• Microsoft Excel is ideal for organizing large amounts of data.Image Source White/Valueline/Getty Images
  
  Microsoft Excel, part of the Microsoft Office suite, is widely used both at home and at businesses for organizing data. The capabilities of Excel include creating workbooks--as well as visual representations of data such as charts and graphs--on nearly any topic area you can imagine.
  
  

Data Storage

• The most basic function of Excel is its spreadsheets, which contain cells that make up rows and columns that you can enter data in. Common uses for Excel spreadsheets include organizing budgets, schedules and financial information.
  
  

Calculations

• Excel has the ability to perform numerous calculations, particularly useful when you are dealing with spreadsheets filled with financial data. Also enter your own customized function into Excel to have it perform a more specific calculation on your data.
  
  

Collaboration

• Up to 256 users can open and work within an Excel workbook simultaneously. This is a capability commonly used by companies that need to give several workers access to, and the ability to edit, one workbook.
  
  

Charts and Graphs

• With Excel, highlight any numerical data and easily create dozens of types of charts and graphs, including pie charts, bar graphs and line graphs. Excel is also capable of creating sparklines, which are miniature charts that fit in one cell and provide an accompanying visual summary of the data in that cell.
  
  

Formatting and Customization

• With rich text options, font sizes, styles and colors, colored charts and graphs, and link insertion, Excel gives you the ability to format and customize any spreadsheet or worksheet at a high level.