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TECHNOLOGY Q&A











         MICROSOFT EXCEL
         Using 3D formulas in Excel


         Q. I have an Excel   A. Assuming the cells you are totaling are in the   and access an accompanying video with the online
         workbook that     same place on each tab, there is a much easier way   version of this article at journalofaccountancy.com.
         contains many     to manage these types of files than summing each   Note that the content that follows is based on
         tabs. We have a   individual spreadsheet tab. We often have Excel   Microsoft Excel 365 for PCs. Other versions of
         “Total” tab, but   workbooks where we separate out categories of   Excel may work differently.
         the formulas to   similar data into separate tabs. However, using   Let’s look at an example. In the screenshot
         sum all of those   formulas on cells in every tab can get very cumber-  below, I have an Excel workbook that contains
         tabs gets very    some. And if you add a new tab, the formula(s) on   daily sales data for each of my products on different
         complicated.      the combined tab must be manually updated each   tabs. I would like to sum up the daily sales amounts
         Plus, new         time. Instead, it is much more efficient to use 3D   for products A, B, C, and E on the Total Product
         worksheets get    formulas. You can download an Excel workbook   Sales tab.
         added and the
         formulas have
         to be updated.
         Could you
         suggest the best
         way to handle a
         workbook like
         this?










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         36    |   Journal of Accountancy                                                                 August 2022
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