Each unique value in a cell, or each unique group of values for a group of cells, is called a scenario. Scenarios make it possible to perform so-called “what-if” data analysis. You can enter different values into key cells and observe what happens as a result. Quite often, it is necessary to have various solution options at hand, and scenarios provide exactly this possibility for the user.
The Scenario Manager in MS Excel allows you to automatically perform “what-if” analysis for different models. You can create several sets of input data (changing cells) for any number of variables and assign a name to each set. By the name of the selected data set, MS Excel generates analysis results on the worksheet. In addition, the Scenario Manager allows you to create a scenario summary report that displays the results of substituting different combinations of input parameters.
The Scenario Manager is opened with the Scenario Manager command, which is selected from the What-If Analysis list located in the Data Tools group on the Data tab of the ribbon.
In the window that appears, using the corresponding buttons, you can add a new scenario, edit, delete, or display an existing one, as well as merge several different scenarios and obtain a summary report for the existing scenarios.