Extended Learning Module D
DECISION ANALYSIS
WITH SPREADSHEET
SOFTWARE
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. Define a list and list definition table for
spreadsheet applications
2. Compare/contrast AutoFilter and custom
AutoFilter functions for spreadsheet
applications
3. Describe conditional formatting
4. Define/describe a pivot table
D-2
INTRODUCTION
• IT plays an important role in aiding decision
making
• Spreadsheet tools can aid in decision making
– AutoFilter
– Conditional formatting
– Pivot table
D-3
LISTS
• List – information arranged in columns and
rows
–
–
–
–
Each column has one information type
First row contains headings or labels
No blank rows
Blank columns/rows all around
D-4
LISTS
D-5
List Definition Table
•
List definition table – description of a list
by column (see Figure D.2 on page 218)
A. CUST ID – unique ID for customer
B. REGION – North, South, etc.
C. RENT VS. OWN – customer rents or owns a
home
– And so on
D-6
BASIC AUTOFILTER
• AutoFilter function – filters a list and hides
rows that don’t match a criteria
• Good for seeing only certain rows of
information
• Basic AutoFilter supports only “equal to”
criteria
D-7
Basic AutoFilter Steps
1. Open workbook (XLMD_Customer.xls from
www.mhhe.com/haag)
2. Click any cell in the list
3. Men bar – click on Data, point at Filter,
click on AutoFilter
–
Will see list box arrows next to each label or
column heading
D-8
Basic AutoFilter Steps
Turn on AutoFilter, by clicking on Data, pointing at Filter,
and clicking on AutoFilter in the Menu bar
D-9
Basic AutoFilter Steps
To see customers in
the North REGION,
click on the pull-down
arrow for REGION and
choose North
D-10
Basic AutoFilter Steps
D-11
Turning Off Basic AutoFilter
• From Menu bar
– Click on Data
– Point at Filter
– Click on AutoFilter
D-12
Basic AutoFilter
• Can also filter on multiple columns
• Example
– Customers in North region (select North in
REGION)
– Own a home (select Own in RENT VS. OWN)
– Only one household member (select 1 in NUM
HOUSEHOLD)
D-13
Basic AutoFilter
D-14
CUSTOM AUTOFILTER
• Custom AutoFilter function – hides all rows
except those that match criteria, besides “is
equal to”
• Example
– Customers with more than 3 household members
D-15
Custom AutoFilter Steps
First, select Custom in the pull-down box for NUM HOUSEHOLD
D-16
Custom AutoFilter Steps
You will then see this box
D-17
Custom AutoFilter Steps
Select is greater than in the first box
D-18
Custom AutoFilter Steps
Select or type 3 in the box to the right and click on OK
D-19
Custom AutoFilter Steps
D-20
Another Custom AutoFilter Example
• Customers who spent less than $20 or more
than $100
D-21
Another Custom AutoFilter Example
In the Custom AutoFilter box, enter the appropriate criteria
D-22
Another Custom AutoFilter Example
D-23
CONDITIONAL FORMATTING
• Conditional formatting – highlights the
information in a cell that meets some criteria
you specify
– Does not hide any rows
– Lets you see the whole list
– While highlighting certain information
• Example
– Customers who purchased more than $100
D-24
Conditional Formatting Steps
First, highlight the
TOTAL PURCHASES
column
D-25
Conditional Formatting Steps
From the Menu
bar, click on
Format and
Conditional
Formatting
D-26
Conditional Formatting Steps
In the Conditional Formatting box, choose greater than and 100
and then click on Format
D-27
Conditional Formatting Steps
In the Format Cells
box, click on the color
red and then OK
D-28
Conditional Formatting Steps
D-29
PIVOT TABLES
• Pivot table – enables you to group and
summarize information
– Shows summaries of information by dimension
– Can be two-dimensional
– Can be three-dimensional
• Similar to data warehouse from Chapter 3
D-30
Pivot Table Example
D-31
Pivot Table Steps
From the Menu
bar, click on Data
and PivotTable
and PivotChart
Report
D-32
Pivot Table Steps
In this screen,
specify that you
want to use an
Excel list and
create a
PivotTable, then
click on Next
D-33
Pivot Table Steps
Excel will default to the range of your list. Click on Next
D-34
Pivot Table Steps
In the final screen, you specify a placement, either in a new
worksheet or in the existing worksheet. Click on Finish
D-35
Pivot Table Steps
You finally
have a
pivot table
D-36
Pivot Table Steps
• Now, you drag and drop the appropriate
column headings (labels) from the Pivot
Table Field List Box to the appropriate place
in the pivot table
• Example
– Number of customers by
• REGION
• RENT VS. OWN
D-37
Pivot Table Steps
This is
correct but
the default
aggregation
is
summation,
not count,
so you must
change it
D-38
Pivot Table Steps
Click on the Field
Settings button to
get this screen.
D-39
Pivot Table Steps
Change Summarize
by to Count and click
on OK
D-40
Pivot Table Steps
D-41
Pivot Tables
• Can have multiple pieces of information in
body of pivot table
• Example
– Count of customers
– Total of purchases
– Drag/drop TOTAL PURCHASES into pivot table
D-42
Pivot Tables
D-43
3-D Pivot Tables
• Desired dimensions
– REGION
– RENT VS. OWN
– NUM HOUSEHOLD
• Drag/drop NUM HOUSEHOLD into “Drop
Page Fields Here” location
D-44
3-D Pivot Tables
D-45
3-D Pivot Tables
D-46
SUMMARY
• AutoFilter – view a partial list of information
• Conditional formatting – see all information
with some highlighted
• Pivot table – summarize information by
dimension
• It’s all about decision support
D-47
CAN YOU…
1. Define a list and list definition table for
spreadsheet applications
2. Compare/contrast AutoFilter and custom
AutoFilter functions for spreadsheet
applications
3. Describe conditional formatting
4. Define/describe a pivot table
D-48
Extended Learning Module D
End of Extended Learning
Module D