How to Problem Solve in Excel (DATA MANIPULATION BASICS & WIDE vs. LONG STRUCTURES)

Understanding the key to solve problems in excel is all about being able to manipulate your data. Sometimes if the problem seems unsolvable, you may want to consider changing your data structure from either a wide or long format. This may solve the issue and help get you results quicker. Understanding how to shift your data from this strucutre to another could be advantageous as it can provide new insights that were not previously visible. Knowing how to use excel effectively will help expand you analytical abilities and make tough tasks a little easier.

Working with wide and long formats in data analytics can be confusing, but understanding the difference between the two may help simplify the process. With wide format, there are multiple value columns which allows for more detail when collecting data; long formats however, only have one column which contains all values. Additionally, wide formats will typically have unique rows allowing for no duplicates while long formats commonly include duplicates. In conclusion, wide and long formats offer different benefits to analyzing your data - consider both when deciding on the best option suited to your project.

If you're using data to analyze a specific objective, it's important to make sure you understand the differences between wide and long data structures. Transposing your dataset may be necessary in order to be able to successfully reach a desired goal. If you'd like more information on this, our video example with Lee's Painting company is a great place to start - it will give you a better understanding of how manipulating data structures can help when attempting certain objectives.

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