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Priyanka Mehta

To be successful in this course, you should have a basic understanding of Excel and comfort working with spreadsheets.

By the end of this course, you will:

- Use Excel to analyze data and build dynamic dashboards

- Apply statistical analysis techniques for deeper insights

- Automate repetitive tasks with Macros to boost productivity

Ideal for professionals and beginners aiming to strengthen Excel-based business analytics skills.

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What's inside

Syllabus

Foundations of Business Analytics
This course offers a comprehensive journey through business analytics using Excel. Start with the basics of analytics, then learn to clean and prepare data for analysis. Master Excel functions, Pivot Tables, and interactive dashboards. Explore tools like Goal Seek, Solver, and descriptive statistics. Advance to statistical techniques including regression, ANOVA, and correlation, and automate tasks using Macros for efficient data analysis.
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Career center

Learners who complete Business Analytics using Excel will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Data Analyst
A Data Analyst extracts, cleans, and interprets data to provide actionable insights for decision-making. This course is exceptionally well-suited for an aspiring Data Analyst, providing a comprehensive foundation in using Excel for core analytical tasks. Learners will master data preparation techniques like sorting and filtering, apply advanced Excel functions for complex calculations, and leverage Pivot Tables and slicers for large dataset analysis. The ability to create dynamic dashboards and automate repetitive tasks using Macros, specifically taught in this course, is crucial for efficiency and presenting clear data narratives in this role. Moreover, the course covers statistical analysis techniques such as regression, hypothesis testing, and ANOVA, essential for deriving deeper insights from business data.
Reporting Analyst
A Reporting Analyst is responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining reports and dashboards that present crucial business information. This course is an excellent fit for an aspiring Reporting Analyst, as it directly focuses on mastering the tools and techniques vital for this role within Excel. Learners will develop strong skills in data preparation, advanced Excel functions, and the powerful use of Pivot Tables and slicers for efficient data aggregation. The course specifically teaches how to create interactive and dynamic dashboards, which is a primary output for a Reporting Analyst. Additionally, automating repetitive reporting tasks using Macros, a key component of this course, is invaluable for increasing efficiency and ensuring timely delivery of accurate reports.
Business Analyst
A Business Analyst bridges the gap between business problems and technological solutions, requiring strong analytical skills to gather requirements, analyze data, and present findings. This course offers highly relevant skills for a Business Analyst, empowering them to effectively analyze business data using Excel. Learners will gain proficiency in data preparation, apply logical and statistical formulas, and utilize Pivot Tables to understand business performance. The course’s focus on building interactive dashboards allows a Business Analyst to visualize key metrics and communicate insights clearly to stakeholders. Furthermore, the inclusion of statistical analysis techniques and automation with Macros helps streamline reporting and provides deeper understanding of business trends, directly supporting an effective Business Analyst role.
Sales Operations Analyst
A Sales Operations Analyst optimizes sales processes, analyzes sales performance metrics, and provides data-driven insights to sales teams to enhance efficiency and effectiveness. This course is an excellent fit for a Sales Operations Analyst, as it directly equips them with the crucial Excel skills needed for this role. Learners will master data preparation, apply advanced Excel functions and statistical methods to analyze sales pipelines, forecast trends, and evaluate sales strategies. The course’s emphasis on building interactive dashboards allows a Sales Operations Analyst to create compelling visualizations of sales performance, key performance indicators, and regional trends. Furthermore, automating routine tasks with Macros, as taught in this course, is invaluable for streamlining reporting and boosting productivity.
Supply Chain Analyst
A Supply Chain Analyst optimizes the flow of goods and information across the supply chain, requiring extensive data analysis for inventory management, logistics, and demand forecasting. This course is highly relevant for a Supply Chain Analyst, providing mastery in using Excel for data preparation, analysis, and visualization crucial for this role. Learners will develop strong skills in statistical analysis, including regression and ANOVA, essential for forecasting demand and evaluating supplier performance. The course also teaches the creation of interactive dashboards, enabling a Supply Chain Analyst to visualize key supply chain metrics, identify inefficiencies, and present findings effectively. Furthermore, the ability to automate data processing and reporting with Macros, a key component of this course, is invaluable for streamlining operations and enhancing decision-making.
Financial Analyst
A Financial Analyst performs in-depth financial modeling, forecasting, and performance analysis to support investment decisions and strategic planning. This course is highly beneficial for a Financial Analyst, building expertise in Excel, which is indispensable in finance. Learners will gain proficiency in statistical functions, allowing for robust trend analysis and financial forecasting. The course also teaches the creation of interactive dashboards, enabling a Financial Analyst to visualize financial performance and present complex data clearly to management. Furthermore, the ability to automate routine reporting tasks using Macros and apply statistical techniques like regression can significantly enhance productivity and accuracy in analyzing financial data, a core competency for those in this field.
Operations Analyst
An Operations Analyst optimizes business processes, improves efficiency, and enhances operational performance through data-driven insights. This course is well-suited for an Operations Analyst, as it provides mastery of Excel for analyzing operational data. Learners will develop strong skills in data preparation, applying statistical functions, and leveraging Pivot Tables to identify bottlenecks and areas for improvement. The course teaches the creation of interactive dashboards, allowing an Operations Analyst to visualize key performance indicators and track operational health effectively. Furthermore, the inclusion of statistical analysis techniques like ANOVA and regression, alongside the ability to automate routine reporting with Macros, can significantly enhance an Operations Analyst’s capacity to drive process improvements and make informed decisions.
Pricing Analyst
A Pricing Analyst determines optimal pricing strategies by conducting thorough market research, cost analysis, and competitor pricing evaluations. This course is highly relevant for a Pricing Analyst, providing mastery in using Excel for complex analytical tasks central to this role. Learners will develop strong skills in statistical analysis, including regression and hypothesis testing, which are essential for modeling pricing impacts and elasticity. The course also teaches the creation of interactive dashboards, enabling a Pricing Analyst to visualize pricing scenarios, track market changes, and present data-backed recommendations effectively. Furthermore, the ability to automate data preparation and analysis with Macros can significantly enhance efficiency in this data-intensive field.
Marketing Analyst
A Marketing Analyst examines marketing data to evaluate campaign performance, understand customer behavior, and identify market opportunities. This course can be highly helpful for a Marketing Analyst, equipping them with robust Excel skills for data-driven insights. Learners will learn to analyze marketing datasets using various Excel functions, Pivot Tables, and statistical methods such as regression, to uncover patterns and assess campaign effectiveness. The ability to build dynamic dashboards, as taught in this course, allows a Marketing Analyst to visualize marketing trends and present performance metrics in an engaging and understandable format. Automating repetitive data processing tasks with Macros can also significantly boost productivity in this analytical field.
Customer Success Analyst
A Customer Success Analyst focuses on monitoring customer health, identifying churn risks, and discovering upsell opportunities by analyzing customer data. This course is well-suited for a Customer Success Analyst, providing robust Excel skills for gaining insights from customer interactions and usage patterns. Learners will master data preparation techniques, apply various Excel functions, and utilize Pivot Tables to segment customers and track engagement metrics. The course’s focus on building dynamic dashboards is particularly valuable, enabling a Customer Success Analyst to visualize customer health scores, track satisfaction, and present key insights. Applying statistical analysis and automating reporting with Macros, as taught in this course, further enhances their ability to proactively improve customer retention and satisfaction.
Data Visualization Specialist
A Data Visualization Specialist transforms complex data into compelling visual stories and interactive dashboards to communicate insights effectively. While specialized tools exist, this course can be very helpful for a Data Visualization Specialist, building strong foundational skills in creating visualizations using Excel. Learners will gain proficiency in creating dynamic and interactive dashboards, directly addressing a core aspect of this role. The course emphasizes using Excel’s analytical tools and advanced formatting to present data clearly. Mastering Pivot Tables and slicers, along with the ability to automate visualization updates using Macros, can significantly enhance a Data Visualization Specialist’s ability to produce impactful and efficient data displays, especially when Excel is the primary tool.
Management Consultant
A Management Consultant advises organizations on strategic decisions, operational improvements, and organizational changes, often requiring rigorous data analysis and presentation. This course may be helpful for a Management Consultant, providing robust analytical and presentation skills within Excel. Consultants often need to rapidly analyze client data, build models, and present findings clearly. The course’s emphasis on data preparation, advanced Excel functions, Pivot Tables, and dynamic dashboard creation is highly relevant for quickly understanding business problems and communicating solutions. The statistical analysis techniques covered may also aid in deeper problem assessment. An advanced degree, such as an MBA, is typically required for this role.
Business Intelligence Analyst
A Business Intelligence Analyst collects, analyzes, and presents data to support strategic and operational business decisions. While often leveraging more specialized BI platforms, this course may be useful for a Business Intelligence Analyst by providing a strong foundation in data analysis and visualization using Excel. Learners will develop skills in data preparation, applying a range of Excel functions, and mastering Pivot Tables to extract insights. The course's focus on building dynamic dashboards is directly applicable to creating digestible reports. Furthermore, the automation of tasks with Macros and the application of statistical methods for deeper insights can build a foundational competency that complements the use of other BI tools, enhancing overall analytical capability.
Product Manager
A Product Manager leads the strategy, roadmap, and feature definition for a product, relying on data to make informed decisions about product development and market fit. This course may be helpful for a Product Manager, as strong data analysis skills are critical for understanding user behavior, market trends, and product performance. The ability to analyze data using Excel functions, Pivot Tables, and statistical methods, as taught in this course, can help a Product Manager interpret user metrics and feature effectiveness. Creating dynamic dashboards to track key product performance indicators, a skill directly covered by the course, is also invaluable for monitoring product health and communicating insights to engineering and marketing teams.
Project Manager
A Project Manager plans, executes, and closes projects, often needing to track progress, manage resources, and analyze budgets and timelines. This course may be helpful for a Project Manager, as it can enhance their ability to analyze project-related data effectively using Excel. Learners will gain proficiency in using Excel functions, Pivot Tables, and data visualization techniques to monitor project performance and identify potential issues. The course’s focus on automating repetitive tasks with Macros can also significantly streamline reporting and administrative aspects of project management, allowing a Project Manager to allocate more time to strategic oversight and team leadership. This course can help build a foundation for data-driven project oversight.

Reading list

We've selected 50 books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Business Analytics using Excel.
Provides a comprehensive overview of modern statistical learning methods. It covers topics such as supervised learning, unsupervised learning, and statistical modeling. It valuable resource for students and researchers in machine learning, data science, and other fields that use statistical methods.
This classic book by Edward Tufte must-read for anyone interested in data visualization. It covers a wide range of topics, from the principles of visual perception to the design of effective charts and graphs.
Seminal work on the grammar of graphics, a formal language for describing data visualizations. It covers a wide range of topics, from the basics of the grammar of graphics to the use of the grammar of graphics to create a variety of charts and graphs.
Provides a comprehensive overview of Bayesian data analysis. It covers topics such as Bayesian inference, hierarchical models, and Markov chain Monte Carlo methods. It valuable resource for students and researchers in statistics, biostatistics, and other fields that use statistical methods.
The third edition of the essential guide to data wrangling with pandas, NumPy, and Jupyter in Python. Updated for newer versions of the libraries, this book remains a core resource for anyone performing data analysis in Python. It widely used textbook and reference for its clear explanations and practical examples.
This comprehensive handbook covers the entire field of robotics and automation, from the basics to the latest developments. It is an essential resource for anyone who wants to learn about this rapidly growing field.
Provides a comprehensive overview of applied statistics, using the S-PLUS statistical software package. It covers topics such as data analysis, statistical modeling, and graphical methods. It valuable resource for students and researchers in statistics, biostatistics, and other fields that use statistical methods.
Provides a comprehensive overview of causal inference. It covers topics such as causal graphs, counterfactuals, and causal effects. It valuable resource for students and researchers in statistics, biostatistics, and other fields that use statistical methods.
Seminal work on the subject of data visualization, and it is still one of the most influential books in the field. Tufte provides a comprehensive overview of the principles of data visualization, and he covers a wide range of topics, from data types to visual perception. Tufte's work is deeply rooted in using data visualization to present only truth and avoid misrepresenting data. This book is very thorough and can be challenging for those who are new to dashboards.
More than just a basic Excel guide, this book focuses on applying Excel to real-world data analysis and business problems. It's ideal for those looking to deepen their understanding of using Excel for practical applications, including newer features like dynamic arrays and Power Query. is commonly used as a textbook and strong reference for business professionals.
A recent edition of a popular series, this book covers pivot tables with an emphasis on new features like Dynamic Arrays, Power Query, and Copilot. It provides updated techniques for data crunching and reporting, making it highly relevant for users of the latest Excel versions. valuable resource for staying current with contemporary pivot table capabilities.
This practical guide is specifically tailored for those interested in financial modeling using Excel. It provides step-by-step instructions and focuses on applying Excel features to solve common business and financial problems. It's a valuable resource for students and professionals in finance and business roles looking to solidify their modeling skills.
An excellent resource for those using R, this book provides a comprehensive introduction to data wrangling, transformation, and visualization using the tidyverse suite of packages. It fundamental text for anyone learning data science with R, covering essential data preparation steps. is often used as a textbook in introductory data science courses.
Combines financial analysis and modeling concepts with the application of Excel and VBA. It's a valuable resource for those in finance who want to leverage Excel's power for complex analysis and automation. It deepens understanding by integrating financial theory with practical Excel implementation.
Focuses specifically on Power Query, a powerful tool within Excel and Power BI for connecting, transforming, and combining data from various sources. It's highly relevant for contemporary data analysis workflows and is essential for users who need to clean and prepare data efficiently before analysis. This book adds significant depth to data manipulation skills within Excel.
Is highly recommended for those who want to master financial modeling in Excel. It simplifies complex financial concepts and provides in-depth techniques for building, developing, and deploying financial models. It's a valuable resource for finance professionals and students seeking to deepen their financial modeling expertise.
Offers a detailed look at Power Query, focusing on practical techniques for data collection, combination, and transformation. It's an essential resource for anyone dealing with messy data and provides valuable skills for efficient data preparation in Excel and Power BI. This book significantly deepens understanding of data wrangling.
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Feature engineering critical part of data preparation for machine learning. focuses specifically on this topic, providing techniques and strategies for creating effective features from raw data. It valuable resource for anyone working on machine learning projects.
Provides a comprehensive overview of data science. It covers topics such as data collection, data analysis, and data visualization. It valuable resource for students and researchers in all fields that use data science methods.
Comprehensive guide to data visualization, covering everything from basic principles to advanced techniques. It is written in a clear and concise style, and it is packed with examples and exercises. This book does a fantastic job of providing a more in-depth look at many of the core principles associated with dashboards and great jumping-off point for learning more about them.
This comprehensive 'Bible' covers all aspects of Excel 365, with dedicated sections on pivot tables and related features like Power Query and Power Pivot. It's an excellent all-in-one reference for users of the subscription version of Excel, providing in-depth coverage of both basic and advanced functionalities.
Considered a classic in financial modeling, this book focuses entirely on using Excel to implement financial models. It's a thorough resource for those seeking a deep understanding of financial modeling principles and their practical application in Excel, drawing on real-world company data.
Provides a comprehensive introduction to big data analytics, covering topics such as data mining, machine learning, and statistical modeling. It is suitable for professionals looking to enhance their skills in big data analytics.
Provides a foundational understanding of the fundamental principles of data science and the data-analytic thinking necessary for extracting value from data in a business context. It is highly relevant for undergraduate business analytics programs and working professionals. It serves as a useful reference for understanding the business applications of data analysis and is commonly used as a textbook.
Focuses on practical data preprocessing specifically for machine learning applications using popular Python libraries like scikit-learn and pandas. It's highly relevant for those preparing data for modeling and provides hands-on examples. This book is particularly useful for students and professionals in the machine learning domain.
Provides a comprehensive overview of statistical analysis using the R statistical software package. It covers topics such as data analysis, statistical modeling, and graphical methods. It valuable resource for students and researchers in all fields that use statistical methods.
Provides a comprehensive overview of statistical power analysis. It covers topics such as effect size, sample size, and power analysis. It valuable resource for students and researchers in all fields that use statistical methods.
Comprehensive guide covering a vast range of Excel topics from beginner to advanced levels. It's an excellent resource for gaining a broad understanding of Excel's capabilities and serves as a valuable reference tool for various functions, formulas, and features. While published in 2018, its foundational content remains highly relevant for solidifying core Excel skills.
Focuses on modern data analysis techniques within Excel, including Power Query and Power Pivot. It's a contemporary resource for users looking to update their data cleaning and reporting processes and perform more rigorous data analysis directly within Excel. It's highly relevant for professionals working with data regularly.
An in-depth book that provides step-by-step instructions for creating macros in Microsoft Excel. Covers the basics of VBA, the programming language used to create macros.
Combines practical Python data wrangling techniques with a focus on data quality. It covers using Python to read, write, and transform data while addressing quality issues. It's a practical resource for those who want to integrate data quality checks into their Python data preparation workflows.
Offers a visual and comprehensive guide specifically focused on pivot tables. It aims to cover all aspects of this feature, making it a deep dive for those who want to master pivot table creation and manipulation. Its visual approach makes it accessible for learners of varying levels.
This handbook provides a solid foundation in financial modeling concepts and their implementation, often using Excel as a tool. It's a good resource for those who want to understand the theory behind financial models while also learning how to build them practically. It's suitable for both students and professionals.
Focuses on the crucial skill of communicating insights from data effectively through compelling visualizations. is highly relevant for all levels, emphasizing the importance of clear and impactful data presentation. It is valuable additional reading that complements technical data analysis skills.
Offers a broader perspective on data wrangling principles beyond specific tools. It delves into the process and techniques for preparing data effectively, regardless of the software or language used. It's valuable for gaining a solid understanding of the underlying concepts of data preparation. This book is suitable for both students and professionals seeking a deeper understanding of data wrangling methodologies.
Is for users who want to leverage the power of Power BI and Power Pivot for more advanced data analysis and business intelligence. It delves into data modeling and DAX formulas, which are essential for creating sophisticated reports and dashboards using pivot tables and related technologies. It is geared towards users with a solid foundation in Excel and pivot tables.
Bridges the gap between statistical theory and its practical application in data science using R and Python. It focuses on the statistical concepts most relevant to data scientists and provides code examples. It's a useful reference and learning resource for those applying statistics in their work.
This handbook takes a pragmatic approach to dealing with messy, real-world data. It provides a collection of techniques and war stories for handling various data quality issues. It valuable resource for practitioners who encounter challenging data problems regularly and offers practical solutions and insights.
Provides a comprehensive guide to best practices for data cleaning, covering steps to take before and after data collection. It emphasizes the importance of a systematic approach to ensure data quality. It valuable resource for researchers and data practitioners focused on rigorous data handling.
An updated guide to VBA and macros in the latest Excel versions, this book strong resource for automating tasks and extending Excel's functionality. It's suitable for users who want to move beyond basic formula and function usage and into more powerful automation.
Offers a new way of thinking about data science and ethics informed by intersectional feminist thought. It challenges existing power structures within data and explores how data can be used to work towards justice. It's highly relevant for contemporary discussions around fairness and bias in data analysis.
Provides a free and open-source introduction to statistics. It covers topics such as descriptive statistics, hypothesis testing, and regression analysis. It valuable resource for students and researchers who are new to statistics.
Provides a managerial perspective on business intelligence and data analysis, focusing on the use of data to improve decision-making and drive business performance. It covers topics such as data visualization, data warehousing, and data mining.
A concise and practical guide for absolute beginners, this book introduces the basic interface, creating worksheets, using simple formulas, and basic data manipulation. It's an excellent starting point for those with no prior Excel experience and helps build foundational knowledge.
Collection of essays on data visualization, written by one of the leading experts in the field. Yau covers a wide range of topics, from the history of data visualization to the latest trends in the field. This book provides a lot of real-world examples of dashboards and how they are used.

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