How do you make spreadsheets more efficient?

There are many things you can do. Try not to duplicate figures and formulas that are getting the same thing. Use one set of data to generate all your data. Sometimes people will put the same data on two sheets, and do different sets of formulas for them. They should just put the data once and use that for any calculations to do it. Some complex spreadsheets would seem to be easier if data is duplicated, but it is best to only have the data once. There are lots of potential problems, like errors when copying the data, or if the data has to be changed, that it is only changed in one place and not another. The Scenario Manager can be used to reduce the amount of duplication needed.

To make spreadsheets more efficient you could also look at your formulas. Some formulas could be combined. Some could be done in a simpler fashion. It is good to show lots of figures that have been calculated at each stage, but sometimes it is better to combine formulas. Look at different ways of getting information from your data, like using pivot tables. Using named data sets, through the Name Manager, can make formulas easier to create and understand and that can help efficiency.

One of the most important things to do is to plan your spreadsheet before you even start it. Then you will know how it is going to be done and you can avoid some of the inefficiencies that creep in through not having thought out how it can be done. There are many other things you can do too. A lot will depend on the specific spreadsheet itself.