Preparing and Cleaning Data in Excel
When you want to create a dashboard, everything starts with
good, clean data. It’s just like cooking—a great dish needs fresh ingredients!
In Excel, “preparing data” means you tidy up and organise all your numbers and
text so it’s easy to analyse and turn into charts.
First, you might need to bring in data from different
places. Excel allows you to import information from other spreadsheets, a
website, or even a text file. Once your data is in, check for any messy
parts—sometimes there are blank rows, extra spaces, or double entries. You can
remove the duplicates by selecting your data, going to the “Data” tab, and
clicking “Remove Duplicates.”
If you spot typos or funny characters, use the “Find &
Replace” function to fix them fast. Also, you might use “Text to Columns” if
all your info is messed up in just one column and you want to separate them
properly (like splitting names from emails).
A good practice is to make your data into a “table” in
Excel—just select your range and press Ctrl+T. This helps keep everything neat
and makes it easier to use formulas, charts, and dashboard features later. When
your data is clean and organised, making a dashboard is SO much easier and you
won’t waste time fixing problems later!
