You can use Solver, for example, to determine the most efficient shipping routes, maximize income/sales/etc., or discover the best product mix.

According to the Microsoft Office blog, it works by changing a group of cells related to the target cell to find an optimal value subject to the constraints that you set. Solver helps to find an optimal value in one cell, called the target cell, on your worksheet. It is licensed from Frontline Systems that has shipped with Excel for many years. The Solver Excel add-in is a what-if analysis tool for optimization. Here’s how you enable Power Pivot before using it for the first time. The add-in is built into certain versions of Excel, but by default, it’s not enabled. You can process huge amounts of data in seconds, as well as load even the largest data sets from virtually any source. It makes it easier to handle massively large data sets than your basic version of Excel. Power Pivot is a free add-in you can use to perform powerful data analysis in Excel. You provide the data and parameters for each analysis, and the tool uses the appropriate statistical or engineering macro functions to calculate and display the results in an output table. It allows you to develop complex statistical or engineering analysis, all while helping you save steps and time. The Analysis ToolPak is a Microsoft Office Excel add-in program that is available when you install Microsoft Office or Excel. Let’s go over some of the best Excel add-ins that make it easier for you to find, process, and analyze your data.

Now, it’s time to push Excel to the limit. If you choose to download an add-in, you can use the Add-Ins Manager to install it. Try File > Options > Add-Ins to see what is already available within your version of Excel.

Excel actually comes bundled with a handful of popular add-ins, you just need to locate and activate them. Excel add-ins are special files that extend the functionality of Microsoft Excel, beyond its basic spreadsheet capabilities.

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