Office Spreadsheet Workflow

Office Spreadsheet Workflow

Purpose

Use this skill to guide spreadsheet work through available Excel-compatible tools, Office MCP servers, spreadsheet plugins, or local artifact builders. It does not include proprietary MCP code.

First Check

Before changing a workbook:

• Identify the source format: .xlsx, .xls, .csv, .tsv, Google Sheets, or generated workbook.
• Determine whether formulas, charts, pivots, validation rules, comments, or macros matter.
• Preserve existing formulas and formatting unless the user asks for a rebuild.
• Decide whether the task needs calculation verification.

Workflow

1. Understand the workbook goal.

   • Data entry, cleaning, analysis, dashboard, model, tracker, chart pack, or template.

2. Design workbook structure.

   • Put summary or dashboard sheets first.
   • Keep source data, assumptions, calculations, checks, and outputs separated for nontrivial models.
   • Use tables, named ranges, and consistent formatting where useful.

3. Build or edit.

   • Prefer available Office/MCP/plugin tools.
   • Keep formulas auditable and editable.
   • Avoid hardcoding calculated values unless the user explicitly wants static output.

4. Validate.

   • Check formula errors, missing references, inconsistent ranges, and obvious outliers.
   • Verify charts point to the intended data.
   • For analytical workbooks, add checks or reconciliation rows when helpful.

5. Deliver.

   • Export the final .xlsx or target format.
   • Summarize what changed and note any assumptions.

Common Tasks

• Clean and format raw CSV data into an Excel workbook.
• Build a research-data workbook with formulas and charts.
• Create a KPI dashboard.
• Add formulas, conditional formatting, dropdowns, or charts.
• Audit formulas and highlight likely issues.
• Convert Excel-ready output to Google Sheets when supported.

Quality Checklist

• Formulas calculate correctly and use the intended ranges.
• Formatting improves readability without hiding data.
• Charts are labeled and not misleading.
• Workbook structure is understandable to another person.
• Source data and derived calculations are distinguishable.
• No accidental overwrite of user data.