Maximize Excel: Using Advanced Lookup Functions

CPE Credit: 2 hours
 
Excel expert David Ringstrom, CPA, believes every Excel user should be familiar with lookup functions. In this valuable course, David introduces several lookup functions, including VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP, MATCH, and CHOOSE. These powerful Excel functions allow you to rapidly develop accurate spreadsheets and look up information—such as pay rates, item prices, and accounting results—versus manually linking to specific cells. David explains the context of when to use lookup functions, demonstrates troubleshooting techniques, and prepares you to deal with subtle issues that can prevent them from working properly.
 
David demonstrates every technique at least twice: first, on a PowerPoint slide with numbered steps, and second, in Excel 2016. He draws your attention to any differences in Excel 2013, 2010, or 2007 during the presentation as well as in his detailed handouts. David also provides an Excel workbook that includes most of the examples he uses during the webcast.


Topics Covered

• Understanding the importance of absolute references within many lookup functions.
• Using VLOOKUP to look up data from another workbook.
• Improving the integrity of spreadsheets with Excel’s VLOOKUP function.
• Employing the SUMIF function to sum values related to multiple instances of criteria you specify.
• Utilizing Excel’s IFERROR function to display alternate values when VLOOKUP returns an error.
• Troubleshooting other errors VLOOKUP can present, such as #REF!, #NAME!, and #VALUE!.
• Future-proofing VLOOKUP by referencing entire columns when available.
• Simplifying multiple-field lookups with concatenation (combining fields into a single cell).
• Viewing two worksheets at the same time within the same workbook.

• Describe how to implement the VLOOKUP and HLOOKUP functions.
• Define how to improve spreadsheet integrity with Excel’s VLOOKUP function.
• Recall how to deal with subtle issues that can prevent lookup functions from working properly.