A practical guide to getting the most out of Excel, using it for data preparation, applying machine learning models (including cloud services) and understanding the outcome of the data analysis.

Key Features

Use Microsoft's product Excel to build advanced forecasting models using varied examples

Cover range of machine learning tasks such as data mining, data analytics, smart visualization, and more

Derive data-driven techniques using Excel plugins and APIs without much code required

Book Description

We have made huge progress in teaching computers to perform difficult tasks, especially those that are repetitive and time-consuming for humans. Excel users, of all levels, can feel left behind by this innovation wave. The truth is that a large amount of the work needed to develop and use a machine learning model can be done in Excel.

The book starts by giving a general introduction to machine learning, making every concept clear and understandable. Then, it shows every step of a machine learning project, from data collection, reading from different data sources, developing models, and visualizing the results using Excel features and offerings. In every chapter, there are several examples and hands-on exercises that will show the reader how to combine Excel functions, add-ins, and connections to databases and to cloud services to reach the desired goal: building a full data analysis flow. Different machine learning models are shown, tailored to the type of data to be analyzed.

At the end of the book, the reader is presented with some advanced use cases using Automated Machine Learning, and artificial neural network, which simplifies the analysis task and represents the future of machine learning.

What you will learn

Use Excel to preview and cleanse datasets

Understand correlations between variables and optimize the input to machine learning models

Use and evaluate different machine learning models from Excel

Understand the use of different visualizations

Learn the basic concepts and calculations to understand how artificial neural networks work

Learn how to connect Excel to the Microsoft Azure cloud

Get beyond proof of concepts and build fully functional data analysis flows

Who this book is for

This book is for data analysis, machine learning enthusiasts, project managers, and someone who doesn't want to code much for performing core tasks of machine learning. Each example will help you perform end-to-end smart analytics. Working knowledge of Excel is required.