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Change Tracking

Assemble an audit trail of planting-plan and cost estimate changes: combine historical planting-plan sheets and cost v…

2heights
6tasks
3roles do it
See the prompt↓More forecast workflows

The same job, four prompts

do it · improve it · decide · become
AExecute — “help me do it”Assemble an audit trail of planting-plan and cost estimate changes: combine historical…+
Assemble an audit trail of planting-plan and cost estimate changes: combine historical planting-plan sheets and cost versions for Project Birch into one audit sheet with timestamps and user initials, trace formula precedents for key cost cells, and save as a reusable template by Friday.
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed.
BImprove — “do it better”Before legal reviews it, make the trail robust: ensure every change row links to the saved…+
Before legal reviews it, make the trail robust: ensure every change row links to the saved version or change-order ID, flag entries without justification, include a short reproducibility checklist showing how to rebuild the state for any historical date, and lock the audit template against accidental edits.
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed.

How to do it

the tool · the steps · what to avoid
The tool
What-If Analysis

What-If Analysis in Microsoft Excel helps you explore how changing input values affects formula outcomes.

  1. 1

    Open your Excel workbook and select the cell containing the formula you want to analyze.

  2. 2

    Navigate to the Data tab on the Excel ribbon.

  3. 3

    In the Forecast group, click What-If Analysis.

  4. 4

    Choose one of the three What-If Analysis tools: Scenario Manager, Goal Seek, or Data Table.

    NoteEach tool serves a different analytical purpose for your data.

  5. 5

    For Scenario Manager: Click Add, enter a Scenario name, define Changing cells, and set values for each scenario.

    Best practiceAvoid hard-coding values directly into formulas; instead, reference cells that can be changed by Scenario Manager.

  6. 6

    For Goal Seek: Set the Set cell to your formula, enter your To value, and specify the By changing cell.

    NoteGoal Seek finds the input value needed to achieve a desired result.

  7. 7

    For Data Table: List input variables in a column or row, and enter a formula referencing the input cell in an adjacent cell.

    NoteData Tables calculate multiple results for one or two input variables.

  8. 8

    For Data Table: Select the range including your input values and formula, then click What-If Analysis > Data Table.

  9. 9

    For Data Table: Enter the Row input cell and/or Column input cell that your formula references.

  10. 10

    Confirm your selections by clicking OK to apply the analysis.

To access advanced What-If Analysis features like Solver, enable the Analysis ToolPak add-in via File > Options > Add-Ins.

Yes, What-If Analysis can be automated using VBA macros or by integrating Excel with other programming languages.

Glossary

words on this page
Column input cellThe cell in a data table that substitutes different values for each column.ExampleThe data table shows how profit changes when the 'interest rate' cell varies across columns.
Analysis ToolPakAn Excel add-in providing data analysis tools for financial, statistical, and engineering data.ExampleUsing the Analysis ToolPak, you can quickly run a regression analysis on your sales data.
By changing cellSpecifies the input cells that Solver can modify to reach the desired outcome.ExampleSolver adjusts the 'quantity ordered' cell to find the maximum profit.
Scenario ManagerA What-If Analysis tool that lets you create and save different groups of values as scenarios.ExampleYou use this to compare projected profits under 'Best Case' and 'Worst Case' conditions.
What-If AnalysisThe process of changing values in cells to see how those changes affect the outcome of formulas.ExampleYou change sales figures to see how different outcomes affect your total revenue.

The real tasks

3 of them
Assemble an audit trail of changes to the planting plan and cost estimate so I can justify design changes during contract disputes.
Produce a clean proof-change log that shows who changed what and when so editors can approve the final corrections.
Create a simple audit trail that timestamps edits to the register so the office can show who changed what and when.

Who does this

3 roles
Landscape ArchitectMusic PublisherOffice Clerk

Questions people ask

honest answers

Because you rarely think 'I want the redaction tool'. You think 'I have to share this without leaking the client's details'. Start from the need, and the feature finds you.

Real. Every job here was drawn from what people in real roles were actually seen doing in Excel — not a feature checklist.

No. Each page gives you a ready prompt you can paste into an AI assistant, plus the plain steps to do it yourself. Start with either — the goal is the finished job, not the tool.