniques required to manage operations effectively. You will discover how to streamline data extraction, automate repetitive cleaning tasks, and utilize advanced analysis features to make data-driven decisions. By mastering these techniques, you ensure that you are controlling Excel, rather than letting it control you.

Key topics covered in this course include:

  • Data Automation with Power Query: Learn to connect to external data sources, specifically extracting data from PDF files, and automate data transformation steps to create set-and-forget connections.
  • Advanced Lookup Functions: Master modern tools like XLOOKUP and contrast them with legacy functions such as VLOOKUP and INDEX/MATCH to retrieve data dynamically.
  • Decision-Making Tools: Utilize the IF function for logical tests and leverage What-If Analysis tools like Goal Seek and Solver to optimize business scenarios and solve for missing inputs.
  • Data Visualization and Forecasting: Create instant reports using Pivot Tables and Pivot Charts, add interactivity with Slicers, and project future trends using the Forecast Sheet feature.
  • Conditional Formatting: Apply live layers of formatting, such as data bars and highlight rules, to instantly identify trends, outliers, and anomalies in your data.
  • Macro Recording: Streamline formatting tasks—specifically utilizing Center Across Selection to avoid the pitfalls of merged cells—by recording and assigning macros to custom ribbon icons for one-click access.

By the end of this course, you will possess a robust toolkit for handling complex data operations, allowing you to summarize, visualize, and forecast with confidence.

Your Instructor

David Ringstrom
David Ringstrom

CPA, Author, Professional Excel Spreadsheet Trainer and Consultant

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star1,099 reviews

David H. Ringstrom, CPA, is the author of Microsoft 365 Excel for Dummies, and a nationally recognized instructor who has taught over 2,500 live webinars. His Excel courses are based on over 30 years of consulting and teaching experience. David’s catchphrase is “Either you work Excel, or it works you,” so he focuses on what he sees users don’t, but should know about Microsoft Excel. His goal is to empower you to use Excel more effectively. David has authored or co-authored 10 books, including Exploring Microsoft Excel's Hidden Treasures, QuickBooks Online for Dummies, and Idiot's Guide to Introductory Accounting.

Credit Information

Do these courses count toward my professional development requirements?

This portal is provided as a training and development resource for City of Markham employees. Every course is delivered by a qualified subject matter expert or learning organization, is quantifiable in hours, and is verifiable — you receive a documented certificate of completion for every course you finish, stored on LearnFormula indefinitely.

If you hold a professional designation (for example in engineering, accounting, human resources, or law), courses may be counted as professionally relevant, verifiable learning activities toward your continuing professional development. Individual practitioners are responsible for confirming that an activity meets the requirements of their professional body. For questions about the City of Markham's training and development policies, please speak with your people leader or Human Resources.

What Students Are Saying

5.0
Student's Choice
1 reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

We are a registered provider with 327+ associations and regulatory bodies worldwide. We operate across 29 global markets including Canada, the US, Australia, and the UK. Every course page clearly displays its specific accreditations. Upon completion, you receive a professional certificate that can be validated online. Our certificates include all necessary accreditation details, credit hours, and completion dates, and are formatted specifically to meet the submission requirements of most global regulatory bodies.