Simple sales analysis

By combining INDEX and MATCH, we can easily calculate sales results if the data we analyse is given in a table that is a matrix. By using Data Validation for certain cells you’ll get a very simple sales analysis tool that is easily scalable and can be used in more complex scenarios. Pivot tables are an irreplaceable tool but there are situations where we get similar results by a different procedure, this is one of them!

Stop If True option

When defining conditional formatting rules, sometimes there are more than one format, and we want one formatting rule to exclude another. In these situations, Stop If True option may be helpful. It is used in various ways, and one of the simplest is filtering the conditional formatting rules given by icon sets. Let’s see how this works!

Data categories

Last year brought us another interesting Power BI Desktop feature. When importing tables into a data model, it is possible to specify a data category for the selected columns. Choosing a category can accurately determine what data is in the table. This way we get some new features, e.g. to include a link to a site or an image describing the products within the table.

Updated ribbons

Power BI Desktop got updated ribbons! The new, modern design, simplifies operation significantly because options are better grouped and easier to find. It is very similar to the one we encountered in Office365 applications and appeared as one of the preview features in November 2019. From April 2020, this should become the default look of the Power BI Desktop development environment, let’s see what new it brings.

Default pivot table layout

When you create a Pivot table report there are several options that you can use to influence its appearance. These can be some of the settings in the Options menu, and you can also change the Report Layout by selecting from the menu located in the Design ribbon. What’s new in Excel 2019 is that you can now set the default Pivot table report layout so that each new report looks the way you want it …