30 Excel Hacks & Tricks โ With Guidelines
30 Excel Hacks & Modern MIS Report Tips 30 Excel Hacks & Modern MIS Report Tips Master Excel with these pro tips and create impactful MIS reports in 2025. Microsoft Excel is constantly evolving, with new features and functions that make data analysis and reporting even more efficient. Whether you’re preparing a Management Information System (MIS) report or just organizing everyday data, knowing the latest tricks can save you hours. In this updated guide, you’ll find 30 powerful Excel hacks that will make your workflow faster and smarter. Weโll also touch on how these tips can help you design better MIS reports that management loves. From dynamic arrays and **Python in Excel** to the magic of **Copilot**, these hacks cover both essential shortcuts and advanced techniques. Applying these tricks will improve your productivity, ensure data accuracy, and help you present professional, visually appealing MIS reports that truly stand out. 1. XLOOKUP: The Modern Lookup Function Say goodbye to VLOOKUP and HLOOKUP. Use the modern **XLOOKUP** function to find data in a table with more flexibility and power, handling vertical and horizontal searches with ease. It’s simpler and more robust. Example: To find an employee’s name (in column B) using their ID (in column A), use =XLOOKUP(D2, A:A, B:B). 2. Flash Fill Magic Automatically fill in data patterns by typing the first example and pressing **Ctrl + E**. Perfect for quickly separating names or formatting phone numbers. Example: Type “John” in cell B2 next to “John Smith” in A2. Press Ctrl + E in B3, and Excel will automatically fill the first names for the rest of your list. 3. Remove Duplicates Highlight your dataset, go to **Data > Remove Duplicates**. This is essential when cleaning MIS reports to avoid double-counting records. 4. PivotTable & Slicers Go to **Insert > PivotTable** to summarize large datasets. Add **Slicers** (**Insert > Slicer**) to create interactive, visual filters that make your MIS reports dynamic and easy to navigate. Example: Summarize sales data by region and product. Insert a Slicer for ‘Region’ to filter the report with a single click. 5. Conditional Formatting Highlight patterns and trends using **Home > Conditional Formatting**. Use it to visually mark KPIs, alert on targets, or spot critical data points in your MIS reports. Example: Use a red fill for sales figures below a target of 1000 and a green fill for those above. 6. Dynamic Array Formulas (FILTER, UNIQUE, SORT) These functions automatically “spill” results into neighboring cells. Example: To get a unique, sorted list of products from column A, simply type =SORT(UNIQUE(A2:A100)) in a single cell. 7. INDEX & MATCH Combine **INDEX** and **MATCH** for more flexible lookups than XLOOKUP (useful in older Excel versions) or for more complex, multi-criteria lookups. Example: =INDEX(B:B, MATCH(D2, A:A, 0)) is the classic way to find a name from an ID. 8. Freeze Panes Keep your report headers visible as you scroll down by going to **View > Freeze Panes**. This is crucial for large MIS datasets. 9. Data Validation Lists Create dropdown menus with **Data > Data Validation** for consistent data entry, ensuring accuracy in shared MIS files. Example: Create a dropdown list in a cell containing ‘Completed’, ‘In Progress’, and ‘On Hold’ to standardize project statuses. 10. Text to Columns Split data from a single column into multiple columns using **Data > Text to Columns**. Useful for separating full names or product codes. 11. TEXTJOIN & CONCATENATE Merge text from multiple cells. **TEXTJOIN** is more advanced, letting you specify a delimiter and ignore empty cells. Example: To combine name parts with a space, use =TEXTJOIN(” “, TRUE, B2, C2, D2). 12. TEXTSPLIT The inverse of TEXTJOIN, this new function (**=TEXTSPLIT(text, delimiter)**) lets you quickly split text into multiple columns or rows with a single formula. Example: To split “John Smith” from cell A2 into two cells, use =TEXTSPLIT(A2, ” “). 13. Quick Analysis Tool Select a range of data and use the Quick Analysis button (the small icon that appears in the bottom-right) for instant charts, totals, and conditional formatting. 14. Sparklines Insert tiny trend charts into a single cell using **Insert > Sparklines**. Great for showing performance trends at a glance next to a KPI. Example: Show a small line chart next to monthly sales figures to visualize the trend instantly. 15. Filter by Color Right-click on a cell and use **Filter > Filter by Selected Cell’s Color** to quickly group data based on its highlight color. 16. Use the LAMBDA Function Create your own custom, reusable functions in Excel using the **LAMBDA** function. This is an advanced trick for complex reports that require a custom calculation. Example: To create a function to calculate a 15% bonus, use =LAMBDA(sales, sales * 0.15) and name it “BonusCalc”. 17. Quick Access Toolbar Add your most-used commands to the Quick Access Toolbar at the top of the Excel window for fast, one-click access. Example: Add “Merge & Center” and “Paste Values” for quick formatting shortcuts. 18. AutoSum Press **Alt + =** to automatically sum a range of numbers. Works for SUM, AVERAGE, COUNT, and more. 19. Protect Sheet Use **Review > Protect Sheet** to prevent unwanted edits in shared MIS files, ensuring data integrity. 20. Goal Seek Use **Data > What-If Analysis > Goal Seek** to find the input value needed to achieve a desired result from a formula. Example: Find out what sales figure is needed to hit a profit of $50,000. 21. Remove Gridlines Go to **View > Gridlines** to toggle them off. This makes your reports look cleaner and more professional. 22. Named Ranges Assign names to specific cells or ranges for easier formula writing and navigation. Example: Name the sales column “SalesData” and use =SUM(SalesData) instead of =SUM(C2:C100). 23. Smart Tables (Ctrl + T) Select your data and press **Ctrl + T** to convert it into a formatted Excel Table. This makes sorting, filtering, and using formulas much easier. 24. Dynamic Charts Make your charts auto-update by linking them to dynamic arrays or a formatted Table.