The precise calculation of future dates can be crucial in many office workflows. Whether for delivery dates, invoice deadlines, or project schedules – correctly handling dates in Excel saves time and minimizes errors. This guide teaches you how to calculate a future date in Excel by excluding weekends and holidays. You will learn different methods to efficiently achieve the desired result.
Key Insights
- Excel provides functions to calculate future dates while considering weekends and holidays.
- The "Workday" functions allow you to precisely calculate delivery times.
- Creating a holiday table is necessary to include holidays in the calculations.
Step-by-Step Guide
1. Basics of Date Calculation
First, it is important to establish the starting point for your calculation. You can either use today's date or choose a fixed date. For this example, we will use today's date:
=TODAY()
This formula automatically displays the current date. Assuming your customer has a 90-day delivery time, you will now use this date to calculate the future delivery date.
2. Calculating the Future Date
To calculate the date on which the goods are to be delivered to the customer, simply add the delivery time to your starting date:
=TODAY() + 90
The above calculates the date as a simple addition without considering weekends. In this case, Excel would simply show you the date after 90 days, which is not correct if you want to exclude weekends.
3. Exclusive Consideration of Weekends
Here is where the "Workday" function comes into play. This function automatically calculates a date that is a certain number of working days after the specified start date. To calculate 90 working days from today's date, use the following formula:
=WORKDAY(TODAY(), 90)
After entering the formula, Excel will show you a date without considering weekends.
4. Formatting the Result
Excel may display the result in a numeric form that you want to convert into a date. Click on the cell where the result is displayed and change the format to "Date":
- Right-click on the cell.
- Choose "Format Cells".
- Select "Date" and confirm.
You will now receive the correct future date without weekends.
5. Inclusion of Holidays
If you want to include holidays in your calculation, you need a list of these holidays. You should create a separate table containing all relevant holidays for the year.
Let's assume you have already created a holiday table with four fictional holidays. To include these in the calculation, use the "Workday" function again:
=WORKDAY(TODAY(), 90, Holidays)
Make sure the list of holidays is referenced in the third argument of the function. After running the formula, Excel will now show you a date that takes into account all weekends and holidays.
6. Completion and Presentation
To present the result professionally, you can display the delivery date in the desired format. For example, you could format the date as follows:
"The delivery date is Tuesday, September 4, 2018."
With this clear presentation, the customer knows exactly when their goods will arrive.
Summary
You have learned how to calculate a future date in Excel by excluding weekends and holidays. By using the functions "TODAY", "WORKDAY", as well as formatting options, you can now determine precise delivery dates and present them clearly. Excel is a powerful tool for leisure activities, work organization, and improving your office efficiency.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I exclude weekends in my calculation?You can use the "WORKDAY" function, which automatically excludes weekends.
How do I include holidays in my date calculations?Create a list of your holidays and then use them in the "WORKDAY" function.
Which date format should I choose for the output?You can change the date format to "Date" to ensure it is displayed correctly.
