Creating Audit Trails in Microsoft Excel

Live Webinar or Recording

July 16, 2025, 12:00 pm - 1:40 pm Eastern

Credit: CPE: 2, ATAAA: 1.5 (Live Only)

Discover how to improve collaboration, maintain data accuracy, and build audit trails in Excel by using key features that support transparency and control. This webinar focuses on practical techniques for enabling and managing Track Changes, restoring workbook sharing, and reviewing collaborative edits effectively. You'll explore Excel Online's Show Changes functionality, apply the FORMULATEXT function for better formula management, and utilize Excel’s Inquire Add-In—available in Enterprise versions—for comprehensive data auditing.

Led by Excel expert David H. Ringstrom, CPA, this session includes step-by-step demonstrations using Excel for Microsoft 365, with notes on variations in Excel 2021, 2019, and 2016. Attendees will receive detailed handouts, including a workbook with example files used in the presentation. Topics such as data transformation with Power Query, protecting worksheets, identifying unlocked cells with Conditional Formatting, and cleaning financial reports will be covered in depth. Whether you're working with collaborative spreadsheets or auditing financial data, this session will equip you with tools to improve accuracy and efficiency.

Topics Covered:

• Restoring and utilizing the classic Track Changes feature in Excel
• Monitoring cell-level changes for up to 60 days in Excel Online
• Displaying all formulas at once using the Show Formulas feature
• Toggling cell lock status with custom shortcuts
• Stepping backwards through Power Query transformations
• Defining audit trails and their role in ensuring data accuracy and accountability
• Changing data types for columns in Power Query results
• Using Conditional Formatting to highlight unlocked cells
• Displaying formulas in adjacent cells using the FORMULATEXT function
• Protecting worksheets to restrict editing to specific areas
• Cleaning accounting reports by removing blanks, merges, and missing data
• Restoring missing Workbook Sharing and Track Changes commands in Excel 2021 and Microsoft 365

Your Benefits for Attending:

• Gain clarity and control over collaborative spreadsheet changes
• Strengthen your ability to audit and validate spreadsheet data
• Improve your efficiency when working with complex formulas and data transformations

This webinar will help you enhance your Excel skills with practical tools that simplify collaboration, protect data integrity, and support more confident reporting.

Who Should Attend:
Professionals seeking to use Microsoft Excel more effectively, particularly those responsible for collaborative data environments, auditing, or reporting.

Level: Intermediate
Format: Live webcast
Instructional Method: Group: Internet-based
NASBA Field of Study: Computer Software & Applications (2 hours)
Program Prerequisites: Prior experience with Microsoft Excel is recommended.
Advance Preparation: None

Guest Speaker: David H. Ringstrom, CPA - Accounting Advisors Inc.

Level: Basic

Format: Live Webcast

Field of Study: Computer Software & Applications

Program Prerequisites: None

Advanced Preparation: None

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