Stay updated with the latest trends, innovations, and advancements in technology, and learn how they can be applied to improve business processes and outcomes.
We are excited by the March 2024 update for Power BI. This edition brings forth an array of new features and improvements, meticulously curated to enhance your experience with data analytics. Microsoft evidently remains committed to innovation, ensuring that both long-standing aficionados and newcomers to Power BI will discover tools and functionalities to elevate their […]
A practical guide for avoiding common pitfalls and staying ahead of the curve. GenAI is a powerful tool that can help you automate tasks, optimise processes, and generate insights at work. But it also comes with some security and ethical challenges that you need to be aware of and address. In this blog post, we […]
This will sound familiar to all business decision makers; constantly juggling tasks, deadlines, and strategic goals. What if there was a powerful tool that can supercharge your productivity, enhance customer experiences, and secure your business’s future? Enter Generative AI—your secret weapon. GenAI, short for Generative Artificial Intelligence, is a type of AI technology that can create […]
As a business professional your time is precious, and the quality of your work matters. Enter ChatGPT, an AI language model that can significantly impact your productivity, efficiency, and job security. Let’s explore why integrating ChatGPT into your workflow is a strategic move. 1. Productivity Boost ChatGPT streamlines tasks that would otherwise consume valuable hours. […]
Have you ever pulled in data from various places to restructure it in Excel? Have you found yourself repeating this long, manual process every month when new data is added? The solution is to use Power Query. This blog is the first in a series of four. We will show you what Power Query can […]
The words we say make up only 30% of our communication. So we need to think about how we say them. To ensure that we are communicating effectively on the telephone, therefore, we must make the most of the 30% we have. Read on for four areas to focus on to improve your telephone technique. […]
DAX (Data Analysis eXpressions) is the function language in Power BI desktop. When DAX is used to create measures, it can hard to understand the logic at times. Especially one piece, the Calculate function, can be challenging. This is the fourth part of a series of blog posts, which will investigate the mysterious Calculate […]
Why is Power BI taking over the world? Why are so many organisations currently implementing Power BI? Power BI is the most efficient tool to manage business intelligence in a world where the data sets are getting bigger and bigger. The importance of making quick and correct decisions is a key factor in running a […]
You can improve efficiency and accuracy when pulling and transforming data from various sources by using the Query Editor Tool in Power BI. It’s a marked improvement on using macros in Excel for this function. Read on to see why. Why use the Query Editor The Query Editor is where data sourced from a variety […]
In conversation with one of our Excel / Power BI trainers. In this post, we sit down with one of our training delivery team to look at the pros and cons of Power Query in Excel, as a new way of working with data. Jens, how would you describe Power Query in Excel in one […]
One word That describes Power Query in Excel – MAGIC! Power Query will completely change the way you work in Excel! For most Excel users, Power Query could be the tool that reduces time spent in Excel dramatically. Power Query could also minimise the use of VBA coding in Excel. It can be seen as a […]
Using Live Events efficiently in Microsoft Teams Microsoft Teams meetings are great for a few people to meet, but for a larger scale online webinar, the option of a Live event will be more efficient. This blog discusses how to use Live Events efficiently in Microsoft Teams. The organisers can line up content for a […]
We take many steps to ensure you have a productive and engaging learning experience in our online (virtual) classroom but we need you to check three simple areas on your IT setup before your training session. Contact us on 02079873777 or info@stl-training.co.uk if you need support with the below. Please note that if you are […]
Keeping participants engaged and interested throughout a virtual training session can be a challenge. If you suddenly find yourself delivering virtual training because of the Covid-19 restrictions, you may be wondering how on earth you can manage it. Wonder no more! In this blog, we will share several insider tips from our training team that […]
Our FEBUARY Power BI blog had some great insights and tips into creating power bi tooltips – so what else is new for Power BI? Python Visuals In February 2019, Microsoft have announced an update of Power BI where you can now share, publish and view Python visuals in your reports and dashboards. This update […]
Excel charts are great visual tools to show changes in data. You can build dynamic charts in Excel with a few easy steps. Below is an example of a table which can be used to build an interactive chart. The Quantity column’s values are simply entered into the cells, but the Revenue figures are the […]
How to use SpecialCells method in Excel VBA SpecialCells in VBA is a really useful method to deploy in Excel. It returns a Range Object that only covers the type of cells you specify. You can use the SpecialCells in VBA Method to return a Range Object that only holds numbers, text, blank cells, formulae, cells with […]
By J. Peter Bruzzese The recent global recession is still quite fresh in everyone’s minds. From an IT perspective it forced IT administrators to tighten their belts and hold off on upgrades of both hardware and software for quite some time. The growth of “cloud” solutions (like Office 365) has provided IT teams with another option when considering new […]
How to quickly create a post in WordPress. There are plenty of detailed online guides, but this a quick guide to get you started within the context of our WordPress environment. WARNING. like with any system, the WordPress interface is massive and festooned with a plethora of features (lot’s of which I haven’t even checked […]
Content creation process – Excel Hints & Tips created by Jacob What is it? We are creating useful (hopefully!) Excel Hints & Tips which are emailed weekly to a selection of our customers (and subscribed website visitors) and published on our blog as well. Why are we doing this? We are generating this content to […]
Imagine you’re at an important hospital appointment and you’re kept waiting because the scanner, which potentially cost £100K, needs a re-boot. And then you discover it’s driven by Windows XP which is no longer supported by Microsoft. That would be insane wouldn’t it? Sadly not. It’s a true story and it’s probably just the tip […]
That’s not a headline designed just to capture your attention. It’s a very real possibility. Spreadsheets can be powerful. They’re full of functionality yet easy to use. Everyone can create and use a spreadsheet without much in the way of training. But all those benefits are also the dangers. Spreadsheets weren’t designed to carry the […]
If you’re running Windows XP, you’ll be familiar with that annoying update that happens when you try and shut down for the day. It takes ages, it means you can’t simply switch off and run out the door, and there’s a good chance you’ll miss your train because of that wretched ‘Updating 1 of […]
We’ve already discussed what the cessation of support for Windows XP means for your business. Deciding whether to upgrade to Windows 7 or 8 has had the Google+ community divided, though one thing is for sure: Windows XP is going to be missed. Windows XP X-Tinct To celebrate the success of the operating system, Microsoft […]
Everyone knows the best things in life are free. That’s why we’ve made our entire library of Microsoft Office training manuals available for you to download completely free of charge. Our comprehensive resources include manuals for Word, Excel (as used on our Microsoft Excel Training courses), PowerPoint, Access, Project & Visio, ranging from 2003 to […]
Released on August 24th, 2001, Windows XP is widely regarded as Microsoft’s most successful OS, boasting over 400 million active users at its peak in January 2006. Now almost 12 years old, Microsoft have decided to cease support for Windows XP effective April 8th, 2014. Continued use of the OS after this date runs the […]
In years gone by, the Microsoft Office Suite would come pre-loaded on your PC or laptop. However, due to a host of market influences including increasing demand for cheaper hardware, many products were boxed and customers were invited to pay only for the applications they needed. In June 2011, Microsoft launched Office 365, a subscription […]
For those of you that have been using computers since the 1990’s, you’ll likely remember a number of Easter Eggs embedded into a range of Microsoft applications. But do you remember all of them? This post will take you on a trip down memory lane to a time before the Trustworthy Computing Initiative of 2002, […]
Formerly named Business Productivity Online Suite, Office 365 sees the introduction of a host of cool features that have the potential to increase your company’s productivity. With the ability to take your Office suite and put it onto the cloud, there’s huge scope for businesses to work more efficiently. Your Office can be accessed anywhere […]
Passing your spreadsheet and database needs to an external company is all too appealing when looking for quick results at low cost. But, is this economically viable or is outsourcing slowing bringing Britain to its knees? Can the US President’s passion for insourcing make Britain Great again? Insourcing is the process of bringing operations back […]
We’re constantly looking for ways to increase productivity. The normal 9-5 no longer exists and you find yourself constantly managing content on the move outside of your ‘regular’ working hours. Of course the ability to save documents on a flash drive or locally on your laptop hard drive has been an effective, and mobile, way […]
This week we published an infographic detailing What’s in and What’s out in Office 2013. Click the image to see the full thing…
Cloud storage is everywhere Cloud based services are increasingly become a part of our day-to-day lives. During the early stages of using online storage users were unsure whether or not storing their private data on a remote server was a safe alternative to storing it locally. However consumer confidence has increased and the services have reached a maturity where they are viable options for file […]