When Excel Doesn’t Cut It: Using R and Python for Advanced Data Tasks
If you know anyone passionate about Microsoft Excel, then you know conversations about its uses can get emotional very quickly. People who’ve mastered every plugin and pivot table sometimes have a hard time believing there’s anything Excel can’t do. This podcast , titled “A Beehive of Excel Devotees” by Roger Peng and Hilary Parker, is a perfect illustration of that mentality. It underscores a point that is missing in most discussions: you need to pick the right tools for the job at hand. Sometimes, Excel is the right tool. Sometimes, it isn’t. If you’re looking to build a career as a business analyst or data scientist, having a plethora of tools in your back pocket as well as the skill set needed to use them, is a must. And it’s okay to use Excel. It is okay. Excel is a little tool that is suited to fulfill many needs. But professionals working with data must also understand that it’s not the best solution for every task. Let’s dive deeper and look at three scenarios in which Excel m