Is Microsoft Excel Still a Valuable Professional Skill Going Forward?

Even a decade back, MS Excel had no real contention when it came to data analysis or financial planning and accounting. However, the corporate world is abuzz now with the idea that the death of MS Excel is near. Yet, 63% of US companies have agreed in a 2018 survey conducted by Robert Half that their internal operations are heavily dependent on MS Excel and Office 2010 still has a worldwide penetration of over 83%. When it comes to handling data or strategy formulation, MS Excel remains the king. And you need to join one of the best free Excel courses to upskill yourself and find success in your career.

MS Excel is cheaper than most CPM platforms

Yes, MS Excel has its drawbacks when it comes to scalability or remote working, but it costs companies just $8.25 per month on average to buy a Microsoft Office subscription. Compared to that, the monthly expenses behind any dedicated Corporate Performance Management platform tend to go up to a thousand dollars that most companies now want to avoid given their tight operational budget. Know for sure that MS Excel is not going away anytime soon. Free Excel courses can open the floodgates of lucrative jobs.

MS Excel is easy to use

Right from in-built financial modelling functions to easy data interpretation features, MS Excel still ticks the box of ease of use. The latest platforms that are predicted to threaten Excel’s existence are complicated to learn and require months of training to perfect. In a fast-moving world, rarely any company wants to invest that much time in training. Excel courses are easily available online and most professionals come pre-trained in the platform given its user-friendliness. To analyse, filter, present, and interpret large chunks of data, MS Excel is the go-to tool for most corporations.

Pre-built Excel templates easily available

Along with financial modelling functions in Excel, you can find pre-built financial modelling templates for Excel available online. This makes the task of most financial analysts or accounting professionals simpler where they can perform more advanced functions rather than build models from the scratch. MS Excel has traditionally been used for financial planning and accounting and thus, the resources available are abundant. The same cannot be said for the more recent platforms that are mostly customised to specific corporation’s needs. Small and medium-scale businesses are remaining reliant on Excel.

No dependency on third-party IT support

When something goes wrong with a dedicated CPM, a regular employee cannot fix the same. The company has to call the SaaS provider’s IT support to get the job done. Here again, both the opportunity and financial costs for corporations are massive. And MS Excel still does not bring such costs to the table given its simplicity and popularity. Robert Half’s research shows that the cost factor makes small businesses 60% more likely to use MS Excel. Even 40% of bigger corporations agreed that they are likely to continue with Excel.

So, search for free Excel courses online and join the best one. Skillfin Learning provides for free online excel courses taught by industry experts via video.

Its long-term value as a professional skill remains uncontested and you have everything to gain by learning Excel and nothing to lose.

Summary: When it comes to handling data or strategy formulation, MS Excel remains the king. And you need to join one of the best free Excel courses to upskill yourself and find success in your career. Search for free Excel courses online and join the best one. Skillfin Learning provides for free online excel courses taught by industry experts via video. Its offers long-term value as this  professional skill remains uncontested and you have everything to gain by learning Excel and nothing to lose.