DATA ANALYSIS & BUSINESS DECISION MAKING MADE EASY USING MICROSOFT EXCEL
“Transforming Raw Data into Strategic Insights and Actions Using Excel’s Analytical Power”
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Course Schedule
| Date | Venue | Fees (Face-to-Face) |
|---|---|---|
| 30 – 31 Jan 2025 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | USD 1995 per delegate |
Course Introduction
In today’s data-rich environment, Excel remains one of the most powerful and accessible tools for business professionals to turn information into action. From sales and operations to finance and HR, Excel helps teams analyze trends, model scenarios, and make informed decisions with clarity and speed.
This hands-on, results-driven course teaches professionals how to harness Excel for data analysis and decision-making without requiring advanced programming or data science knowledge. Participants will learn how to clean, organize, and interpret data using pivot tables, charts, formulas, and what-if tools to support day-to-day and strategic business decisions.
Course Objectives
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
- Use Excel functions to clean, validate, and summarize data sets.
- Create dashboards, pivot tables, and dynamic charts for business reporting.
- Apply decision support tools such as Goal Seek, Scenario Manager, and Data Tables.
- Perform business analysis using lookup functions, logical statements, and data modeling techniques.
- Visualize trends and forecasts to guide strategic choices.
- Improve data-driven communication with leadership and teams.
Key Benefits of Attending
- Make better business decisions with greater speed and confidence.
- Use Excel more strategically—not just for calculation, but for insight.
- Turn data into clear, compelling reports and dashboards.
- Reduce time spent on manual analysis by using automation features.
- Build models that simulate outcomes and test business assumptions.
Intended Audience
This program is designed for:
- Business professionals who use Excel for reporting or decision-making
- Managers and team lead seeking to improve planning and forecasting
- Analysts and support staff handling business, sales, or finance data
- Anyone seeking to strengthen their Excel skills in a business context
Individual Benefits
Key competencies that will be developed include:
- Data structuring, cleansing, and validation
- Excel-based modeling and decision-making
- Trend analysis and forecasting
- Business reporting and dashboard design
- Logical and scenario-based thinking
Organization Benefits
Upon completing the training course, participants will demonstrate:
- More effective, data-driven decision-making
- Improved reporting quality and consistency
- Faster turnaround in analysis and insight generation
- Better alignment between departments through standardized tools
- Stronger Excel capability across non-technical roles
Instructional Methdology
The course follows a blended learning approach combining theory with practice:
- Step-by-step demonstrations of tools and formulas
- Real-world business case scenarios and datasets
- Interactive exercises and guided simulations
- Templates – Business dashboards, KPIs, data validation tools
- Group Work – Collaborative problem-solving and presentation of findings
- Instructor Coaching – Best practices, shortcuts, and Q&A
Course Outline
Detailed 2-Day Course Outline
Training Hours: 7:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Daily Format: 3–4 Learning Modules | Coffee breaks: 09:30 & 11:15 | Lunch Buffet: 01:00 – 02:00
Day 1: Excel for Data Analysis and Visualization
Module 1: Structuring and Cleaning Data (07:30 – 09:30)
- Data types, cell formatting, and data validation
- Removing duplicates, filtering, and error checks
- Sorting and organizing for analysis
Module 2: Summarizing Data with Formulas and Functions (09:45 – 11:15)
- SUMIFS, AVERAGEIFS, COUNTIFS for grouped summaries
- IF, AND, OR, and nested logic for business rules
- TEXT and DATE functions for cleaner reporting
Module 3: Pivot Tables and Charts for Insight (11:30 – 01:00)
- Creating pivot tables and slicers
- Using calculated fields and grouping
- Visualizing with bar, line, pie, combo, and waterfall charts
Module 4: Dashboard Design Basics (02:00 – 03:30)
- Dynamic dashboards using form controls
- Layout principles and visual hierarchy
- Linking data and charts for presentation-ready outputs
Day 2: Business Decision Tools & Scenario Modeling
Module 5: Lookup and Matching Functions (07:30 – 09:30)
- VLOOKUP, XLOOKUP, INDEX-MATCH
- Matching data from multiple tables
- Common lookup pitfalls and error handling
Module 6: Scenario Analysis and What-If Tools (09:45 – 11:15)
- Goal Seek, Scenario Manager, and Data Tables
- Modeling revenue, cost, and profit break-even
- Input sensitivity and output impact
Module 7: Forecasting and Trend Analysis (11:30 – 01:00)
- Moving averages and trendlines
- Linear forecasting using regression formulas
- Building forward-looking models in Excel
Module 8: Final Project – Building a Business Insight Dashboard (02:00 – 03:30)
- Group or individual project using course tools
- Presenting insights and recommendations
Certification
Participants who complete the program will receive a Certificate of Completion in Data Analysis & Business Decision Making Using Microsoft Excel, validating their ability to analyze, model, and communicate business data insights effectively.