Jagan Institute of Management Studies (JIMS), Rohini conducted an Advanced Excel Workshop Series for PGDM–Retail Management first-year students across Trimester I and II. The sessions were led by Mr. Navratnesh Dabra, Data Analysis Consultant and Trainer at N.R. Education, with the objective of strengthening students’ skills in data handling, analytics, and business decision-making. Designed in alignment with today’s data-driven industry needs, the workshop helped students understand the practical and professional applications of Excel in real business environments.
The series followed a hands-on learning approach, combining conceptual clarity with extensive practical exercises. During Trimester I, students explored foundational Excel skills such as structuring and naming datasets, cleaning and transforming data using Text-to-Columns, Flash Fill, Concatenation, and removing duplicates and blanks. They also learned essential shortcuts, logical and statistical functions including IF, IFS, AND, OR, COUNTIFS, SUMIFS, AVERAGEIFS, as well as search and reference functions like VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP, INDEX, and MATCH. The practice sessions on conditional formatting, sorting, filtering, and Pivot Tables enabled them to build a strong base for analytical tasks.
Trimester II expanded their learning into advanced analytics and business applications. Students were introduced to modern lookup functions such as XLOOKUP, complex calculations using SUMPRODUCT, and all three What-If Analysis tools—Scenario Manager, Goal Seek, and Data Tables. They also worked with AI-assisted Excel features, imported and cleaned data through Power Query, audited formulas, created dependent drop-down lists, explored advanced date and time functions, and used the OFFSET function for dynamic formulas. These sessions highlighted how Excel supports real-time data interpretation and strategic decision-making in corporate setups.
The Trimester II workshop sessions were held on 10 October 2025 (“Excel Pro: Turning Data into Decisions”), 8 November 2025 (“AI in Excel”), and 17 November 2025 (final assessment). Students completed all modules and appeared for an assessment to evaluate their learning, after which they received certificates acknowledging their successful participation.
- Strong foundation in basic and intermediate Excel functions
- Ability to clean, structure, and manage large datasets
- Hands-on practice with advanced lookup tools such as XLOOKUP
- Proficiency in Pivot Tables, What-If Analysis, and data modeling
- Exposure to AI-enabled tools and Power Query
- Enhanced analytical thinking and problem-solving abilities
- Confidence in applying Excel to real business scenarios
- Understanding of how raw data can be converted into actionable insights