Excel Basics: Formulas, Charts, and Data Analysis

Getting Started with Excel

Excel is essential for data analysis and reporting at Alpha Development. Here are the basics.

Essential Formulas

• =SUM(A1:A10) — Add values in a range
• =AVERAGE(A1:A10) — Calculate the average
• =MAX(A1:A10) / =MIN(A1:A10) — Find highest/lowest
• =COUNT(A1:A10) — Count cells with numbers
• =IF(A1>100,”Yes”,”No”) — Conditional logic
• =VLOOKUP(A1,B1:C10,2,FALSE) — Look up values

Creating Charts

1. Select your data
2. Go to Insert tab
3. Choose a chart type (Column, Line, Pie, Bar)
4. Customize with Chart Design and Format tabs

Quick Analysis

Select data and click the Quick Analysis icon (bottom-right) for instant charts, totals, tables, and conditional formatting.

Tip: Use Ctrl + T to convert data to a Table for automatic filtering and sorting.