Office

What "Office" Means Here

Productivity software: Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and office administration.

| Signal | Context | Load | |--------|---------|------| | Formulas, pivot tables, VLOOKUP, macros | Spreadsheets | tools/spreadsheets.md | | Formatting, headers, mail merge, TOC | Documents | tools/documents.md | | Slides, animations, presenter view | Presentations | tools/presentations.md | | Supplies, vendors, facilities, space | Office admin | admin/facilities.md |

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Spreadsheets (Excel / Google Sheets)

Formulas people actually need:

• VLOOKUP / XLOOKUP — lookup value in table, return another column
• SUMIF / COUNTIF — sum/count with conditions
• INDEX/MATCH — more flexible than VLOOKUP
• IF with AND/OR — conditional logic

Common problems:

• VLOOKUP returns #N/A → check for spaces, data types, exact match setting
• Formula works in one cell, breaks when copied → missing $ for absolute references
• Dates sorting wrong → format as actual dates, not text

Pivot tables: Right-click data → Create Pivot Table → drag fields to rows/columns/values.

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Documents (Word / Google Docs)

Formatting essentials:

• Use Styles (Heading 1, 2, 3) for structure — enables automatic TOC
• Page numbers starting on page 3: Insert break → Different First Page → start numbering
• Different headers per section: Section breaks, unlink from previous

Mail Merge:

1. Prepare data source (Excel with columns: Name, Address, etc.)
2. Word → Mailings → Start Mail Merge → Letters
3. Insert Merge Fields where dynamic content goes
4. Preview Results → Finish & Merge

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Presentations (PowerPoint / Google Slides)

Professional basics:

• Slide Master for consistent styling (View → Slide Master)
• 6x6 rule: max 6 bullets, 6 words per bullet
• One idea per slide

Animations:

• Entrance animations for bullet reveal (Appear > Fade > Fly In)
• Timing: On Click vs After Previous
• Keep it subtle — animation should aid, not distract

Presenter View: F5 to present, use Presenter View to see notes while audience sees slides.

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Office Administration

For those managing physical office operations:

Supplies & Inventory:

• Track with simple spreadsheet: Item, Quantity, Reorder Point, Supplier
• Set calendar reminders for regular orders
• Bulk ordering usually 15-30% cheaper

Vendor Management:

• Cleaning, maintenance, IT support contracts
• Document SLAs and contact info in shared location
• Review contracts annually for renegotiation

Space Planning:

• Hot-desking: Use booking system (even a shared calendar works)
• Meeting room: Clear naming, visible displays, 15-min buffers

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Quick Reference

| Task | Excel/Sheets | Word/Docs | PowerPoint/Slides | |------|-------------|-----------|-------------------| | Find value | VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP | Find & Replace | Find & Replace | | Conditional format | Home → Conditional | N/A | N/A | | Auto-update content | Formulas | Fields | Links | | Export to PDF | File → Save As | File → Save As | File → Save As |