How To Excel with CUFS Part 1 (Excel 2010) vs0.2 17
2.6 Formatting numbers and working with currencies
To make it easier to read we should always include some basic formatting on the spreadsheet.
Column Headings
1
st
Always make sure your heading row stands out by highlighting the whole row and
either:
a) putting all the text in Bold (Ctrl +B); or
b) Shading in the top row using the icon in the ribbon
2
nd
Make sure that any value columns include an indication of the currency (there is a big
difference between 2 million yen and 2 million pounds!). The standard practice is not to
include the currency symbol in each cell, instead include it in the column heading.
Never mix currencies in the same report, remember …
Entered debits/credits are the foreign currency values
Accounted debits/credits are the sterling value
Functional currency is also the sterling equivalent
3
rd
At this point it is advised that you think carefully about the purpose of your
spreadsheet/report and who will be its eventual recipient and the level of preciseness
(materiality) required.
E.g. If the report is for your Head of Department and is to summarize expenditure
for the whole year are they really likely to be interested in the ‘pence’?
Think about the materiality of the figures. For example it is not uncommon at
School or University level for us to work in £000s. So £83,176.54 would be
displayed as
Formatting numbers
a) Highlight your column of values and …
Option 1 Right click and select Format cells from the context menu that pops up