Delete what you don’t need

An average spreadsheet will be used by 12 different people after you. What do you think will happen when this chain starts with a messy file? When you are working on a spreadsheet that will be shared with coworkers or clients in the future, make sure to deliver it clean and delete any distracting information.

Calculations, pivot tables and graphs

Always create a draft calculation first, and throw it away when the definitive calculation is ready. Also, when you create pivot tables or graphs for data analysis, throw them away as soon as you no longer have need for them.

Unused worksheets

The most common, and infamous, spreadsheet negligence is a worksheet that is no longer in use. We visit customers weekly, experienced spreadsheet users, who tell us “oh, just ignore that sheet, we don’t use it anymore”. You can guess what we tell them… delete it! Not only is it impossible for the next user to judge whether the sheet is current or not, but they also often contain some numbers that are still in use. These numbers, however, go unnoticed and haven’t been updated in months. They will become a risk to the results and you will only discover this once you clean up your spreadsheet.

But maybe i’ll need it later!

What to do when you are in doubt? Sometimes you do not know whether a worksheet is still in use. In that case it is best to save the spreadsheet with a clear name, like “report July 2017 incl. alternative cashflow calculation,” and then delete the extra worksheet and save the file under its original name. This way you can always go back to the older version of the spreadsheet, and you don’t have to worry about removing the worksheet in question.

Of course, we advise the use of PerfectXL for this situation as well. Our PerfectXL Explore visualization tool shows which worksheets are being used in one simple, easy to read overview.

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An extra tip: take a look at named ranges (via formulas -> name manager). Are there any unused ranges in there? Delete what you don’t need!