Excel Inherited Workbook Takeover Review
Understand and assess a workbook someone else built.
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I have inherited an Excel workbook and need to understand it before relying on it. What it is used for and by whom: [PURPOSE_AND_USERS]. Sheet names and what I think each does: [SHEET_LIST]. Inputs I know are updated and how often: [INPUTS]. Outputs others depend on: [OUTPUTS]. Problems or doubts: [DOUBTS]. Create a takeover plan in four parts. A map: which sheets are inputs, calculations, outputs and lookups, and how data flows. A structure check: hard-coded numbers inside formulas, hidden sheets or rows, external links, macros, named ranges, merged cells, and formulas that differ down a column. A reconciliation: pick three outputs and recompute them by hand from the inputs with arithmetic. A risk list: what breaks if an input is late, a row is added, or a user types over a formula. Rank risks by the damage a wrong number could do. Return a table with Area, What to check, How to check [VERIFY menu names for tools such as Trace Precedents and Inquire], Result and Risk, a one-page handover skeleton (purpose, owner, inputs, steps, checks, known issues), and questions for the previous owner. Work on a copy and record every change. Say what you cannot judge without seeing the workbook.
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