Although Excel is a powerful tool for data analysis and manipulation, when numerous Excel formulas are working in a complex workbook, they can immediately slow down your workflow. After all, no one wants to wait for their calculations to finish, and these slow formulas can significantly reduce productivity. The good news is that you don’t have to face this issue; there are proven techniques that can optimize your formulas and speed up Excel’s performance.
Whether you’re an Excel expert or just starting, these tips will help you unlock new levels of performance in your spreadsheets.
1. Skip Volatile Functions
Excel offers many formulas, but you should be cautious with volatile formulas. These formulas recalculate every time a change is made to any cell in the workbook, which can put a significant strain on your spreadsheet.
Formulas like INDIRECT, OFFSET, RAND, TODAY, NOW, etc., are ones you should avoid in large workbooks with complex formulas. For example, if you’re using a spreadsheet to track deadlines and use the NOW formula, Excel will recalculate the formula every time you enter data, change formatting, or simply scroll through the sheet.
Instead of using a formula like =A5-NOW() you can use =A5-$E$1 where the date in cell E1 will be used.
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2. Refer To Specific Cell Ranges
This is another method that can speed up your Excel formulas. When you use a B:B formula, you’re telling Excel to look through all the cells in column B, which can be time-consuming and resource-intensive.
If you have data in Columns A to D in a sales report and want to calculate the total sales in Column C, use the formula SUM(C1:C100) instead of SUM(C:C). This can speed up your worksheet because smaller ranges reduce the calculation load.
3. Break Down Complex Formulas
Understanding and analyzing complex formulas can be challenging. To make it easier, break the formula into smaller parts so it’s manageable. Use helper columns and divide a large formula into multiple smaller steps to improve both clarity and efficiency.
4. Optimize Lookup Functions
Formulas like HLOOKUP, VLOOKUP, and XLOOKUP are essential for searching and retrieving data, but they can become heavy on large databases.
XLOOKUP is the most versatile and stylish because it can search in any direction—up, down, left, or right—making it highly flexible. If you have access to XLOOKUP, you prefer it over older formulas. It’s more flexible and efficient.
Instead of referencing larger ranges like A1:C100, create named ranges such as “Products.” This makes formulas more understandable and improves performance.
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5. Be Careful With Excessive Formatting
To make a spreadsheet look professional, formatting is essential, but excessive formatting can impact performance. Each formatting effect, like font, color, borders, or conditional formatting, adds to the file size.
However, it’s not ideal to keep the workbook completely plain. Maintain a balance in formatting to ensure the spreadsheet is both professional and efficient.
6. Choose Your Functions Carefully
As mentioned, avoid volatile formulas and use lookup formulas carefully. Also, skip complex formulas as they consume more processing power. Instead, opt for alternatives like SUMIFS or COUNTIFS.
Before starting with formulas, clearly define what you want to achieve. For example, instead of using lengthy and complex IF formulas to assign grades based on student scores, use VLOOKUP for grading. It’s more efficient and easier to manage.
7. Revert To Manual Calculation
Excel has several calculation options that can affect worksheet performance. By default, Excel automatically recalculates all formulas.
Instead of automatic calculation, choose manual calculation mode, where the worksheet will only recalculate when you press F9 or click the “Calculate Now” button. This is ideal for large worksheets.
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8. Explore DAX Formulas For Large Databases
If you’re working with large databases that require complex analysis, try leveraging the power of DAX formulas in PowerPivot. DAX stores data in columns instead of rows, which speeds up data processing.
Speed up Your Spreadsheets
By using these suggestions, you can improve the performance of your workbook and avoid slow calculation issues. Additionally, explore Excel’s automation tools to complete tasks more efficiently.