Forecasting and Trend Analysis Using Microsoft Office Excel 2003
(Microsoft Training Course: 4002) - 0.5 day - £600 exc VAT

This course will provide experienced Excel users with a practical, hands-on understanding of advanced Excel data forecasting and charting techniques. It is designed for experienced Microsoft Excel users, including project managers, financial analysts, accountants, business owners, and other business professionals who have a vested interest in forecasting trends at the industrial, corporate, and project levels.

1. The Risks and Benefits of Forecasting Data
2. Creating Formula-Based Forecasts
3. Forecasting Using Moving Averages
4. Maximizing Profit Potential

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Module 1: The Risks and Benefits of Forecasting Data

• What Is Data Forecasting?
• The Business Needs for Data Forecasting
• Summary of the Risks and Benefits of Data Forecasting

Skills

• Describe the data forecasting process.
  
• Identify the business needs that data forecasting addresses.
  
• Summarize the risks and benefits of data forecasting.
  

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Module 2: Creating Formula-Based Forecasts

• Three Formula-Based Forecasting Resources
• Walkthrough: Creating Forecasts from Existing Data
• Demonstration: Analyzing Data by Using Goal Seek
• Exercise: Establishing Targets by Using Goal Seek
• Tips and Tricks for Formula-Based Forecasts

Skills

• Build a FORECAST formula.
  
• Create forecasts based on best-case, middle-case, and worst-case scenarios.
  
• Establish target values by using Goal Seek.
  

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Module 3: Forecasting Using Moving Averages

• What Is a Moving Average?
• What Decisions Do Moving Averages Help Me Make?
• Walkthrough 1: Calculating and Charting a Moving Average
• Walkthrough 2: Creating an Interactive Chart
• Tips and Tricks - Refining Moving Average Analysis

Skills

• Define moving averages.
  
• Describe the decisions that moving averages enable.
  
• Calculate and chart moving averages.
  
• Make a chart interactive.
  
• Implement tips and tricks for using moving averages.
  

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Module 4: Maximizing Profit Potential

• Net Present Value and Internal Rate of Return
• Walkthrough 1: Calculating Net Present Value
• Walkthrough 2: Calculating Internal Rate of Return
• Introduction to Solver
• Walkthrough 3: Determining Optimal Project Mixes
• Discussion: Best Practices for Defining Problems in Solver
• Summarizing Data Forecasting Benefits
• Next Steps

Skills

• Calculate Net Present Value.
  
• Calculate Internal Rate of Return.
  
• Describe Solver and the problems it helps to resolve.
  
• Solve profit-maximization problems using Solver.
  

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Before attending this course, students must have the following pre-requisites:

• Experience with analyzing business data to make decisions about products, projects, and strategic direction.
• The ability to use Excel to create formulas, including advanced formulas using the Insert Function dialog box.
• The ability to create line graphs and column charts from Excel data
• Familiarity with named ranges (for example, abbreviations that replace cell addresses, such as C3:D15, with nicknames such as AllSales).

After completing the course, students will be able to describe the role data forecasting plays in organizational planning; identify the positive and negative aspects of data forecasting; create formula-based data forecasts; define best, middle, and worst case scenario data; establish target values using Goal Seek; calculate moving averages; chart moving averages interactively; calculate Net Present Value and Internal Rate of Return; define and solve problems in Solver.