Using Excel efficiently: This is how you easily split columns

In this short tutorial, I will show you how to quickly and efficiently split a column into four columns, for example, to distribute names among four teams. This technique is particularly useful when you have a list of names that need to be divided for a game or similar activity. You will see that you do not have to intervene manually, but you can save time through simple Excel formulas.

Main Takeaways

By using line breaks and a simple Excel formula, you can quickly split a long list of entries into multiple columns. This is an efficient method that helps you better organize and manage data.

Step-by-Step Guide

To split the names quickly into four columns, follow these steps:

To distribute the names among four teams, open your Excel file and place the cursor in the cell where you want the split names to begin. This is the starting point for your transformation.

Next, use a formula to help you split the data in the desired way. Enter the formula in the active cell: =TEXTSPLIT(Table4[Employee]; 4) (replace Table4[Employee] with the address of the cell where your original names are located). The semicolon separates the individual entries, and the "4" indicates that you want to split the names into four separate columns. This formula simplifies the task significantly.

Once you have entered the formula, press Enter to start the calculation. See how the names are split into the four columns. You should immediately see the results in the adjacent cells. This process is really quick and easy.

When you look at the split names, you can adjust the column width immediately to obtain better visibility of the data. Double-click the boundary between the column header rows to automatically adjust the wider names. This ensures a clear overview.

In short, with this method, you have split your names from one column to four in one go and saved a lot of time. Excel not only offers you the ability to store data but also to organize and present it in a user-friendly way.