How to combine and join tables from your Excel data

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What is Excel?

Microsoft Excel is a powerful spreadsheet software that allows users to organize, analyze, and manipulate data in tabular format. It's widely used across industries for data management, calculations, and reporting. Excel's familiar interface and versatile functionality make it a go-to tool for businesses of all sizes.

Why would you want to combine and join tables from Excel data?

Combining and joining tables from Excel data is essential for creating comprehensive datasets and deriving meaningful insights from disparate information sources. Here's why you might need to do this:

  • Consolidate data from multiple departments or sources into a single, unified view
  • Merge historical data with current records for trend analysis
  • Create relationships between different datasets to uncover new insights
  • Streamline reporting by combining relevant information from various spreadsheets
  • Maintain data consistency across multiple Excel files

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How to use Excel with Parabola

Parabola makes working with Excel files intuitive and powerful, allowing you to automate your spreadsheet-based workflows.

  • Simple drag-and-drop interface for importing Excel files
  • Support for multiple sheets and complex Excel formats
  • Automatic column type detection and formatting

Retrieving data from Excel

Parabola's Pull from Excel file step allows users to easily import their spreadsheet data into their Flow. This step handles various Excel file formats and automatically recognizes column headers and data types, making it simple to begin working with your data immediately.

Key features

  • Automatic column type detection
  • Support for multiple sheets within a workbook
  • Preservation of data formatting
  • Handling of merged cells
  • Error checking and validation

How to use

  1. Add the Pull from Excel file step to your Flow
  2. Upload your Excel file
  3. Select the specific sheet you want to import
  4. Configure any additional import settings
  5. Preview your data before proceeding

Combine tables

The Combine tables step in Parabola allows you to merge data sets from different sources based on matching columns. This powerful feature enables you to create comprehensive views of your business data and perform advanced analytics – mirroring the functionality of a vlookup in Excel.

Key features

  • Multiple joining methods (inner, left, right, full outer)
  • Column matching flexibility
  • Automatic data type handling
  • Duplicate handling options

How to use

  1. Add the Combine tables step to your Flow
  2. Connect the two datasets you'd like to join to the Combine tables step
  3. Choose the join type
  4. Map the matching columns
  5. Specify whether you'd like to match where any values match or all values
  6. Update results to preview the output and make edits as necessary

Practical use cases and examples

Combining Excel data in Parabola can solve various business challenges efficiently and effectively. Here are some common scenarios where this functionality proves invaluable.

Sales and inventory reconciliation

Merge sales data from one Excel sheet with inventory records from another to create a comprehensive view of product performance and stock levels. This helps identify trends and manage inventory more effectively.

Customer data enrichment

Combine customer information from multiple Excel sources to create detailed profiles by matching on common identifiers like email or customer ID, resulting in a more complete understanding of your customer base.

Financial reporting consolidation

Join financial data from different departments' Excel sheets to create consolidated reports, making it easier to track overall business performance and identify areas for improvement.

Working with Excel data in Parabola streamlines your data transformation processes and eliminates manual effort. By combining and joining tables automatically, you can focus on analyzing insights rather than managing spreadsheets. Start building your Excel data Flow today to experience the power of automated data transformation.