Jazz up your models with Excel formatting techniques
The best way to get people to pay attention to your models and reports is to present them professionally by changing the standard Microsoft settings and applying tasteful colours, borders and fonts. Formatting, however, is notoriously time consuming and it’s sometimes overlooked by the busy modeller. In this virtual meetup, we look at some quick and easy ways to use standard Excel for Microsoft 365 features to make your models look fabulous! (more…)
You’re invited to join the Sydney CPA Discussion Group for a Hybrid Event:
Summarise the outputs of your financial model using standard Excel skills into a concise, dynamic and visually appealing one-page dashboard report which can effectively communicate the results of your model to be easily interpreted and understood by others at a glance. 
Power Automate is part of the Power Platform on Microsoft 365 and is being promoted as the new low-code no-code tools for the business user. You can set up workflows between Excel and Teams, Sharepoint, LinkedIn, Dropbox, Trello and hundreds of other third-party apps using Power Apps.
As a consultant starting on a new project, I’d always prefer to start a new model from scratch – but that rarely happens! Normally we modellers have to take apart, check and validate a model that’s already been built by another modeller and when this happens, you can either start over and build your own model from the ground up or validate and verify the existing model to the extent that you’re comfortable to take responsibility for the calculations. Starting over to build your own model from scratch is inefficient and a waste of resources. Unless the model is in extremely poor shape, it’s usually far more efficient to use what you already have — but leave no cell untouched during the process of validation and verification.
In this special interview we talk about travel, work/life balance, the highs and lows of starting a business, the privilege of working for yourself and plans for the future.
If you’ve ever wondered what a financial modelling consultant does, watch this pilot video for the new series by “What’s that Job?” Designed to help school leavers find out more about different professions, we discuss what a typical day looks like, preconceived notions about financial modelling and other aspects of the modelling life. We discuss:
When people think about financial modelling or forecasting in Excel, what comes to mind is worksheets loaded with formulae, built in a report-focussed layout. Watch as Ken Puls showcases examples of using Excel’s Power Technologies to build Financial Models and Forecasts for clients. From data shaping with Power Query to DAX in Power Pivot, these tools play an essential role in modern financial modelling solutions.
