FUTURE-READY EXCEL: From Basics to Brilliance - Session 4: AI, Automation and Beyond

Participants will learn how to refresh and maintain the reporting framework created in previous sessions, including updating data through Power Query connections and ensuring that reports and dashboards automatically reflect new information. The session will also demonstrate how newer features — such as automatic PivotTable refresh capabilities — can further streamline reporting processes.

To introduce practical automation techniques, the webinar will cover simple macro recording, showing how routine manual tasks can be captured, slightly adjusted, and reused to save time in recurring workflows.

Finally, the session will explore the growing role of artificial intelligence in Excel and financial analysis, including tools such as Copilot and other AI assistants. Participants will see how AI tools — such as Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or Grok — can be used to brainstorm approaches to building workbooks, structure analytical processes, and support more efficient problem-solving in Excel.

By the end of this session, participants will have a clearer understanding of how to move beyond manual spreadsheet work and begin incorporating automation and AI-assisted workflows into their Excel practices, helping them become more efficient and future-ready professionals.