Imagine that you’re sitting in a meeting with your company’s executives. You have decided that it will be more profitable for the company to build out a new software feature than to leverage an existing one—you have the data to prove it—but now you have to convince your leaders. And your spreadsheet of numbers is putting them to sleep.
Transform your data into a more interesting, more convincing decision tree diagram in Excel. Decision trees provide a more consumable layout for your data as you consider different options, and then they help justify your decision to others. This guide outlines two approaches to make a decision tree in Excel:
Don’t limit yourself to manually making a decision tree in Excel—Lucidchart fully integrates with Microsoft Office, so you can add diagrams to your spreadsheets in a few simple clicks. Start diagramming your decision tree faster with drag-and-drop shapes, customizable templates, and more using Lucidchart’s free add-in with Excel. If you need more detailed instructions on how to make a decision tree diagram, use our step-by-step guide.
How to install the Lucidchart add-in for Excel
To get started, you’ll need to download the Lucidchart add-in for Excel. To do so, follow these simple steps:
How to insert a decision tree into Excel with the Lucidchart add-in
Quickly insert a decision tree into your spreadsheet, as a high-resolution image, without ever leaving Excel using the Lucidchart add-in.
How to make a new decision tree in Excel with the add-in
Want to make a decision tree from scratch? Create and edit your own decision tree in Excel using the Lucidchart editor with the Microsoft add-in.
Visit our Help Center or watch the video tutorial below for additional instructions on installing and using the Lucidchart add-in.
If you’re still set on making a decision tree manually in Excel, you can do so using either the shape library or SmartArt. Each of these options is more time-consuming and will be harder to customize than a decision tree created in Lucidchart.
How to make a decision tree using the shape library in Excel
Microsoft’s shape library allows you to build a decision tree using individual shapes and lines.
To use data to build your decision tree, you will need to conditionally format the cells with the appropriate data and use formulas to determine the correct output for your decision tree.
How to make a decision tree using SmartArt in Excel
SmartArt graphics make it easy to create simple diagrams in Excel, but they are rigid and hard to edit and customize. Follow these steps below to use SmartArt:
Speaking of decisions, let’s talk about why Lucidchart is your best choice for decision tree software.
While it is possible to manually make a decision tree in Excel, it is a rigid process that makes it difficult to customize and update your decision tree. With Lucidchart, you can quickly edit and use templates to make decision faster and visualize your choice.
Now it’s time to make your own decision.
Lucidchart, a cloud-based intelligent diagramming application, is a core component of Lucid Software's Visual Collaboration Suite. This intuitive, cloud-based solution empowers teams to collaborate in real-time to build flowcharts, mockups, UML diagrams, customer journey maps, and more. Lucidchart propels teams forward to build the future faster. Lucid is proud to serve top businesses around the world, including customers such as Google, GE, and NBC Universal, and 99% of the Fortune 500. Lucid partners with industry leaders, including Google, Atlassian, and Microsoft. Since its founding, Lucid has received numerous awards for its products, business, and workplace culture. For more information, visit lucidchart.com.
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