Q. In your November Tech Q&A article on Excel’s Scenario Manager, you mentioned two other “what-if” tools: Goal Seek and Data Table. Can you show how those work like you did with Scenario Manager?

The Pareto Principle, also known as the 80-20 rule, is a powerful concept that can transform your approach to data analysis. This principle states that roughly 80% of effects come from 20% of causes.

Have you ever found yourself staring at rows and rows of budget and actual data, wondering how to make sense of it all? You’re not alone. Budget versus actual analysis is one of those tasks that feels ...