Agreed - you can do amazing things in Excel, but you can also create crap with any tool!

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But the real teaching moment went beyond #DataTransformation mechanics. Sometimes the smartest move is to separate context from detail, transform each piece correctly, and then recombine them once the logic is sound. Trying to force everything in 1 step often creates errors that only show up later.😖

Get access to more than just a course – get access to an instructor who will help you build real world solutions. Both our #SelfServiceBI (skw-t.com/ssbi) and Excel Fundamentals (skw-t.com/excelfun) Academies include access, where we help students solve their real-world problems.

Watching the #PivotTable update automatically after a simple refresh without having to touch the query makes the payoff obvious. 🔁😎

#BusinessIntelligence #DataAnalytics #DataPreparation

🧭Takeaway: The best automation is the one that fits how your data actually arrives.

The teaching moment came when Ken emphasized efficiency over heroics. If you’re manually appending files every month, that’s usually a signal to redesign the process – not accept the pain. E.g., rather than let users continue to “freestyle” data entry, provide them a template to promote consistency.

Thanks for the shout out!

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The real value came when he shared a practical ninja trick seasoned Excel users love: renaming pivot fields by adding a trailing space to bypass Excel’s duplicate-name rules. 🤓
Takeaway: Knowing Excel’s rules lets you bend them, cleanly and confidently.

#ExcelTricks #DataAnalysisTools

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This wasn’t just a fix – it was a mindset shift. Get the data shape right, and the PivotTable suddenly behaves.

🧭Takeaway: Most pivot problems aren’t formula problems – they’re data structure problems.

#DataModeling #DataAnalytics #BusinessIntelligence

Then came the teaching moment: rebuild the pivot using a single Month field and let Excel do what it’s good at. Ken demonstrated how to calculate month-over-month changes without messy calculated fields, using “Show Values As → Difference From.” Simple, clean, and scalable. 👍