Getting Access to Spreadsheet Models for Managers

Spreadsheet Models for Managers

Demonstration

• Narrative
• Excel Example: 2000-4 or 2007+

Many of you have used spreadsheets before, and you've typed cell references into formulas, perhaps not fully appreciating the difference between, for example, $A1 and A1. It never seemed to matter much.

But it does matter. This is your opportunity to spend the (surprisingly small) amount of time it takes to master this concept. When you do, you'll leap past 98% of all spreadsheet users, because most of them never try to figure out what absolute, relative and mixed references are all about.

You'll find that mixed references can be very useful, though, at first, you won't see much opportunity to use them. Once you do find uses, you'll wonder how people get by without them.

As a manager of others who build spreadsheet models, you'll find a new use for mixed references. During the hiring process, or even afterwards, you can use this concept as a probe to determine the level of sophistication of candidates or staff. And by examining actual spreadsheet projects, you can tell a lot about their authors by looking for uses of absolute, relative and mixed references.