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Best Practices

Quick, practical tips to help you get the most out of Antenna in Excel — faster, safer, and with fewer surprises.

  • Always reset Antenna when you open a workbook. 🔄
    A fresh start prevents stale settings or cached data from affecting results. Make resetting part of your opening routine.

  • Turn output data ranges into a proper workbook. 📦
    Convert outputs into a dedicated workbook (not just sheets or loose ranges). This makes sharing, versioning, and downstream processing much easier.

  • Use Class Mappings to focus on what matters. 🎯
    Filter with Class Mappings to reduce noise — only pull the classes you actually need for the analysis or report.

  • Avoid hardcoded values in formulas. Use named ranges. 🧭
    Named ranges make formulas readable, robust to structural changes, and easier to maintain across versions.

  • Save intermediate snapshots and keep backups. 💾
    Before major changes, save a timestamped copy. Small mistakes are easier to recover from than lost work.

  • Document your workbook structure. 📝
    Add a short README sheet that explains the purpose of each tab, key named ranges, and any assumptions. Future you (and your teammates) will thank you.

  • Automate repetitive steps where possible. 🤖
    Use macros, templates, or Antenna features to automate repetitive transforms and exports — consistency improves speed and reduces errors.

  • Run a quick validation after big data loads. 🧪
    Check totals, row counts, or sample records to catch unexpected changes early.

  • Be explicit about formats and units. 📏
    Make currency, dates, and units clear in headers or a metadata sheet to avoid interpretation mistakes.

  • When in doubt, ask for help — early. 🙋
    Don’t be a hero. The Portfolio Analytics team is friendly and can save you hours if you run into issues.

  • Don't be afraid to explore. 🔎
    The tutorial guides provided are just a starting point — explore further and create your own template if needed. The data is right there. 🌟

Quick checklist ✅

  • Reset Antenna on open 🔄
  • Save backup before big changes 💾
  • Convert outputs to a dedicated workbook 📦
  • Use named ranges and document them 🧭
  • Validate after load 🧪

Final note: you’re on the right track — follow these habits and you’ll work faster, with fewer headaches. Congratulations — you’re becoming an Antenna pro. 🎉