This is the most practical, wide-ranging, and useful guide to using Microsoft Excel 2010 for business analysis. Long-time Excel MVP Conrad Carlberg shows how to use Excel 2010 to gain insight and solve problems in virtually every area of business, from finance and marketing to quality management. Utilizing real-world examples, he demonstrates how to make the most of powerful new Excel 2010 features, including Sparklines, Excel Web App, Slicer, and Excel's new Solver and calculation engine. Writing for managers and professionals in businesses of all sizes, Carlberg covers these and many other topics: " Analyzing revenues, profits, cash flow, fixed assets, inventories, growth, working capital, and more " Forecasting sales through regression and smoothing approaches " Preparing business cases and pro formas that reflect market size/share, opportunity costs, discount rates, profitability, payback times, and contribution and margin analysis " Using Excel's built-in functions to measure product quality, uncover problems, and identify solutions This book will be indispensable for all Excel user who wants to gain a deeper understanding of where their businesses stand financially, and make better decisions about investments and business priorities. This book is part of the new MrExcel Library series, edited by Bill Jelen, world-renowned Excel expert and host of the enormously popular Excel help site, MrExcel.com. * Shows how to use Excel to take total control over company finances * Covers everything from financial statements and marketing to investment decision-making and quality management, using real-world examples * Demonstrates powerful new features, including Sparklines, Slicer, and the new Solver * Part of the new MrExcel's Library series, edited by Excel legend Bill Jelen

Table of Contents

I. Financial Statements and Statement Analysis 1. Working with Income Statements 2. Balance Sheet: Current Assets 3. Valuing Inventories for the Balance Sheet 4. Summarizing Transactions: From the Journals to the Balance Sheet 5. Working Capital and Cash Flow Analysis 6. Statement Analysis 7. Ratio Analysis II. Financial Planning and Control 8. Budgeting and Planning Cycle 9. Forecasting and Projections 10. Measuring Quality III. Investment Decisions 11. Examining a Business Case: Investment 12. Examining Decision Criteria for a Business Case 13. Creating a Sensitivity Analysis for a Business Case 14. Planning Profits 15. Making Investment Decisions Under Uncertain Conditions 16. Fixed Assets IV. Sales and Marketing 17. Revenue Recognition and Income Determination 18. Importing Business Data into Excel 19. Analyzing Contributions and Margins 20. Pricing and Costing

About the Author

Conrad Carlberg is president of Network Control Systems, Inc., a software and consulting firm that specializes in the development of quality control and forecasting tools for the health industry. He holds a Ph.D. in statistics from the University of Colorado, and is a multiple recipient of Microsoft's Most Valuable Professional (MVP) award for Excel. He has 25 years' experience applying advanced statistical analysis in business; using these techniques, he reduced a global enterprise's resale inventory from $24 million to $8 million in 18 months, without resorting to writedowns.