What "Office" Means Here
Productivity software: Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and office administration.
| Signal |
Context |
Load |
| Formulas, pivot tables, VLOOKUP, macros |
Spreadsheets |
tools/spreadsheets.md |
| Formatting, headers, mail merge, TOC |
Documents |
tools/documents.md |
| Slides, animations, presenter view |
Presentations |
tools/presentations.md |
| Supplies, vendors, facilities, space |
Office admin |
admin/facilities.md |
Spreadsheets (Excel / Google Sheets)
Formulas people actually need:
VLOOKUP / XLOOKUP — lookup value in table, return another columnSUMIF / COUNTIF — sum/count with conditionsINDEX/MATCH — more flexible than VLOOKUPIF with AND/OR — conditional logic
Common problems:
- VLOOKUP returns #N/A → check for spaces, data types, exact match setting
- Formula works in one cell, breaks when copied → missing
$ for absolute references
- Dates sorting wrong → format as actual dates, not text
Pivot tables: Right-click data → Create Pivot Table → drag fields to rows/columns/values.
Documents (Word / Google Docs)
Formatting essentials:
- Use Styles (Heading 1, 2, 3) for structure — enables automatic TOC
- Page numbers starting on page 3: Insert break → Different First Page → start numbering
- Different headers per section: Section breaks, unlink from previous
Mail Merge:
- Prepare data source (Excel with columns: Name, Address, etc.)
- Word → Mailings → Start Mail Merge → Letters
- Insert Merge Fields where dynamic content goes
- Preview Results → Finish & Merge
Presentations (PowerPoint / Google Slides)
Professional basics:
- Slide Master for consistent styling (View → Slide Master)
- 6x6 rule: max 6 bullets, 6 words per bullet
- One idea per slide
Animations:
- Entrance animations for bullet reveal (Appear > Fade > Fly In)
- Timing: On Click vs After Previous
- Keep it subtle — animation should aid, not distract
Presenter View: F5 to present, use Presenter View to see notes while audience sees slides.
Office Administration
For those managing physical office operations:
Supplies & Inventory:
- Track with simple spreadsheet: Item, Quantity, Reorder Point, Supplier
- Set calendar reminders for regular orders
- Bulk ordering usually 15-30% cheaper
Vendor Management:
- Cleaning, maintenance, IT support contracts
- Document SLAs and contact info in shared location
- Review contracts annually for renegotiation
Space Planning:
- Hot-desking: Use booking system (even a shared calendar works)
- Meeting room: Clear naming, visible displays, 15-min buffers
Quick Reference
| Task |
Excel/Sheets |
Word/Docs |
PowerPoint/Slides |
| Find value |
VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP |
Find & Replace |
Find & Replace |
| Conditional format |
Home → Conditional |
N/A |
N/A |
| Auto-update content |
Formulas |
Fields |
Links |
| Export to PDF |
File → Save As |
File → Save As |
File → Save As |
1---2name: office3description: Master Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Google Workspace with formulas, formatting, and automation.4---5
6## What "Office" Means Here
7
8Productivity software: Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and office administration.
9
10| Signal | Context | Load |
11|--------|---------|------|
12| Formulas, pivot tables, VLOOKUP, macros | Spreadsheets | `tools/spreadsheets.md` |
13| Formatting, headers, mail merge, TOC | Documents | `tools/documents.md` |
14| Slides, animations, presenter view | Presentations | `tools/presentations.md` |
15| Supplies, vendors, facilities, space | Office admin | `admin/facilities.md` |
16
17---
18
19## Spreadsheets (Excel / Google Sheets)
20
21**Formulas people actually need:**
22- `VLOOKUP` / `XLOOKUP` — lookup value in table, return another column
23- `SUMIF` / `COUNTIF` — sum/count with conditions
24- `INDEX/MATCH` — more flexible than VLOOKUP
25- `IF` with `AND`/`OR` — conditional logic
26
27**Common problems:**
28- VLOOKUP returns #N/A → check for spaces, data types, exact match setting
29- Formula works in one cell, breaks when copied → missing `$` for absolute references
30- Dates sorting wrong → format as actual dates, not text
31
32**Pivot tables:** Right-click data → Create Pivot Table → drag fields to rows/columns/values.
33
34---
35
36## Documents (Word / Google Docs)
37
38**Formatting essentials:**
39- Use Styles (Heading 1, 2, 3) for structure — enables automatic TOC
40- Page numbers starting on page 3: Insert break → Different First Page → start numbering
41- Different headers per section: Section breaks, unlink from previous
42
43**Mail Merge:**
441. Prepare data source (Excel with columns: Name, Address, etc.)
452. Word → Mailings → Start Mail Merge → Letters
463. Insert Merge Fields where dynamic content goes
474. Preview Results → Finish & Merge
48
49---
50
51## Presentations (PowerPoint / Google Slides)
52
53**Professional basics:**
54- Slide Master for consistent styling (View → Slide Master)
55- 6x6 rule: max 6 bullets, 6 words per bullet
56- One idea per slide
57
58**Animations:**
59- Entrance animations for bullet reveal (Appear > Fade > Fly In)
60- Timing: On Click vs After Previous
61- Keep it subtle — animation should aid, not distract
62
63**Presenter View:** F5 to present, use Presenter View to see notes while audience sees slides.
64
65---
66
67## Office Administration
68
69For those managing physical office operations:
70
71**Supplies & Inventory:**
72- Track with simple spreadsheet: Item, Quantity, Reorder Point, Supplier
73- Set calendar reminders for regular orders
74- Bulk ordering usually 15-30% cheaper
75
76**Vendor Management:**
77- Cleaning, maintenance, IT support contracts
78- Document SLAs and contact info in shared location
79- Review contracts annually for renegotiation
80
81**Space Planning:**
82- Hot-desking: Use booking system (even a shared calendar works)
83- Meeting room: Clear naming, visible displays, 15-min buffers
84
85---
86
87## Quick Reference
88
89| Task | Excel/Sheets | Word/Docs | PowerPoint/Slides |
90|------|-------------|-----------|-------------------|
91| Find value | VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP | Find & Replace | Find & Replace |
92| Conditional format | Home → Conditional | N/A | N/A |
93| Auto-update content | Formulas | Fields | Links |
94| Export to PDF | File → Save As | File → Save As | File → Save As |
modbender