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CIS 151 Excel For I.T.

Excel Tutorial 10 - Performing What-If Analysis

This tutorial is excellent in showing you how to use the powerful what-if tools available in Excel.  The average Excel user is not even aware of these tools.  The book does an excellent job of explaining the complex cost-volume-profit (CVP) analysis concepts.  Then it shows you how to use the what-if tools to do the CVP analysis in a step-by-step manner.  Be sure to read the details especially if CVP is new to you.

You will learn how to use Goal Seek, create one-variable and two-variable tables, create scenarios, and use an add-in program called Solver.  When you are done you might think "Hmm... which tool should I use?"  Read the ProSkills box on page 602 to help you decide which tool is appropriate for your situation.

Please read all of the directions before getting started on the assignment.

  1. Please note:  Throughout the book it will instruct you to save your files.  In the computer labs on campus you will need to save the files to your USB drive.  If you are using your own computer, then you may save the file to the drive of your choice (hard drive, USB, etc.).
  2. Data file notes:  In order to do this assignment you will need a set of files.  The files are in TalonNet on the Resources page in the Data Files folder.  The data file links are .zip files (compressed set of files).  You will need to download and unzip (uncompress) the files before using them.  Right-click the file link to get the shortcut menu.  Select the Save Target As option and save the file to your drive.  You will then need to unzip (uncompress) the .zip file.  If you are not familiar with unzipping files please read pages FM17 - FM19 or read the Unzipping Files document for a general set of instructions.  The example is from my CIS 101 class.
  3. Read and do the steps in Excel Tutorial 10 pages EX551 - EX606.
  4. Do the REVIEW Assignment on pages EX607 - 608.  When you are done your spreadsheets should look like this document.  Please note there are multiple pages in the answer documents so click the Next Page arrow to see all of the pages.
  5. Online students:  Submit the Creative Adventures.xlsx, and Light Styks.xlsx files to the Excel Tutorial 10 assignment on the class website in TalonNet.  Please note that you must submit all files at the same time to the assignment in TalonNet.  So complete both the tutorial and the Review Assignment before logging in to TalonNet and submitting the assignment.
  6. Traditional students:  During the lab time show the above files listed in step 5 on your computer screen to me.

Last update: 04/10/11