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Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP @excelguru.ca · 12h

We heard from European friends that they aren't fans of the N American week numbering systems. 📆 #PowerQuery has a “week number” function but no function to get ISO weeks. Well, our Monkey Tools #Excel add-in will inject a GetISOWeek function.✋ Learn how it works here: mkyt.ca/get-iso-week

Monkey Tools
Build better data models, faster
Developed by Excelguru
(Image of a cyborg monkey with its fist up for a fist bump)
Get ISO Week Function
This function allows you to pass in two data points: a date and an optional "precise" choice. These return a properly formatted week number based on the ISO 8601 standard.
(Screenshot of Invoke Custom Function dialog in Power Query with fnGetISOWeek in the query field and the options for setting the column name, the given date, and the optional "precise date format" fields.)
monkeytools.ca

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Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP @excelguru.ca · 29/09/2026

Here's a recap of what's new in #Excel, including the ability to: 🟩 Store lists and arrays in a single cell 🟩 Name a table at the time of creation 🟩 Centre across selection from the new button in the Merge & Centre menu Read the full post: techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/excelbl...

techcommunity.microsoft.com

What's New in Excel (September 2026) | Microsoft Community Hub

Welcome to the September 2026 edition of What's New in Excel!

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Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP @excelguru.ca · 29/09/2026

In this new video, I show the different types of blanks that can show up in #PivotTables built from the #DataModel. 🙃 If you work with #Excel PivotTables, #PowerPivot, #DAX measures, or #PowerQuery, this will help you understand where blanks come from and how to deal with them: youtu.be/fnVUJmHUTwc

youtu.be

Why PivotTables Show Blanks — and How to Fix Them

In this video, Ken explains the different types of blanks that can show up in PivotTables built from the Data Model. You’ll see why measure calculations can return blanks when no rows remain after…

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Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP @excelguru.ca · 28/09/2026

🧭Takeaway: If a PivotChart keeps breaking on refresh, change the foundation instead of fighting the formatting. That's what the AKA is for: real problems from your own files, worked through live with someone who will tell you honestly what works and what doesn't.

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Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP @excelguru.ca · 28/09/2026

PivotCharts built on the #DataModel are notoriously fragile when a refresh adds new series, because the chart loses track of what it's supposed to format. I offered practical workarounds: 🟢 Layer separate combo and line charts, OR 🟢 Try driving the chart from #DynamicArrays so it works off formulas.

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Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP @excelguru.ca · 28/09/2026

In the most recent AKA session, a student asked about a frustrating #DataVisualization problem: a carefully formatted combo #PivotChart looked perfect until new forecast data was added. One refresh later, the formatting was gone. 😠 I reproduced the issue and was upfront that there's no clean fix. 🧵

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Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP @excelguru.ca · 25/09/2026

In this Monkey Shorts, I explore a #PowerQuery trick to fix non-aligned data. It all started with a PDF import where data shifted into different columns on different rows.👎 It all ended with success, and a recipe to solve this challenge for others!👍https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TC_gRjjCnm0 #Excel

youtube.com

Shift non-aligned Columns in Power Query - Monkey Shorts Episode 045

In this week's episode of Monkey Shorts, Ken explores a recipe to fix non-aligned data issues. It all started with a PDF import where data shifted into different columns on different rows. It all…

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Reposted by Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP

Ilgar Zarbaliyev @ilgarz.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Join us tonight for our Azerbaijan Data & AI Community meetup! 📅 25 September 2026 🕗 20:00 Baku time (GMT+4) Watch live on YouTube: youtube.com/live/hjRP2FQ... #PowerBI #MicrosoftFabric #ArtificialIntelligence #MCP #DataAnalytics #PowerBICommunity #AzerbaijanDataAI

youtube.com

Power B(A)I – AI-driven Reporting with MCP, Custom AI Skills & Power BI Bridge

YouTube video by Ilgar Zarbaliyev

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Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP @excelguru.ca · 25/09/2026

We're super excited to have you back, Wyn!

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Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP @excelguru.ca · 25/09/2026

What a great way to wrap up the week! Today, I'm leading some training for a private client, exploring the awesomeness of #PowerQuery. 😎 If you spend time manually gathering, cleaning, and transforming data, you know how tedious it can be. PQ will change your work forever in #Excel or #PowerBI!

The Classic Excel Answer
5 Step Process:
Import data -> Make contiguous range -> Sort -> Filter and cull -> Cleanup
Drawbacks:
- Tedious
- Complicated
- Have to re-live it every time

Dealing with Data in Modern Excel
Various data types/sources (database, website, files, folders, emails, etc.) -> Rich array of transformation tools in one place -> Load into worksheet + One-click refresh = Smiley face

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Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP @excelguru.ca · 24/09/2026

Some big #Excel news today! 🥳 We can now insert lists into a single cell, where each item is separated with a comma (or semicolon). Even more, we can contain our #DynamicArray outputs in a single cell, instead of spilling them to the grid. Read more here: techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microso...

techcommunity.microsoft.com

Put multiple values in one cell with lists and arrays in Excel | Microsoft Community Hub

Throughout Excel's 40-year history, you've only been able to put one value per cell. In this announcement, we're excited to share how that's changing with...

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Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP @excelguru.ca · 24/09/2026

Details have been confirmed for our October 15 Vancouver #PowerBI and Modern #Excel meet-up! First, Joseph Yeates will show us what's new in Power BI. Then, @wynhopkins.bsky.social will lead a fast-paced, practical session on high-impact Excel tips. Sign up here: www.meetup.com/vancouver-po...

meetup.com

Excel Like a Consultant (Pro Techniques that WOW Clients) | Wyn Hopkins, Thu, Oct 15, 2026, 5:00 PM | Meetup

**SESSION TRACK:** Excel & Power BI **SESSION OUTLINE:** First, our resident Power BI expert Joseph Yeates will show us what's new in Power BI. Then, Microsoft MVP Wyn Hop

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Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP @excelguru.ca · 23/09/2026

When you first open Query Sleuth in our Monkey Tools #Excel Add-in, you’ll notice the queries are colour coded with up to 4 different colours: 🟠🟡🔵🟢 This adds a bit of extra insight around the query load destinations. Learn more at mkyt.ca/querysleuth #PowerQuery #DataAnalytics #BusinessIntelligence

Monkey Tools
Build better data models, faster
Developed by Excelguru
(Image of a cyborg monkey with its fist up for a fist bump)
Query Sleuth
Queries are colour coded to add a bit of extra insight. By default:
- Yellow: Query is loaded as a "Connection Only"
- Green: Query is loaded to the data model
- Blue: Query is loaded to an Excel table
- Orange: Query is loaded to both the data model and an Excel table
(Screenshot of the QuerySleuth dialog with a listing of available queries highlighted with the corresponding lading destination colour)
monkeytools.ca

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Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP @excelguru.ca · 22/09/2026

The new edition of our newsletter is out! 📧 Want to get the latest content from our experts, what’s new in #Excel and #PowerBI, info on courses, events, promos, and more? Subscribe today at xlguru.ca/newsletter. Plus, we'll also send you our free 'DIY BI' eBook series! 📚

News from the Data Monkey
Brought to you by Excelguru and Skillwave
(Image of a cyborg monkey in a superhero style crouch)
September 22, 2026
In This Issue:
- From the AKA Sessions
- New video blog on unpivoting data with Power Query
- What's New in Power BI
- Latest Meet-up Recording and Next Event Information
- Upcoming Courses and Conferences
- Monkey Tools Updates
- Available Training Options
Ken is feeling settled into the new place, and he and the rest of the team are enjoying the last bit of sunny weather before we head into typical "Wet Coast" rains that come with the fall and winter. The countdown is on for Bulgaria Excel Days in October, where Ken is looking forward to connecting with friends both new and old in Sofia. There are still a few spots left for his LIVE Self Service BI Boot Camp - more details on the course can be found below in the Upcoming Courses & Events section. With it being just a month away, now's your chance to join him for in-person training!

'DIY BI' eBook Series
01 Excel
02 Power Query
03 Power Pivot
04 Power BI

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Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP @excelguru.ca · 22/09/2026

🧭Takeaway: A repeatable bug report is worth 10 frustrated support tickets. It' a great example of the kind of troubleshooting our community brings to AKA sessions, included in my #SelfServiceBI (skw-t.com/ssbi) and Excel Fundamentals (skw-t.com/excelfun) Academies. Get just the AKAs at skw-t.com/aka

skw-t.com

Self Service BI Academy

Prepare to change your company's reporting game forever! In the Self Service BI Academy, Ken Puls will teach you how to use Excel, Power Query, and Power BI together to build robust Self Service BI…

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Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP @excelguru.ca · 22/09/2026

The lesson? A clear, repeatable set of steps is exactly what turns a vague bug report into something Microsoft's team can actually act on. Reproducibility carries real weight when you are trying to get attention on an issue buried in a massive feedback queue. Yes, we've reported it to Microsoft! 😉

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Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP @excelguru.ca · 22/09/2026

Opening a file while the #FilePreview window was active, especially switching between different Excel file formats, was quietly launching an extra hidden instance of Excel behind the scenes, which then collided with the file the user was already working in. 🐛 #MicrosoftBug

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Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP @excelguru.ca · 22/09/2026

One of our 'Ask Ken Anything' (AKA) participants wanted to know why #Excel kept popping up a confusing "file already in use" error. 😕 After weeks of digging, they actually nailed down exactly how to reproduce it. The culprit turned out to be the preview pane in #FileExplorer. 🧵

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Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP @excelguru.ca · 21/09/2026

I recently lead some #Excel training for a private client, and one of the topics discussed was how to safely and successfully use #ArtificialIntelligence. Based on that discussion, here's what I think are, in general, the three most important things an AI user must have: xlguru.ca/ai-success

xlguru.ca

What You Need for Success with AI

I recently lead some Excel training for a private client, and one of the topics discussed was how to safely and successfully use Artificial Intelligence. Based on that discussion, I thought I would…

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Reposted by Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP

Mike Thomas @thomasmike.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

In this week's YouTube video, I show you how to take a column of cells where each cell contains multiple items and turn it into separate columns of checkboxes, making the data much easier to read and analyse. youtu.be/kwHUC3YVNDU

youtu.be

Excel: Convert a List into Checkboxes

YouTube video by Mike Thomas

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Reposted by Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP

Curtis Frye @curtisfrye.com · 21/09/2026

All users with a current version of Excel can now use the IMPORTCSV function to bring data into a workbook using a formula. No more messing around with external links! In this week's Techsoc movie, I show you how to create and manage these useful formulas. youtu.be/4pP12O702hM

youtu.be

Import comma-separated value (CSV) data into Excel using a formula

YouTube video by Curt Frye

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Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP @excelguru.ca · 21/09/2026

We had an awesome time at last week's Vancouver #PowerBI and Modern #Excel meet-up! Joseph Yeates went over some of the newest updates to Power BI, and then Melissa De Korte presented a deep dive into #PowerQuery for solving more advanced text-splitting challenges. 🎦 www.youtube.com/watch?v=yH6Z...

youtube.com

How to Split Without Making a Mess with Power Query Splitters | Melissa De Korte

In this Vancouver Power BI & Modern Excel User Group meetup, Melissa De Korte presents a deep dive into Power Query splitters and how they can be used to solve more advanced text-splitting challenges…

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Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP @excelguru.ca · 18/09/2026

Ever discovered errors in your data after unpivoting? 😬 Should you deal with them before you unpivot, or after? Can you remove all errors and still preserve a list of the records which contained errors? 😉 Join me to find out: www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJaX... #PowerQuery #Excel #PowerBI

youtube.com

UnPivoting Error Values in Power Query - Monkey Shorts Episode 044

Have you ever discovered errors in your data after unpivoting? Should you deal with them before you unpivot, or after? Can you remove all errors and still preserve a list of the records which…

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Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP @excelguru.ca · 17/09/2026

Today's Vancouver #PowerBI and Modern #Excel meet-up gets underway at 12pm. 🕛 Joseph Yeates will first show us some of the latest and greatest in Power BI. Then, Microsoft MVP Melissa de Korte will explore cool ways to split our data using #PowerQuery. 🤓 RSVP here: www.meetup.com/vancouver-po...

meetup.com

How to Split Without Making a Mess | Melissa de Korte, Thu, Sep 17, 2026, 12:00 PM | Meetup

**SESSION TRACK:** Power BI & Excel **SESSION OUTLINE:** Joseph Yeates will start things off by showing us some of the latest and greatest in Power BI. Then, Microsoft MVP

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Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP @excelguru.ca · 16/09/2026

We're very proud of our Monkey Tools add-in, and love hearing from happy users! ❤️ Monkey Tools contains a set of tools to help you build better data models more quickly and follow #DataModeling best practices. Learn more about it at monkeytools.ca #PowerQuery #DAX #DataAnalyticsTools #DataAnalysis

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Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP @excelguru.ca · 15/09/2026

But it solved the real problem: hit refresh, and the report just updates. 🧭Takeaway: The messy solution that actually works beats the elegant one that doesn't. This is exactly the kind of problem our AKA sessions are for. Sign up at skw-t.com/aka, or get access with my #Excel and #SSBI Academies.

skw-t.com

Ask Ken Anything

Get access to an expert who will help you build real world solutions. The Ask Ken Anything (AKA) sessions are live, interactive coaching calls that are held twice each month. They’re designed to give…

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Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP @excelguru.ca · 15/09/2026

Calculated columns return stale values that do not get dynamically computed as filter context changes. The eventual fix involved two synced PivotTables and a dynamic array HSTACK formula to combine them into one clean chart source data range. 🤝 It may not have been the prettiest solution...

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Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP @excelguru.ca · 15/09/2026

I wrestled with this before the session, and walked through my failed attempts, because seeing what does not work is often as valuable as seeing what does. 🤔 While the DAX could be written to return blanks for the unneeded periods, those columns are not suppressed if another column does have values.

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Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP @excelguru.ca · 15/09/2026

During an AKA call, an attendee brought a stubborn #PowerPivot problem: how do you show a single “Total Units” column in your #PivotTable, but show forecasts monthly without either duplicating a #DAX measure every single month, or ending up with a wall of blank columns that have to be hidden? 🧵

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Reposted by Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP

Curtis Frye @curtisfrye.com · 14/09/2026

This week's Techsoc video highlights a terrific resource that’s perfect for all learners, but especially those from Canada, the UK, and the British Commonwealth: the BC Open Collection. The Collection offers peer-reviewed textbooks and other resources you can remix as desired. youtu.be/lbRzHN2KG1Q

youtu.be

Resources: BC Open Collection

YouTube video by Curt Frye

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Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP @excelguru.ca · 14/09/2026

Why is this pattern is so powerful? Oce the query is built, new dates or new categories can be added to the source data, and the results can be updated with a simple refresh. 🤯 This is a must-know PQ technique for cleaning report-style data and turning it into a flexible, refreshable data set.

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Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP @excelguru.ca · 11/09/2026

By default, when you unpivot a set of data in #PowerQuery, all null records are suppressed. But what if you need them in your unpivoted data set? 🙉 In this Monkey Shorts, I show 2 methods of doing so and discuss the impacts of each: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j_q... #Excel #PowerBI #DataAnalysis

youtube.com

Keep null Values During UnPivot Operations - Monkey Shorts Episode 043

By default, when you unpivot a set of data in Power Query, all null records are suppressed. But what if you need them in your unpivoted data set? In this week's episode of Monkey Shorts, Ken shows…

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Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP @excelguru.ca · 10/09/2026

Formatting the same report repeatedly is a time sink, especially when the data changes. 😢 At our Oct 1 meet-up, Jakob Nielsen takes a deep dive into Flow, an #Excel add‑in that automates layout. 😅 RSVP here: www.meetup.com/vancouver-po... (Session will be recorded.) #DataVisualization #ExcelReport

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Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP @excelguru.ca · 09/09/2026

Some great #Excel learning resources here!

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Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP @excelguru.ca · 09/09/2026

When building #Excel solutions, we really like to indent our #ExcelFormulas. But you have to press Alt+Enter for every line break, and line things up with the spacebar. 😔 Our solution? The Indent Formula Monkey allows users to indent one or more cells instantly. 😁 Learn more at mkyt.ca/indent

Monkey Tools
Build better data models, faster
Developed by Excelguru
(Image of a cyborg monkey with its fist up for a fist bump)
Indent Formula Monkey
Indenting your formulas in Excel is unfortunately a manual process, and it can get tricky and time-consuming with complex formulas that are several layers deep.
The Indent Formula Monkey allows you to instantely indent one or more cells. Just select the desired workbook cell(s) and click Control+Shift+I!
(Screenshot of a indented formula in the Excel formula bar)
monkeytools.ca

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Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP @excelguru.ca · 08/09/2026

📰 Our newsletter went out earlier today, so time to check your inbox if you're a subscriber! If you're not, sign up at xlguru.ca/newsletter and get expert content, what's new in #Excel and #PowerBI, info on courses, promotions, and events, and our free 'DIY BI' eBook series. 📕📙📗📘

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Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP @excelguru.ca · 08/09/2026

We had an awesome time at last week's Vancouver #PowerBI and Modern #Excel meet-up! Fay Bordbar showed us some real-world ways to use #ArtificialIntelligence tools such as #Copilot and #Claude inside Excel workflows. 🤓 Check out the recording here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=c85w...

youtube.com

Practical AI for Excel: Real-World Use Cases | Fay Bordbar

YouTube video by Skillwave Training

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Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP @excelguru.ca · 07/09/2026

Questions like this, the kind that only show up once real-world data gets involved, are why we keep running AKA sessions. Sign up for them at skw-t.com/aka, or get access for free with either our #Excel Fundamentals (skw-t.com/excelfun) or #SelfServiceBI (skw-t.com/ssbi) Academies.

skw-t.com

Ask Ken Anything

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Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP @excelguru.ca · 07/09/2026

It is a small, sneaky bug with a big lesson: consistency in naming conventions saves hours of confused debugging down the road, especially once a tool leaves your own machine. 🧭Takeaway: The bug you can't see is usually the one your brain is auto-correcting for you. #PowerBI #DataPreparation

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Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP @excelguru.ca · 07/09/2026

The fix was not to loosen the filter to work around it, but to rebuild it cleanly against the correct folder so the logic can't be fooled again as new folders get. A great trick here is to just convert the folder column to lower case before filtering, removing the case sensitivity all together. 👌

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Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP @excelguru.ca · 07/09/2026

PQ is case-sensitive when filtering. 🔍 A folder named slightly differently (e.g. ‘Source Data’ vs ‘Source data’) is something the eye barely notices, but will make the filter fail. Adjusting the logic to something like “folder does not equal null” could cause other issues if new folder were added.

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Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP @excelguru.ca · 07/09/2026

A question came up in a recent AKA session about a tool built to automatically pull files from a folder for a client project using #PowerQuery. It worked perfectly on the developer's own machine, but broke the moment it landed on the client's system. 😧 I walked through the likely culprit. 🧵

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Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP @excelguru.ca · 04/09/2026

While #PowerQuery has a super easy way to merge columns, there is no easy-to-use UI command to merge multiple rows into a single cell. In this Monkey Shorts, you'll see how we can leverage a little bit of M code to make it happen: www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8X9... #Excel #PowerBI #DataPreparation

youtube.com

Merging Multiple Rows to a Single Cell - Monkey Shorts Episode 042

While Power Query has a super easy way to merge columns, there is no easy-to-use user-interface command which allows you to merge multiple rows into a single cell. In this week's episode of Monkey…

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Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP @excelguru.ca · 03/09/2026

One hour until today's Vancouver #PowerBI and Modern #Excel meet-up! ⏰ Fay Bordbar will walk us through practical, real-world use cases where #AITools and Excel work together, from speeding up everyday tasks to tackling problems that used to feel out of reach. 🖱️RSVP: www.meetup.com/vancouver-po...

meetup.com

Practical AI for Excel: Real-World Use Cases | Fay Bordbar, Thu, Sep 3, 2026, 9:00 AM | Meetup

**SESSION TRACK:** Excel **SESSION OUTLINE:** AI is changing the way we work with data — but where does it actually fit alongside Excel? In this session, Fay Bordbar will

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Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP @excelguru.ca · 02/09/2026

The Basic Explicit Measure Monkey provides a simple interface to build basic #DAX measures without writing any code yourself. 😎 It also gives aggregation choices based on your data types, shows the DAX written, and lets you set default measure formats. Learn more: mkyt.ca/bem #Excel #PowerQuery

Monkey Tools
Build better data models, faster
Developed by Excelguru
(Image of a cyborg monkey with its fist up for a fist bump)
Basic Explicit Measure Monkey
This Monkey gives you a wizard-like interface to build your DAX measures without code, providing you with aggregations that are valid for your column's data types.
It is targeted at those who are new to DAX and need help with getting the syntax correct.
(Screenshot of the Create Basic Measures in PivotSleauth interface with settings for what to aggregate, the type of aggregation, measure name, default number format, and more)
monkeytools.ca

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Ken Puls, FCPA, MS MVP @excelguru.ca · 01/09/2026

See how the Parameter Table and Function feature in Monkey Tools can automatically add the fnGetParameter() function and the required parameter table setup into your #Excel workbook. It's useful when you want your #PowerQuery solutions to be easier to move, update, and maintain: youtu.be/Y0lVI6sPdpo

youtu.be

Using Dynamic Parameters Easily: fnGetParameter() function and Monkey Tools

In this video, Ken shows how the Parameter Table and Function feature in Monkey Tools can automatically add the fnGetParameter() function and the required parameter table setup into your Excel…

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