Data Analysis and Visualization with Microsoft Excel [v1.1]

Technology and the data that it both collects and makes accessible is now interwoven with businesses and lives. The era of “big data” has exploded due to the rise of cloud computing, which provides an abundance of computational power and storage, enabling organizations of all sorts to capture and store data. Leveraging that data effectively can provide timely insights and competitive advantage. Analyzing data to find issues, insights, and opportunities is now a critical part of many job roles. Beyond the analysis, data analysts in all job roles must be able to effectively present and communicate their findings in visually compelling ways. Microsoft® Excel® is designed for this purpose. Excel can connect to a wide range of data sources, perform robust data analysis, and create diverse and robust data-driven visualizations to show insights and trends, as well as create reports. These capabilities enable people who use Excel for data analysis to turn data into thoughtful action.