Reason # 17 To Excel IN EXCEL

 EXCEL IN EXCEL



I once read an article about a guy who is in LOVE with Excel. (I quote from it below.) Now, that might be taking it a bit far, but coming to think of it, I am rather fond of it myself!! Hence, today I want to express my gratitude towards this workhorse-can-do-anything of an app - and recognizes the PIVOTAL (not pivot table lol) role it played in my life and how it enabled and empowered me for many of my projects!

Here is that quote:

Imagining a World Without Excel

“[I was] sitting next to a person on a plane and started talking and they grabbed me by the shirt, “You work on Excel? I love Excel!”” - Jon Devaan, Sr. VP Windows Development

People (like me) don’t just use Excel. They love it. 

End Quote




My personal sense of gratitude comes from the joy I experience in designing Excel-based systems that support training programs and similar initiatives. Lets Explore:

For many Trainers & Lecturers, Excel isn’t just a spreadsheet—it’s a silent partner in the success of training programs. Behind every seamless onboarding tracker, learning pathway planner, or feedback dashboard is an Excel system that someone carefully, even lovingly, designed. 

There’s a quiet joy in this work. It starts with a question: How can we track this better? Then comes the challenge: scattered sign-in sheets, inconsistent feedback forms, deadlines hiding in email threads. And with every formula added, every column restructured, a little more clarity emerges.

Designing Excel systems for training is more than admin—it’s strategy. It’s about turning a sea of sessions, learners, deadlines, assignments and outcomes into something structured and smart. A clean dashboard shows who’s due for compliance recertification. A dynamic training calendar keeps stakeholders aligned. A feedback log auto-summarizes participant ratings. These aren’t just tools; they’re enablers of better learning.

It’s also deeply human work. You think about the trainer who needs quick access to attendance. The new hire who wants to understand their training plan at a glance. The executive who wants to see impact in a single chart. You’re constantly designing with empathy—making systems that are not only functional but intuitive and supportive. Not to mention Budgets & Reports!!

And yes, there’s a special kind of thrill when the VLOOKUP finally works, the data validates perfectly, or the drop-down menu saves someone three clicks. It’s the small victories that quietly power big outcomes.

In a world chasing complex tech solutions, there’s enduring power in a well-built Excel system. For HR and training teams, it remains a canvas for structure, a tool for empowerment, and a quiet source of joy.

And then off course the fun starts all over again when you impart many of these skills into your students- preparing the next set of trainers equipping them with the joy of Excel.

Once when someone asked me: What is the best way to explain what I do, I answered tongue in the cheek , "Ooh that is easy -  I drive a mean Excel Spreadsheet!"

Thank you Muse for all those lovely Excel systems you inspired me with.

Excel was indeed the first makeshift Learner Management Tool I worked with (not evening knowing I was working on a LM tool)(the term was only coined later)

Later, additional toe Excel, came other wonderful add-on tools and apps like:

Facebook (Like Pages etc.) (Which I promptly applied as another makeshift attempt to create a Learner Management System for my students way back) (this was later acknowledged by my Peers with a T&T Reward for innovation)

Course Mapping Tools

QC Framework

LMS (Learner Management Systems) 

E&M (Evaluation & Monitoring)

Degreed

Google Meet & Classroom

Zoom

WhatsApp for Classrooms & Projects

Moodle

Drobox & DB Paper and

Blogger off course!!!


LINK: 

Here is the FULL Link to the article I referred to above

LINK Excel


04 June 2025


LINK:

LINK to Landing page with LINKS to other "REASONS" posts



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