How to use Excel: A beginner's guide to Microsoft's spreadsheet program Dave JohnsonDec 30, 2020, 23:18 IST You can open a new workbook, or pin an existing one to your list of Recents for easy access.Dave Johnson/Business Insider You can use Excel is Microsoft's spreadsheet program, a part of the Microsoft 365 suite of products. Here's a crash course in the basics of using Microsoft Excel. Excel is one of the most important programs Microsoft offers. A part of the Microsoft 365 (formerly called Office 365) suite, Excel is a spreadsheet program with a seemingly vast array of features and capabilities. Not only is Excel a way to store and organize information into cells and sheets, but it's a "what if" machine, able to quickly perform all manner of calculations with that data.