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How To Insert SmartArt in Excel

SmartArt in Excel is used to create graphics and easily make a visual representation of your information, learn all about the different ways here!
Here are the top things on what you can do with inserting SmartArt in Excel:

Distribute and Align Shapes in Excel

Imagine you have a lot of shapes in your Excel file and the shapes are all over the place!
You want to organize the shapes but it seems a pain to move them one by one!
What would you do?
Thankfully, Excel allows you to distribute and align shapes!
This is our initial layout of shapes:
Distribute and Align Shapes in Excel

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STEP 1: Hold the CTRL key and select all of the shapes you want to move:
Distribute and Align Shapes in Excel
STEP 2: Go to Format > Arrange > Align > Align Bottom
You can Align the shapes to the direction that you want (i.e. Left, Center, Right, Top, Middle, Bottom)
Distribute and Align Shapes in Excel
STEP 3: Go to Format > Arrange > Align > Distribute Horizontally
You can Distribute the shapes either Horizontally or Vertically.
This will ensure the distance between the shapes are equally distributed.
Distribute and Align Shapes in Excel
Your shapes are now in good shape! (Pun intended)
Distribute and Align Shapes in Excel

Process Map Using Excel

If you want to show a process in your workplace then this can be designed using Excel´s Smart Art.
There are heaps of Process Maps in Excel that shows progress from left to right, top to bottom, one way and circular.  Here is how you can insert a left to right Process Map using Excel.
STEP 1: Click on Insert > Smart Art > Process > Basic Chevron Process
STEP 2: Enter the processes by clicking on a shape
STEP 3: To enter a new process, you need to click on a shape and select SmartArt Tools > Design > Add Shape (You can also right click on the shape and choose this option)
STEP 4: To change the process from right to left, you need to click on a shape and select SmartArt Tools > Design > Right to Left
STEP 5: To move the process forwards or backwards, you need to click on a shape and select SmartArt Tools > Design > Move Up or Move Down
STEP 6: To change the color of the process, you need to click on a shape and select SmartArt Tools > Design > Change Colors
STEP 7: Under SmartArt Tools > Design > SmartArt Styles drop down you can change the style of your process.
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Dotted Line Organizational Charts

You can create Organizational Charts in Excel using SmartArt which I go through in this post here:   Organizational Charts in Excel
You can also extend this concept to create a Dotted Line Organizational Chart but we need to think outside the square a little bit to make this happen.  Follow these steps:
STEP 1: To insert an Organizational Chart in Excel you have to go to the ribbon menu and select Insert > SmartArt > Hierarchy > Organizational Chart;
STEP 2: You can add organizational titles to each shape by clicking on each shape and manually entering the title you desire;
STEP 3: We then need to insert an extra line by going to Insert > Shapes > Lines > Elbow Connector;
STEP 4: To make the line thicker you need to click on the line and go to the Drawing Tools Format > Shape Outline > Weight > 3pt
STEP 5: To add a dotted line you need to click on the line and go to the Drawing Tools Format > Shape Outline > Dashes

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