Step 2: Now that you’ve assessed and refreshed these important skills, you’re ready to begin. First download the Excel template course file and use it to set up your spreadsheet. This step has you set up your basic view in preparation for the use of several tools.
Step 3: After you’ve formatted and set up your basic view and saved it with your name, you’re ready to move to the next step and add data.
When you’re ready, move on to the next step, where you will use functions to summarize the data.
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As a starting point, in cell D9, use Define a Name under the Formulas menu to create the name “Annual_Hrs.” When setting up the name, enter the constant =2080 in the box named “Refers to.” This is the number most often used in annual salary calculations based on full time, 40 hours per week, 52 weeks per year.
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In E11, create a formula that calculates the hourly rate for each employee, by referencing the employee’s salary in Column C, divided by the name you created for the annual hours of 2080. Complete the calculations for the remainder of Column E.
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In Column F, calculate the number of years worked for each employee by creating a formula that incorporates cell F9 and demonstrates your understanding of relative and absolute cells in Excel.
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In Column I, use an IF statement to flag with a “Yes” any employees who have been employed 10 years or more.
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Using the function VLookup, use the Region Key located at F417:G420 to fill in the cells in Column N to identify the region in which the employee is located based on the state listed in Column M. (If this function is new to you – hang in there – this one is worth it!
Step 4: With your data built, you are now ready to start using some tools tosummarize the data, using Countif and the Sum function to do the math. In this step, you’ll begin to see patterns in the data and the story of the workforce.
Take a breather here if you need it. You should strive to work through the first four steps this week. Check in with your instructor.
With this step complete, you’re ready to begin your analysis.
Complete each table in Section 2. Use the Countif Function to count each item in each table. Use the Sum Function to total the tables when required. Calculate percentages for each table as required. Format cells appropriately. Remember to make smart use of reference cells in formulas (avoid typing in numbers or text into formulas – point to other cells) and use mixed and fixed cell references to make copying formulas easier/faster. Your supervisor will look for this!
Step 5:
Your data set in Tab 1 should now be built. Next, you’ll create Tab 2: Excel Summary Stats.
mean, median, mode– average, middle, and most frequent data points in a set.
standard deviation – how spread out individual data points are from the mean; if data points vary greatly, the result is a higher standard deviation and vice versa. It is referred to as a “measure of dispersion” calculated as the square root of the variance. (Note: standard deviations – when calculating manually in Excel, you might see a slight difference between the result you get manually and the result you get using the Analysis Toolpak, depending on whether your version of Excel requires you to use the function DSTDEV or STDEV.S).
variance – the average squared distance between the mean and each data value. It is also a measure of dispersion, which is used to calculate the standard deviation. It is always nonnegative because the calculated squares are positive or zero. A small variance means that the data points are very close to the mean and to each other; thus, a high variance tells us that the data points are very spread out from the mean and from each other.
range – the difference between the highest (MAX) and lowest (MIN) values in a data set.
skewness and kurtosis – numerical measures to describe the shape of a data set and how close it is to a normal distribution. Skewness describes how symmetrical the data is around the mean. Kurtosis describes height and sharpness of the central peak (its peakedness or flatness) in comparison to a normal curve.
Step 6: With your data set built, you will nowuse the Analysis Toolpakto do those same functions. This is a handy feature to know. Remember that there may be some minor differences in the answers depending on the version.
You should now have Tab 2 complete: Excel Summary Stats. Next, you’ll create charts and a histogram for Tabs 3 and 4.
Excel features an add-in to work with statistics as follows:
- First, make sure you have enabled the data analysis toolpak feature.
- Calculate the statistics for salary, hourly rate, years of service, education level, and age. Hint: You can perform these calculations in one step by highlighting the adjacent columns of data in D10:H382. Place the output on a new sheet in the workbook. Label the tab “Excel Summary Stats.”
- Compare your calculations using the data analysis feature to the results you obtained in the previous step, when you calculated the results manually with individual functions. How did you do?
Where would we be without the ability to view data in charts? It is sometimes easier to grasp context of data if we can see it captured in an image. In this step, you will work with data to create charts, adding a tab for charts, and another for a histogram.
In this step, you will build Tab 3: Graphs—Charts and Tab 4: Histogram. After you complete these tabs, you’ll be ready to sort the data.
Create the following graphs in your workbook on a separate tab named Graphs_Charts:
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Create separate pie charts that show the percentage of employees by a) gender, b) education level, and c) marital status. Explore pie chart formats.
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Create separate bar charts that show the a) number of employees by race, and b) the number of employee per state.
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Create a line graph for the sales summary provided.
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Create a histogram that shows the number of employees in incremental salary ranges of $10,000. Here, you want to show how many employees are making 0-$10,000, $10,999-$20,000, up to $210,000. This involves counting how many for each “salary bucket,” creating what is called a frequency distribution table and histogram. Histograms seem hard, but mastering how to visualize the frequency of events is so helpful in analysis!
You’ve accomplished a lot with your data set, summary stats, charts, and histograms. Another skill you’ll need to be able to do is sort data in an Excel worksheet for reporting purposes. You’ll copy and sort the data.. This is a good skill that applies to any Excel application.
In this step, you will create Tab 5: Sorted Data. When you’re finished, you’ll be ready to conduct your quantitative analysis.
See below for example of sorted spreadsheet.
Step 9: In this step, your hard work bears fruit. What does it all mean? Think back to your boss’s reasons for tasking you with this project. Bring your powers of analysis to bear to determine what the data may be telling you. Apply your quantitative reasoning skills by answering the questions provided in the resource and writing a short essay.
After you answer the questions, your short essay should include:
- a one-paragraph narrative summary of your findings, describing patterns of interest
- an explanation of the potential relevance of such patterns
- a description of how you would investigate further to determine if your results could be perceived as good or bad for the company.
Prepare your response in this workbook. Create a tab for Quantitative Analysis, create a text box, and paste your answers to above questions and your essay in it. Move the tab to the first tab position.
Good job! In the next step, you’ll submit your workbook and analysis.
