It’s easy to lose track of your active cell when working with large worksheets in Excel. Sure, you can always glance at the Name box in the upper-left corner to see the cell reference (for example, L19), but that’s not always convenient or clear when you’re presenting to others.
That’s where Focus Cell comes in. You can watch us demonstrate this in a recent IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks video.
Make Your Presentations More Interactive
Excel’s Focus Cell feature highlights the active cell with a distinct border grid, making it crystal clear where you are on the sheet. This not only helps you navigate large reports faster but also makes your presentations easier for your audience to follow.
How to use Focus Cell
- 1. Go to the View tab in Excel.
- 2. Select Focus Cell.
- 3. Excel will now highlight your active cell with a grid around it.
Customize the Highlight Color
Don’t like the default highlight color? No problem. Simply use the Focus Cell Color drop-down to change it to something that fits your preferences — or even matches your corporate colors.
When showcasing Planning Analytics reports in Excel, clarity matters. Highlighting the active cell makes it easier for your viewers to see exactly what you’re working on — whether you’re drilling into actuals vs. plan, walking through a variance analysis or demonstrating forecasting models.
Try Focus Cell in your next Planning Analytics Excel presentation — it’s a simple way to keep your audience engaged and eliminate confusion.
Revelwood is an IBM Gold Business Partner with more than 30 years of experience designing, developing, implementing and maintaining IBM Planning Analytics environments. We focus on solutions for the Office of Finance and have partnered with clients of all sizes across all industries to optimize, enhance and expand their use of Planning Analytics. Revelwood’s Planning Analytics team consists of PA experts with decades of experience, and we have been recognized via awards including IBM Champion status.
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Read more IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks:
IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks: MDX to Copy a View
IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks: Excel Focus Cell
IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks: PAW Default Settings
