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Writer's pictureBenjamin Paulding, CPA

The Excel Mistake You Don't Know You're Making

Updated: Dec 13, 2023


The Excel Mistake You Don't Know You're Making

Here’s How to Spot & Nix Duplicates like a Pro.


It usually starts with you wrestling with an Excel spreadsheet that’s bigger than a Costco shopping list. Then it happens. Excel freezes. Or gets slower than a snail on sedatives. Sound familiar?


Ever wondered why Excel acts like a whiny kid who can't handle his candy when it comes to big data? That's because Excel, while being awesome in many ways, wasn't made to juggle massive datasets. It's like asking a skinny marathon runner to deadlift 500 pounds. That's what you're asking Excel to do with a big data Library.


Your Excel slows down, the memory freaks out or just crashes while you mutter all sorts of things you’d never say in front of your grandma.


So what the heck’s going on?


See, Excel works more like an ant colony, great at small tasks, but struggles with bigger ones. And let's face it, those hiccups are more than annoying – So let's try a different approach!


Data Chunking

We start with a simple solution. Take that massive data collection and chop it up into manageable pieces. It's like asking Excel to lift one pound a thousand times, instead of a thousand pounds all at once. This way, you make it easier for the program to process your data and improve performance, while reducing its memory demands.


It's also your new secret weapon against Excel crashes.


Auto Filter & Pivot Tables

These are your main tools for zooming-in on specific parts of your data. They're like your own personal spotlight, shining on just the bits of data you want to see. Duplicates in Excel? These guys will sniff them out in no time.


Learn more about pivot tables here.


Power Query

Still need more firepower? Power Query is a beast that eats huge data groups for breakfast, letting you load, transform and analyze them like you’re scrolling through your Twitter feed.


External Tools & Fuzzy Matching

Got a database that's bigger than big? Try using external software or add-ins designed to chomp through enormous data archives and offer hardcore duplicate spotting capabilities.


Combine that with various data cleansing software or online services that feature “fuzzy matching” in their algorithms. These tools make it easy to take care of duplicates, typos or even slight inconsistencies in your data pools.


Well, it's time to flex those Excel muscles. 💪📊


Take these strategies, own them, and get ready to be the guy everyone turns to when their spreadsheet spazzes out…


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