Data analysis with MS Excel

This article will explain you how excel features are used to data analysis process: 

1. Sort: You can apply sort to one or multiple cells to get expected data. You may sort data A-to-Z or Z-to-A manner. This is very simple and easy method for data analysis. Custom sort has advance features like sort by cell colour, font colour and cell icon.

2. Conditional Formatting: Conditional formatting is very rich functionality for data analysis in Excel that enables user to highlight cells with different colours, depending on the cell's value/percent.  By applying conditional formatting to your data, you can quickly identify variances in a range of values with a quick glance. Following example will give quick answer about high temperature value.

3. Filter:  Filter your data in excel by certain criteria to get expected output. Filtered data displays only the rows that meet criteria that you specify and hides rows that you don't want displayed. You can apply filter to multiple columns at a time. After you filter data, you can copy, find, edit, format, chart, and print the subset of filtered data without rearranging or moving it.

4. Charts: A picture is equal to thousand words so generating chart with a sheet full of numbers is easy to understand. This is very useful and easy tools for data analysis and to create visualizations. There are so many different charts we can create for data analysis.

5. Tables: Table will allow you to analyse data easily and quickly.
6. Pivot Tables: Pivot Table is very powerful and easy to use data analysis tool in excel. You can extract information from rows and columns by inserting pivot on that data.  
7. Analysis ToolPak: This is an excel add-in program used to data analysis for statistical and engineering data analysis.
8. Solver: Excel is having one more tool which is called solver. This uses techniques from the operations research to find optimal solutions for all kind of decision problems.