Excel Tips

Excel macros are far from obsolete. And here's why. This episode explores why VBAs (Visual Basic for Applications) still play an important role in workflow efficiency for accountants and finance professionals. Key learnings: Why macros still matter in modern Excel workflows How VBA compares with Power Query The limits of Power Query for in-situ data fixes How AI can help write and debug VBA code How to automate data cleansing tasks in Excel Why VBA is a useful entry point into programming How to store macros in the personal macro workbook Ways to run macros from the quick access toolbar Listen now to help level up your Excel skills with macros. Host: Neale Blackwood CPA. He has more than 20 years of experience as a Microsoft Excel educator and is the author of more than 200 INTHEBLACK articles as well as a book, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants. For more, check out the accompanying YouTube video of this episode. Read more of Neale's Excel articles on INTHEBLACK. Loving this content? Don't forget to subscribe to EXCEL TIPS and share this episode with your colleagues and friends in the business community. Would you like to listen to more Excel Tips and other CPA Australia podcasts like INTHEBLACK and With Interest? Head to CPA Australia's YouTube channel. And don't forget to subscribe to the channel. You can find a CPA at our custom portal on the CPA Australia website. CPA Australia publishes four podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance and accounting: With Interest INTHEBLACK Excel Tips INTHEBLACK Out Loud Search for them in your podcast platform. You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

Unlock the potential of Python in Excel with this essential first episode in a three-part series. Designed for accountants, finance professionals and Excel power users, this episode introduces the basics of integrating Python code directly into Excel cells. Learn how Python enhances Excel's capabilities for data handling and visualisation without replacing core Excel functions. You'll discover how Python in Excel works and how code is processed using Microsoft's Azure platform. Understand the key steps to get started, including how to enter code using the =PY function and the role of the new Python editor in the Formulas tab. Also explained is how Python variables behave across sheets, the concept of data frames and how Python's popular Pandas library comes into play when working with datasets. You'll also learn how to manage calculation options and understand the new dependency logic within Python-enabled workbooks. Whether you're completely new to Python or already familiar with this programming language, this episode gives you the foundational knowledge needed to begin using Python confidently inside Excel. And don't miss the fun trivia at the end to learn the surprising origin of Python's name. Tune in now. Host: Neale Blackwood CPA. He has more than 20 years of experience as a Microsoft Excel educator and is the author of more than 200 INTHEBLACK articles as well as a book, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants. You can find a CPA at our custom portal on the CPA Australia website. Would you like to listen to more Excel Tips episodes? Head to CPA Australia's YouTube channel. CPA Australia publishes four podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting: With Interest INTHEBLACK INTHEBLACK Out Loud Excel Tips Search for them in your podcast platform. Email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

Need to turn stock market data into smart, professional reports? Discover how to use Excel's new and powerful Stock History function to quickly transform raw share price data into clear, insightful reports. Learn how to streamline reporting, visualise trends and make better-informed decisions with ease. In this episode, gain the skills to: Access daily, weekly or monthly data, including volume, opening/closing prices and highs/lows Set up stock codes, choose custom date ranges and define intervals with ease Use Power Query to import real-time stock exchange data directly into Excel Build interactive, professional-grade charts (including stock and combo charts) to visualise trends Whether you're preparing reports for clients, internal dashboards or just keeping a close eye on the stock market, this episode gives you the tools, steps and techniques you need to do it with confidence using Excel. For fast reference, use the episode timestamps: 0:00 – Introduction to Excel Tips podcast 0:18 – Overview of Stock History function 0:31 – Using Stock History for reporting share price information 1:00 – Internet access requirement for Stock History 1:11 – Disclaimer for information accuracy 1:35 – Options for reporting frequency (daily, weekly, monthly) 2:08 – Setting up share code and trading day considerations 2:47 – Defining start and end dates for reports 3:45 – Reporting intervals and their corresponding numbers 4:39 – Using MATCH function for human-friendly reporting 4:59 – Customising report headers 5:23 – Defining properties for the Stock History function 5:35 – How to add multiple properties to reports 6:30 – Importing stock exchange names and codes 6:40 – Using Power Query for stock data updates 7:20 – Overview of Excel stock chart features 7:30 – Understanding stock price movements in charts 8:25 – Overview of monthly vs weekly stock charts 9:44 – Creating combo charts for better comparisons 10:30 – Introduction to Sparkline charts 10:05 – Converting vertical to horizontal data for Sparklines 10:35 – Adjusting Sparkline chart vertical axes 11:03 – Updating Sparklines for spill ranges 11:18 – Function updates and internet speed considerations 11:32 – Conclusion on the usefulness of Stock History Listen now to level-up your stock market share price reporting skills in Excel. Host: Neale Blackwood CPA. He has more than 20 years of experience as a Microsoft Excel educator and is the author of more than 200 INTHEBLACK articles as well as a book, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants. You can find a CPA at our custom portal on the CPA Australia website. Would you like to listen to more Excel Tips episodes? Head to CPA Australia's YouTube channel. CPA Australia publishes four podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting: With Interest INTHEBLACK INTHEBLACK Out Loud Excel Tips Search for them in your podcast platform. Email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

What if you could seamlessly collect and analyse data right inside Excel? In this episode, learn more about Microsoft Forms, a powerful tool in Microsoft 365 (which, by the time you read this may be renamed Microsoft 365 CoPilot). Discover how Forms integrates directly into Excel, making it easier than ever to gather feedback, conduct quizzes, and streamline processes like expense approvals and recruitment. For fast reference, use the episode timestamps: 0:00 – Introduction to Excel Tips podcast 0:10 – Overview of Microsoft Forms 0:30 – Microsoft 365 subscription and CoPilot overview 1:35 – Update on Excel forms in the Insert ribbon 2:00 – Importing from Word or PDF documents 2:21 – Sharing forms and mobile compatibility 2:55 – Types of questions in forms (introduction) 3:10 – Straightforward choice: single and multiple selections 3:45 – Required questions and image inclusion 4:05 – Shuffle answers feature and branching based on responses 5:16 – Free-form text answer option 5:20 – Rating questions with symbols 5:45 – Date picker functionality 5:55 – Ranking type questions with drag-and-drop 6:25 – Introduction of Likert questions 6:55 – Using sections with Likert questions 7:20 – File upload feature in forms 7:35 – Net promoter score questions 8:11 – Sharing forms: URL, QR code, and embedding 8:30 – Limiting form access: public vs. organizational 8:40 – Built-in reporting mechanism for responses 9:15 – Closing remarks on Microsoft Forms capabilities xplore how to import questions from Word or PDFs, share Forms via email, QR codes, or websites, and ensure a smooth mobile experience. You'll also learn about the diverse question types - choice, ratings, date pickers, file uploads, and even Net Promoter Score - and how Forms' reporting and branching features can enhance your workflows. If you're in accounting, business or finance, and want to optimise data collection and reporting, this episode is a must-listen. Level up your skills by tuning in now. Host: Neale Blackwood CPA has more than 20 years of experience as a Microsoft Excel educator. He is the author of more than 200 INTHEBLACK articles as well as a book, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants. Additional show notes, links, etc. CPA Australia publishes four podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting: INTHEBLACK INTHEBLACK Out Loud With Interest Excel Tips Search for them in your podcast platform. You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

Ever struggled to extract crucial financial data from PDF files into Excel? As accountants and finance professionals, this can be a regular occurrence. To help you, this episode explores Microsoft Excel's Power Query feature. You'll uncover how to seamlessly import data from system-generated PDFs like invoices and statements. From tackling tricky formatting issues to cleaning up messy rows, learn through real-world examples using an Australian Tax Office (ATO) PDF as a case study. Additionally, you'll gain smart strategies for handling regularly updated PDFs to automate your workflows. For fast access, use these timestamps: 0:17 - Introduction to Importing Data from PDFs using Excel's Power Query feature. 0:37 - Types of PDFs and Their Reliability 1:05 - Use Cases for Importing PDF data 3:17 - Accessing Power Query and Importing a PDF 4:15 - Tables vs. Pages in PDFs 5:40 - The Complexity of Importing PDF Data 6:25 - Removing Repeated Headers 7:05 - Addressing Errors and Dealing with Extra Rows 9:20 - Creating a Filter Column 9:45 - Reversing Rows Again 10:05 - PDF File Names 11:20 - Reusing Power Queries 11:42 - Conclusion If you're ready to save time and streamline your data handling processes, this episode is a must-listen. Host: Neale Blackwood CPA has more than 20 years of experience as a Microsoft Excel educator. He is the author of more than 200 INTHEBLACK articles as well as a book, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants. CPA Australia publishes four podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting: With Interest INTHEBLACK INTHEBLACK Out Loud Excel Tips Search for them in your podcast platform. You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

Calendars are your go-to tool for planning. In this Excel Tips episode, you'll learn the steps to create a single-month calendar from scratch. Discover how to combine advanced functions to build a two-dimensional calendar structure, and how to format your dates and highlight weekends and holidays. You'll also gain knowledge of how to customise the calendar to fit your specific needs. For quick reference, here are the timestamps: 0:17 – Introduction to building a calendar 2:12 – Functions used in this tutorial 4:29 – How the different functions work 8:11 – Using formulas to create headings 10:30 – Changing the calendar to start the week on Monday 11:53 – Building a custom function with LAMBDA 13:28 – Applying conditional formatting for weekends 14:59 – Shortcuts covered in the tutorial 15:58 – Recap and summary of what we've learned Tune in now to easily create personalised calendars that suit your planning needs. Host: Neale Blackwood CPA has more than 20 years of experience as a Microsoft Excel educator. He is the author of more than 200 INTHEBLACK articles as well as a book, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants. CPA Australia publishes four podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting: INTHEBLACK INTHEBLACK Out Loud With Interest Excel Tips Search for them in your podcast platform. You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

Looking to improve your report-building skills? If so, this is the episode for you. Uncover tips on how to leverage multiple Excel features to create a system that effortlessly hides blank and zero rows in your reports. Also in this episode, you'll discover the subtotal function's superpower and learn how you can use it to help identify if a filter needs reapplying. You can use these handy skills to boost your report-writing efficiency. For fast access, use these timestamps: 0:20 – Using formatted tables instead of macros for hiding rows 2:38 – About the example and tutorial file 5:10 – Applying the filter and slicer 6:35 – The subtotal function superpower Listen now. Host: Neale Blackwood CPA has more than 20 years of experience as a Microsoft Excel educator. He is the author of more than 200 INTHEBLACK articles as well as a book, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants. CPA Australia publishes four podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting: INTHEBLACK INTHEBLACK Out Loud With Interest Excel Tips Search for them in your podcast platform. You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au

There's a misconception that Excel macros are outdated or unnecessary. In this episode we set the record straight and explore their continued value. Delve into three practical macros that can streamline various tasks in your Excel workflow. More importantly, you'll come away with the knowledge to decide when creating a macro makes sense for optimising your efficiency. For fast access, use these timestamps: 0:20 - Why macros aren't dead. 1:39 - Macro warning! 2:18 - The problems macros solve. 3:07 - Macro 1 - editing column headings in pivot tables. 3:57 - Macro 2 - macro to format spill ranges. 5:07 - Macro 3 - building an index sheet in excel. 6:19 - Macro message boxes and examples overview. 7:35 - When to use macros. Listen now. Host: Neale Blackwood CPA has more than 20 years of experience as a Microsoft Excel educator. He is the author of more than 200 INTHEBLACK articles as well as a book, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants. CPA Australia publishes four podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting: INTHEBLACK INTHEBLACK Out Loud With Interest Excel Tips Search for them in your podcast platform. You can email the podcast team at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au