Workshop & Training Topics

Spreadsheet Alchemy training sessions are custom designed to complement the needs of your organization. The following list provides a sampling of some of the more common topics that organizations may choose to include in our training workshops. Most of these topics apply to any type of organization, and can be customized to your training needs.

  • Review of Excel Basics (mapping cell ranges; relative vs. absolute referencing; printing options/page breaks; data filtering/Autofilter; basic data plotting)
  • Worksheet Features (worksheet/workbook links; spreadsheet auditing; data validation; worksheet protection; conditional formatting)
  • Excel for Scientists and Engineers (Excel specifications & limitations; defined names; range array definition; Built-in Function library; worksheet programming; regression analysis; circular references and worksheet iteration)
  • Tool Development Elements and Project Design Considerations (Excel hierarchy; application to subsystems modeling; structured spreadsheets guidelines/layout/design; worksheet-based project control; graphical interface based project control; ActiveX controls)
  • Visual Basic for Applications Fundamentals (VB Editor; Project Explorer and Properties windows; Code Windows; types of VBA procedures; calling VBA procedures; procedure module layout overview; VBA Coding standards and security issues)
  • VBA Procedure Specifics (Procedure scope; procedure variables; returning values from Functions and Procedures; calling procedures; using arrays in functions; exiting procedures early)
  • Visual Basic for Applications Language and Syntax (declaring variables and constants; variable data types; passing arrays between VBA and the worksheet; defining array variables; array dimensioning; decision control structures and looping; VBA string functions)
  • Using the Range Object (referencing a range; using the Cells property; using the End and Offset properties; using the UsedRange and CurrentRegion properties)
  • Excel Automation Using VBA (introduction to Object Oriented applications; common Excel objects, properties, and methods; object containers and object collections; looping through collections; reading and writing object properties; finding objects and properties; VBA object browser & Macro recorder)
  • Graphical User Interface (GUI) Development (Userform design considerations; creating, displaying and dismissing a userform; ActiveX controls on worksheets; ActiveX controls on userforms; Event programming in VBA)

The following list provides some specific project examples of how we have contributed to our customers’ success in expanding their Excel/VBA capabilities through our training workshops. Perhaps some of these strategies might apply to your organization.

Engineering/Finance

  • Conversion of Legacy Fortran Code to Excel-Executable Modules
  • Integration and Automation of Excel with Other Microsoft Applications (Outlook, Visio, Project, PowerPoint, Word, Access)
  • Automation of Data Reduction and Regression Analysis from Test Data
  • Conversion of Legacy Fortran Code to Excel-Executable Modules
  • Integration and Automation of Excel with Other Microsoft Applications (Outlook, Visio, Project, PowerPoint, Word, Access)
  • Automation of Data Reduction and Regression Analysis from Test Data
  • Development of Graphical User Interfaces to Support Excel-Based Tools
  • Creation of Specialty Engineering/Financial Functions and Procedures
  • Construction of Component Models to Support Systems Analysis
  • Systems-Level Modeling and Optimization for Improved Design
  • Linking of Third-Party Software Input/Output into Excel
  • Excel Database Management and Custom Report Generation

Higher Education

  • Development of College-wide Scheduling Tool by Faculty / Classroom / Course
  • Multi-Semester Program Planner / Guided Pathway Interactive Application
  • Faculty Payroll
  • Home-Grown Academic Assessment System for Data Collection and Reporting
  • Calculator for Part-Time/Adjunct Instructor Pay – Affordable Care Act Requirements
  • Predictive Semester Class Offerings by Course Aligned with Environmental Scans and Historical Enrollments
  • Facility Classroom Management