ACADEMYWEREP ACADEMY · FOUNDATIONS TO APPLIED PRACTICE
Connect reliable spreadsheet analysis with AI-assisted work, forecasting, and project models that support clearer business decisions.
COURSE OVERVIEW
Explore Excel as a platform for organizing business information, building calculation and forecasting models, and communicating project performance. Connect core spreadsheet capability with AI-assisted analysis, scenario thinking, and models for budgets, schedules, resource capacity, and risk.
CAPABILITIES YOU CAN DEVELOP
Business analysts, project and PMO teams, operations and finance professionals, coordinators, and managers who use spreadsheets to support planning and reporting.
Basic spreadsheet familiarity; supported Excel version confirmed for the cohort.
Dates, instructor, fees, and enrollment conditions are confirmed with each published cohort.
| Project | Budget | Actual | Remaining |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha | $8,000.00 | $6,500.00 | $1,500.00 |
| Beta | $5,000.00 | $5,400.00 | −$400.00 |
=B2-C201Data structure, relationships, reporting definitions, and model design
02Business calculations, formulas, lookups, and data validation
03Financial, budget, forecast, and scenario models
04Project cost, milestone, resource, risk, and portfolio models
05AI-assisted analysis, generative models, and review responsibilities
06PivotTables, charts, management reporting, and model handover
Discuss this courseEXCEL · ANALYSIS, AI & PROJECT MODELS
Move beyond a collection of spreadsheets to a clearer way of organizing information, testing assumptions, and communicating decisions. Explore how Excel supports business analysis, AI-assisted work, and the models behind effective project controls.
Connect business records around shared definitions. A useful model brings together sources such as projects, transactions, people, and reporting periods so that summaries answer the same question consistently.
Translate business assumptions into an outlook. Connect volumes, rates, timing, and costs to explain how a budget or forecast changes when the underlying assumptions change.
Bring scope, milestones, staffing, and expenditure into one reporting view. Connect the approved plan with current progress and the remaining work so teams can discuss priorities and delivery options.
Use approved AI tools to support the interpretation and communication of workbook information. Generative assistants can help explain calculations and propose summaries; statistical models address patterns and forecasts through defined analytical methods.
UNDERSTAND THE ROLE OF AI
A descriptive model explains recorded performance. A predictive model estimates an outcome using a defined method and assumptions. An optimization model compares choices within constraints such as cost or capacity. A generative AI model helps produce or interpret language, including suggested formula logic and narrative summaries.
These approaches can complement one another. The workbook should make its source information, calculations, and assumptions visible so a reviewer can understand how a conclusion was reached.
MODELS FOR PROJECT DECISIONS
Project models bring together the measures a delivery team needs to explain performance. The right structure depends on the project, reporting audience, and decisions being supported.
| Model | What it connects | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Cost and estimate models | Budget, commitments, actual expenditure, and remaining estimates | Understand forecast cost, variance, and the assumptions behind the outlook. |
| Milestone and delivery models | Planned dates, current forecasts, dependencies, and status | Identify upcoming decisions and communicate changes to delivery expectations. |
| Resource and capacity models | People, availability, allocation, demand, and rates | See where workloads exceed capacity and compare resourcing options. |
| Risk and contingency models | Likelihood, impact ranges, response costs, and ownership | Support a consistent discussion of exposure and proportionate responses. |
| Portfolio and prioritization models | Strategic fit, expected benefits, cost, risk, and resource demand | Compare initiatives using agreed criteria and visible trade-offs. |
Predictive projects often emphasize approved baselines, milestones, and controlled changes. Adaptive teams place more emphasis on near-term priorities, capacity, feedback, and trends. Hybrid reporting brings these views together around shared business outcomes and decision points.
Excel can help communicate each approach when definitions and ownership are clear. A useful reporting model reflects how the team actually plans and measures its work.
Explore how changes in demand, cost, staffing, or timing affect the outlook. Scenario Manager, Goal Seek, and Data Tables support different forms of what-if analysis. Microsoft what-if analysis overview ↗
Good models separate assumptions from results, document key limitations, reconcile to source records, and give another person a clear route to review or maintain the workbook. AI-generated suggestions need the same checks.
VALUE FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION
Build a shared approach to spreadsheet modeling, AI-assisted analysis, and project reporting. Help teams explain assumptions, compare options, and maintain workbooks that support recurring business decisions.
FROM CONCEPT TO CAPABILITY
Identify the capabilities most relevant to your role, team, and business priorities.
Connect your experience and development goals with the right training area.
Discuss team needs, delivery preferences, and any required software access.
Develop skills that support your responsibilities and longer-term professional growth.
Course availability, delivery format and any required software access are confirmed with each published cohort.
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