Useful Excel Skills to Improve Productivity

Overview

This practical series (presented in interactive workshop format) will develop an applied understanding of essential Excel skills aimed at improving productivity. The three webinars will focus on developing the skills to be able to perform financial data analysis, develop financial/tax reconciliations and compile professional reports to improve forecasting for better business decisions, as well as for presentation to clients.

This series aims to develop professional competencies such as data analytics, digital affinity, analytical thinking and review, analysis and monitoring of information. Participants will be provided with data sets to work with to practically apply all concepts covered in the series.

This series consists of three parts:

Part 1: Excel Essentials for Tax Accountants

Part 2: Useful Excel Skills to Improve Productivity

Part 3: Excel Skills to Improve Forecasting, Decision-Making and Client Reporting

Click here to view the full series.

Webinar Content

Part 2: Useful Excel Skills to Improve Productivity

This webinar will focus on developing the skills to be able to perform certain financial data analysis and develop financial/tax reconciliations.

The main concepts that will be discussed in this webinar are:

• Analyse hypothetical scenarios with Goal Seek, Data Tables, and Scenario Manager.
• Applying formulas LARGE and SMALL.
• Comparing files and various sheets of data with the VLookup as well as HLookup formulas.
• Use of Wildcards for selecting records, such as account numbers and invoice numbers, to include in a report.
• Performing complex calculations with nest lookup and reference functions.
• Selecting a value or a range of values for financial analysis and review.
• Retrieve data from a dataset by matching the relative position of an item in a list.

Data sets to be used during this webinar include:

• General ledger data.
• Quotes and order forms.
• Quality control data.
• Price lists and inventory (stock).

Outcomes

After attending these webinars, you will be able to:

• Apply basic Excel features/functions in your practice to save time and improve productivity.
• Improve the technical accuracy (integrity) of your work by improving the process of importing, cleaning, and validating data.

Who should attend?

This series is aimed at tax accountants who are already proficient in basic excel.

Presenter

Dr Riana Steyn

Riana has been with the University of Pretoria (UP) for the last 13 years after she returned to academia from industry. She is currently a full-time senior lecturer in the Department of Informatics. Throughout the years, Riana has engaged numerous students by presenting both undergraduate and postgraduate modules. She has published various articles based on her teaching experiences over the last few years. She has also supervised many students on masters as well as PhD level. Her research focuses mainly on technology in education within the business analysis and design space, and how she can engage students more effectively whilst still delivering good quality content. Her different approach to teaching was born from the Entrepreneurial research she is also passionate about. Her PhD focused specifically on entrepreneurs. Here she developed a framework for SMEs to engage more effectively with technology as well as developing an e-skills for entrepreneurs’ course which focuses on effective technology engagement to create sustainable businesses. She is still actively involved in entrepreneurial research in the South African context. She has also been a National Research Fund (NRF) Y-Rated researcher since 2020.

She is also a UP Teaching Excellence Laureates’ recipient (2019) as well as an Association of Information Systems’ Award for Innovation in Teaching recipient (2018), an international award. She is also the IFIP TC 3 South African representative.

CPD

This event and successful completion of the online assessment will secure 2 hours verifiable output Tax CPD points per session.

Event Investment

CPD subscribers: Free for all CPD subscribers.

Regular price: R495.00

SAIT member: R395.00

Group price (five attendees maximum): R950.00

Payments & Cancellations

• All payments must be made by EFT or by credit card, at least 3 working days before commencement of an event.

• Kindly note that should payment not been received 2 days after the event, legal action will be taken

• Proof of payment will be requested at registration, if payment at that point in time has not been reflected on Tax Faculty's bank account.

• Only written notice of cancellation will be recognised.

• Cancellation Conditions:

  • If the cancellation occurs more than 4 working days prior to the event no cancellation fee will be charged.

  • If the cancellation occurs less than 4 working days prior to the event a 100% cancellation fee will apply.

• Delegates who book and fail to attend will be liable for the full event fee.

• Tax Faculty's liability in the case of an event being cancelled will be limited to a refund or credit of the event fee.

• Please click here for the full terms and conditions.