Saving Time with Excel Add-ins

Excel add-in programs provide a quick-and-easy way to extend the basic features of Excel. Most of the add-in programs created for Excel offer you some kind of specialized function or group of functions that extend Excel's computational abilities. For example, Excel includes an Analysis ToolPak that gives you immediate access to some fifteen additional sophisticated statistical functions, including such things as Anova, Covariance, F-Test: Two-Sample for Variances, Fourier Analysis, Histogram, Rank and Percentile, t-Test, and z-Test, among others. It also includes a Conditional Sum Wizard, Lookup Wizard, and Solver Add-in that you can use to perform other types of analysis.

As part of the Excel program, Microsoft offers you a group of spreadsheet-type add-ins that you can start using right away. In addition, you can search the Microsoft Web site for additional add-ins that you can download for free as well as a number of other third-party Web sites where you can purchase the Excel add-ins for download.