TopRank is the “What- if” sensitivity analysis component of the DecisionTools Suite.
Has this ever happened to you: You’ve created a comprehensive spreadsheet model describing the entire financial structure of your department. You show it to your manager and all he says is, “What are the critical factors?” Or what about this: You are given a complex spreadsheet you’ve never seen before and are asked to identify the “important” values that affect the bottom line. In either case, you would have hours of What-if Analysis ahead of you. You might not even know what factors to analyze! TopRank is here to make these tasks a breeze!
TopRank is the powerful but easy-to-use What-if Analysis add-in for Excel. Take any spreadsheet model, define an output, and TopRank will automatically determine which cells affect it the most, and ranks them in order of importance!
What-if Analysis
What-if Analysis (sometimes referred to as Sensitivity Analysis)
determines which values in a spreadsheet model have the greatest
impact on your results. Input values are varied (over a range) and
the amount of change on the results is recorded. The inputs can
then be ranked in order of importance. This type of analysis enables
the user to identify the critical factors in the model, whether
or not they created it or are familiar with the model itself.
Benefits
Integration
TopRank is a true add-in to your spreadsheet . Once installed, TopRank simply appears as a toolbar in Excel. TopRank allows you to run your analyses right where you are familiar...in your spreadsheet! No need to go back and forth between applications! TopRank also has a “What-if Wizard” built right in to guide you through each step of your What-if Analysis!
Identify Significant Factors
Never overlook those critical factors again! TopRank
scans every cell in your spreadsheet which influences your results. By
using TopRank first, you’ll be sure to review the most important
when setting up an @RISK risk analysis.
Automatic
Analysis
TopRank requires no tedious set up! Simply take
your existing spreadsheet model, select any cell as an output and
TopRank scans the spreadsheet to find cells which affect your results. Click
the ‘Start What-if’ button and TopRank tries different
values for each variable cell, changing values over ranges such
as -10% and +10%. Each time a new value is tried, the spreadsheet
is recalculated and new results are generated. Upon completion,
TopRank ranks the variable cells according to the effect they have
on your selected outputs.
Save Time
Until now, What-if analysis was done by manually selecting
a cell, trying two or three different “What-if” values,
recording the values of some result cell, and repeating for a few
other cells in the spreadsheet. This process was both time-consuming
and non-rigorous. Now, in a matter of seconds, TopRank
gives you the answers you need by performing a fast and rigorous
analysis.
Use
with the DecisionTools® Suite
TopRank was designed to work with our other DecisionTools®
Suite products: @RISK,
RISKview™, BestFit®
and PrecisionTree®. Start
by using TopRank to identify the critical values in your model.
Next, in @RISK, the Risk Analysis and Simulation Add-In, replace
those values with @RISK probability distribution functions. Use
RISKview to preview these distributions or create one by simply
drawing it and placing it directly in @RISK. Take real-world data
and use BestFit to find the distribution which best fits your data,
and use that function in @RISK to realistically represent uncertainty.
Then run a thorough Monte Carlo simulation and analyze the results! Create
a decision tree with PrecisionTree to accurately describe a decision,
and use TopRank to perform a multi-way What-if Analysis on your
decision tree! With the DecisionTools Suite, you will be prepared
to face the risks in any situation!
TopRank Features
Feature |
Standard |
Professional |
| Add-in for Excel |
YES |
YES |
| What-if Wizard controls your What-if Analysis |
YES |
YES |
| VaryTable Function calculates results for each value in table |
YES |
YES |
| Customizable Graphs can be saved or exported into Excel |
YES |
YES |
| Spider Graphs Show the rate of change of different inputs against the rate of change of an output |
YES |
YES |
| Tornado Graphs Compares the effects of all input variables on a given output. Displayed in bar graph format |
YES |
YES |
| Sensitivity Graphs Plots the effects of an individual input on results |
YES |
YES |
| Full statistical reports can be displayed in TopRank or your own spreadsheet |
YES |
YES |
| Multi-Way What-if Analysis shows effects of combining inputs | 2-3 variable combinations | unlimited number of input combinations |
| Supports @RISK functions |
NO |
YES |
Compatibility: TopRank is compatible with Excel versions 2000 through 2003