Programme Introduction

This 2-day programme helps participants strengthen essential Microsoft Excel skills while using AI-powered capabilities to reduce repetitive work, improve analysis and produce clearer reports. The course combines practical Excel foundations such as Tables, formulas, data cleaning, XLOOKUP, PivotTables and charts with Microsoft Copilot-assisted formula creation, data exploration, summarisation and presentation.

It is suitable for workplace users who want to become faster and more confident in Excel without moving into complex programming or advanced modelling. Copilot is used as an assistant throughout, not as a replacement for Excel knowledge: participants learn each task first, then use Copilot to accelerate or improve it.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this programme, participants will be able to:

Excel Foundations & Smart Data Handling (Day 1)

•  Organise and format data using Excel Tables and good spreadsheet practices

•  Clean common data issues such as duplicates, inconsistent text, blank cells and incorrect data types

•  Apply essential formulas including SUM, AVERAGE, COUNTIF(S), SUMIF(S), IF/IFS and IFERROR

•  Use XLOOKUP to retrieve and combine information from related tables

•  Apply data validation and conditional formatting for better data control

•  Use Copilot to draft, explain and troubleshoot formulas

Analysis, Reporting & AI-Assisted Insights (Day 2)

•  Create PivotTables, PivotCharts and interactive filters for quick analysis

•  Build clear charts and KPI-style summaries for reporting

•  Use Copilot to explore trends, summarise data and suggest ways to present findings

•  Validate AI-generated outputs before using them in business decisions

•  Build a repeatable Excel workflow from raw data to management summary

Duration

2 Days, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily (Instructor-led + Guided Practice)

Who Will Benefit?

Executives and administrative officers, managers, supervisors and team leaders, finance and accounts, HR and L&D, sales and marketing, operations and production, engineers and technical personnel, project management, procurement and supply chain, customer service and reporting teams who regularly use Microsoft Excel.

Prerequisites: basic computer literacy. Familiarity with simple Excel data entry is useful, but no advanced Excel or programming knowledge is required. A laptop with a recent Microsoft Excel / Microsoft 365 installation is required; Microsoft Copilot access is recommended for live AI activities, and demonstrations are adapted where licensing is not available.

Learning Approach

Each topic follows four steps:

•  Concept briefing: short explanations of Excel and AI concepts using workplace examples

•  Trainer demo: step-by-step demonstrations of formulas, data analysis and Copilot use

•  Guided practice: participants follow structured examples and progressively build skills

•  Workplace application: skills are connected to reporting, tracking, operations and management tasks

Programme Outline

DAY 1: EXCEL FOUNDATIONS, FORMULAS & SMART DATA HANDLING

Module 1: Excel Productivity Fundamentals

•  Workbook and worksheet structure, efficient navigation and cell references

•  Basic formatting, good spreadsheet design and common mistakes to avoid

Module 2: Working with Excel Tables

•  Sorting, filtering, Total Row, table styles and automatic expansion

•  Structured references and preparing data for AI and analysis

Module 3: Essential Formulas for Workplace Productivity

•  SUM, AVERAGE, MIN, MAX, COUNT/COUNTA; relative vs absolute references

•  COUNTIF/COUNTIFS, SUMIF/SUMIFS, percentage and variance calculations

Module 4: Logical and Lookup Functions

•  IF, IFS, AND, OR and IFERROR

•  XLOOKUP, exact match, handling missing values and comparing two lists

Module 5: Data Cleaning and Quality Control

•  Remove Duplicates, Find & Replace, Text to Columns, Flash Fill, TRIM/CLEAN

•  Handling blanks, data types, Data Validation and drop-down lists

Module 6: Conditional Formatting for Monitoring

•  Highlight rules, top/bottom values, data bars, icon sets and colour scales

•  Formula-based highlighting for overdue items, exceptions and target tracking

Module 7: Introducing Microsoft Copilot in Excel

•  Preparing data for Copilot and writing effective prompts

•  Asking Copilot for formulas, explaining formulas and troubleshooting logic

•  Responsible use and verification

Module 8: Day 1 Productivity Workflow

•  Combining Tables, formulas, XLOOKUP, validation, conditional formatting and Copilot into a repeatable workflow

•  Key shortcuts and best practices

DAY 2: ANALYSIS, REPORTING, PIVOTTABLES & AI-ASSISTED INSIGHTS

Module 9: Review and Smarter Analysis Workflow

•  Recap of Day 1

•  Choosing between formula, PivotTable, chart and Copilot; preparing clean data

Module 10: PivotTables for Fast Analysis

•  Rows, Columns, Values and Filters; sum, count and average

•  Sorting, grouping, percentage of total, refresh and changing data source

Module 11: PivotCharts, Slicers and Interactive Reporting

•  PivotCharts and suitable chart types

•  Slicers, timelines, multiple slicers and connecting filters

Module 12: Charts and Management-Friendly Data Presentation

•  Column, bar, line and combo charts; target vs actual and trends

•  KPI-style summaries, labels, visual hierarchy and presenting exceptions clearly

Module 13: Copilot for Data Analysis and Insights

•  Asking questions about table data; identifying trends and anomalies

•  Requesting summaries and visualisation suggestions; verifying results

Module 14: AI-Assisted Reporting and Communication

•  Turning findings into concise summaries and management commentary

•  Converting technical findings into clear business language

Module 15: Building an Efficient Excel Reporting Workflow

•  Raw data to clean data, calculations, PivotTable, chart, insight and management summary

•  Refresh and reuse, template thinking and reducing repetitive monthly reporting

Module 16: Best Practices, AI Governance and Course Review

•  Checking formulas and AI output; data privacy and confidential information

•  Version control, keeping source data separate from reports and implementation tips

Participant Takeaways

•  Excel productivity and data-quality checklist

•  Core formula and XLOOKUP reference sheet

•  PivotTable and chart reporting guide

•  Microsoft Copilot prompt examples for Excel formulas and analysis

•  Data-to-insight reporting framework

•  Reusable workflow for recurring Excel reporting