Ampler’s Scan & Fix scans a workbook for errors and risks and presents automatic fixes — using rules based on scientific research into the most common spreadsheet mistakes.
Quick answer: Click the Scan & Fix dropdown (Ctrl+Shift+P) and choose Scan selected sheets, then click Fix on each issue; sort, navigate, and inspect issues from the panel.
How to use it
Scan the workbook and fix issues
Scan the workbook, then apply the recommended fix on each issue.
- Click the Scan & Fix dropdown (Ctrl+Shift+P) and select Scan selected sheets.
- Click Fix to apply the recommended fix on each identified issue.
Sort, navigate, and inspect issues from the panel
Sort, navigate, and inspect the identified issues.
- Use the panel to sort and navigate the identified issues.
- Inspect an issue to understand it, then apply or skip the fix.
Scan & Fix’s rules are based on scientific papers on the most common types of spreadsheet errors.
Keyboard shortcut
Scan & Fix is Ctrl+Shift+P by default; you can reassign it in the Ampler Settings → Shortcuts.
Why use it
Spreadsheet errors are common and costly, and most are invisible until something breaks. Scan & Fix automatically identifies errors and risks against a research-based rule set and offers fixes, so a workbook is checked before it’s relied on.
How consultants use it
Model risk is a real liability, and a systematic error check — not just eyeballing — is part of a rigorous build. Three conventions apply:
- Systematic error detection: the workbook is checked against a research-based rule set, not by eye.
- Catch risks early: errors and risky constructs are surfaced before the model is relied on.
- A check before every hand-off: a scan is standard before a model is shared or presented.
Scan & Fix makes model checking systematic rather than manual.
Tips & best practices
- Scan before relying on a model or handing it over.
- Inspect each issue before applying the fix.
- Follow up complex formulas with Inspect formulas.
Availability
Included in Ampler for Excel and the Ampler Suite, on Windows desktop Excel.
Frequently asked questions
How do you check an Excel workbook for errors?
Click the Scan & Fix dropdown (Ctrl+Shift+P) on the Ampler ribbon and choose Scan selected sheets. It identifies errors and risks and offers fixes, based on a research-backed rule set.
What kinds of errors does Scan & Fix find?
Errors and risks based on scientific research into the most common spreadsheet mistakes — such as references to empty cells, interrupted formula ranges, and hard-coded numbers in formulas.
Is Ampler Scan & Fix available in Excel?
Yes. Scan & Fix works in Excel, and also in PowerPoint and Word.