Presented by David H. Ringstrom, CPA
 
Event Date: 10/1/26
Time: 12:00 - 2:00 PM Eastern

In this presentation, CPA and author of "Microsoft 365 Excel for Dummies" David Ringstrom builds on core Excel knowledge by demonstrating advanced techniques accountants use to analyze data, automate workflows, and solve complex problems. You’ll learn how to perform sophisticated lookups with XLOOKUP, INDEX, and MATCH, automate data cleanup and transformation with Power Query, use Solver to match target values, and protect your work by recovering and backing up files effectively.
 
David demonstrates every technique at least twice: first on a PowerPoint slide with numbered steps, and then live in Excel for Windows using the subscription-based Microsoft 365 version. Differences between Microsoft 365 and earlier perpetual versions of Excel (2021, 2019, and earlier) are clearly identified during the session and reinforced in the accompanying handouts. Participants also receive an Excel workbook containing many of the examples used in the presentation.
 
Who should attend:
Accountants and Excel users who are comfortable with basics and want to work faster, automate tasks, and solve more complex spreadsheet problems.
 
Topics typically covered:
 
• Cleaning accounting reports in Power Query by removing blanks, merges, and missing data.
 
• Improving on older lookup methods by using the XLOOKUP function.
 
• Transforming an accounting report by way of Power Query.
 
• Understanding how the VLOOKUP function allows you to look up data.
 
• Adding values that match a single condition within a range.
 
• Fixing #N/A error values from mismatched number/text lookup types.
 
• Finding the last match in a list with XLOOKUP.
 
• Enabling Excel’s built-in optimization tool for local use.
 
Learning objectives:
 
• Define the arguments for the INDEX worksheet function.
 
• State which section of Excel's File menu enables you to mark a document as trusted.
 
• Recall the area of Excel's Options dialog box that allows you to enable the Solver feature in Excel.