Using Microsoft Excel is an excellent way to quickly generate calculations on your in-house data but things can get real frustrating real fast.
The first thing I learnt in Excel was to click on a cell, click the plus and click another cell and it totalled it up. Then I could drag it down the list, it was effortless, great I thought!
However, one thing I did initially struggle with on my first few days, was summing information down but then needing to calculate on something that always stayed in the same cell like a tax rate. This is where absolute cell references comes in!
F4 key / Using the dollar sign: $
This bit of information is key, if you are clicking on something which will always stay in the same cell, but everything else is in sequential cells moving down or across then press the F4 key. It will immediately insert dollars on to the cell in the formula which is a sign it has locked the reference with that cell.
For example: If you had a tax rate in cell A1 it would change it to $A$1 when you press F4.
Lets watch a video for a better understanding
First it will take you through relative cell references which we are all used to which is when excel fills the formula down for you. Then it will take you through absolute cell references from the 1m 45seconds in.
More Information
Using Microsoft Excel or other spreadsheet applications like Google Sheets can being great benefits to your day to day job allowing you to quickly organise information, sum up figures, and react to changing data patterns inside your business. Here at Bowe we are always just a phonecall away to help in situations where you might need some advice. Contact us here to see if we can help.