Business Modelling with Spreadsheets

This book is wholly dedicated to the art of exploratory spreadsheet modeling. Real problems that readers encounter on a day-to-day basis are presented, with the aim of helping them derive applicable principles and link principles to practice.Users of this book will find it a refreshing learning guide and handy reference resource. It offers 101 spreadsheet exercises and tools, including a chapter featuring another 101 business challenges that readers can practice as modeling projects. Introduced for the first time in this third edition is a set of Discovery Points, 46 in total. They are included to enlighten readers and instructors on the underlying exploratory thinking employed in the exercises.Though the book can be used with different versions of Microsoft Excel, LibreOffice and OpenOffice Calc, and other spreadsheet application software, this edition only presents Excel 2010-13 spreadsheet features and functions, and Visual Basic for Application in its appendices.The notes for older Excel versions, and OpenOffice Calc and Basic from the earlier editions, and the newly added LibreOffice Calc and Basic are now found in a new Online Learning Center that accompanies this book. Completed spreadsheet workbooks in the different spreadsheet versions are also provided there.This way, the book should remain helpful for any person, whether a novice, beginner, or expert, to learn business modeling using basic and advanced spreadsheet features, as well as macro programming.NEW IN THIS EDITIONDiscovery To better support underlying thinking and give pointers to guide business problem exploration. These are more general than the comments in the Concept sub-section of exercises and they are ideas many experienced modelers use intuitively. Listed at the start of each chapter to help consolidate the learning for seasoned modelers, and make it easier for instructors to impart the art of modeling to students. These points can be used for self-discovery, class discussion and project team deliberations. They can be applied to various settings and exercises found in this book.Problem Provides a means to test students to ensure that learning has taken place at the correct pace. A separate question sets of assignments, quizzes and examinations apart from the exercises in the book. These are simpler and more defined problems for students to practice and be evaluated on their spreadsheet skills. The questions with given data are easier and the harder questions are marked with an asterisk (*). TARGET AUDIENCEUndergraduates, graduate students, and professionals involved in business development, finance, accounting and operations.