Resources

The article explains what a running total (cumulative sum) is and why it’s useful for tracking sales, expenses, inventory, and trends. It shows three ways to create one in Excel: using SUM($B$2:B2) and fill down, a cumulative formula like =previous_total+current_value, and the Quick Analysis tool. It warns about common mistakes - blank cells, incorrect/relative cell references, and data out of order. Overall, it’s a practical guide to get real-time insights from your spreadsheets.

This blog explains how to use Microsoft Copilot Image Creator (via Designer) and why content filters exist to enforce legal, ethical, and safety standards. It offers practical, compliant prompting strategies - describe rather than name trademarks, aim for style over identity, iterate, be specific yet flexible, and avoid prohibited topics - to get high-quality results. It also outlines key limitations (precision, quotas, inconsistent outputs, creativity and text-rendering constraints) and reminds users to consider IP and commercial-use guidelines.

The article explains how Microsoft Copilot in Teams can speed up meeting summaries by generating recaps, action items, and tailored summaries, though full automation isn’t available yet. It outlines a practical workflow: enable Copilot and transcription, use Meeting Recap, prompt Copilot for custom outputs, then refine and format results, optionally nudging yourself with Power Automate. Best practices recommend enabling transcription by default, keeping meetings focused with clear titles/agendas, reviewing outputs before sharing, and noting that Future Savvy offers training to maximise Copilot’s value.

The article explains what Microsoft Power BI is and why it matters, highlighting its ability to connect diverse data sources, model data, and create interactive dashboards. It notes strong career benefits and demand for Power BI skills, while clarifying that true proficiency often requires learning Power Query (M) and DAX beyond the easy drag-and-drop basics. A curated top-10 list compares courses by audience, format, duration, cost, and certification - from free Microsoft Learn paths and quick Coursera projects to instructor-led PL-300 prep and advanced tracks.

The blog explains how to evaluate Microsoft 365 Copilot (and Copilot Pro) using a clear ROI formula and data from Forrester’s Oct-2024 TEI study. It outlines three benefit areas - go-to-market (potential revenue lift up to 6%), operational efficiency (cost reduction up to 0.85%), and people/culture (attrition down up to 20% and onboarding faster up to 25%) - plus hard-to-quantify gains like compliance and security. A five-step method and example calculation (~205% three-year ROI) show how to model low/mid/high scenarios and decide whether to adopt based on workflow fit, readiness, and budget.

The article argues that in a digital-first economy, investing in IT skills training courses is essential for individuals and organisations. It contrasts free learning resources with paid, proctored certifications and notes that certifications often lead to promotions, salary gains, and employer-valued productivity. For businesses, it shows strong ROI - through higher productivity and reduced risk - backed by case studies, and closes with an invitation to explore Future Savvy’s instructor-led Excel, Power BI, and SQL courses.

The article explains Excel’s LEN function, which counts the number of characters in a cell - including spaces, punctuation, and numbers—to aid data validation and cleaning. It covers the simple syntax (=LEN(text)) and walks through examples like checking 5-digit employee IDs and totalling character counts across multiple cells.

This article highlights the importance of Microsoft Excel in modern business and the gap between daily use and formal training. It introduces the 5 best online Excel training courses—Coursera, Udemy, LinkedIn Learning, Microsoft Office Courses, and Future Savvy—each catering to different needs, budgets, and learning styles. The guide emphasises building foundational skills, mastering formulas, and using structured learning for long-term growth.

This article explains how to use conditional formatting in Excel based on the value of another cell, making it easier to visualise and track data. It provides a step-by-step guide, including how to apply formulas like =$D2="Paid" to highlight rows automatically. The article also shares practical use cases, such as monitoring sales goals, invoice statuses, project deadlines, and inventory levels.