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Introduction

LibreOffice Calc provides What-If Analysis Tools to help users analyze and forecast different outcomes based on varying input values. The three main tools for this are:

• Scenario Manager – Compare multiple business cases.
• Goal Seek – Find the input value required to achieve a desired result.
• Solver – Optimize results by changing multiple variables within constraints.

1️⃣ Scenario Manager

The Scenario Manager allows comparing various data sets (called scenarios) to see how changes in certain values affect the outcome.

Example Scenario

Let’s analyze profit for three different sales plans:

Steps to Create Scenarios

1. Select the input cells (e.g., Quantity and Unit Price).
2. Go to Tools → Scenarios.
3. Enter the Scenario Name (like Plan A, Plan B, Plan C).
4. Set different values for each scenario and click OK.
5. Switch between scenarios from Tools → Scenarios → Show.

Result: You can instantly view different totals based on the selected scenario.

2️⃣ Goal Seek

The Goal Seek tool finds the input value needed to achieve a specific result in a formula cell.

Example:

You want to achieve a target total revenue of ₹1,00,000 by adjusting the number of items sold.

Steps to Use Goal Seek

1. Select the formula cell (Total Revenue).
2. Go to Tools → Goal Seek.
3. In “Target Value”, enter 100000.
4. In “Variable Cell”, select the cell for Quantity (B2).
5. Click OK.

Result: Calc automatically calculates the Quantity needed to reach ₹1,00,000 revenue (→ 200 units).

3️⃣ Solver

The Solver is an advanced optimization tool that adjusts multiple variables to reach an objective (like maximizing profit or minimizing cost) while following constraints.

Example: Maximizing Profit

Conditions

• Total units ≤ 200
• Product A ≥ 40 units
• Product B ≥ 50 units

Steps to Use Solver

1. Install Solver (if not already active): Tools → Add-Ins → Solver.
2. Go to Tools → Solver.
3. In Target Cell, select total profit cell (D5).
4. Choose “Maximize”.
5. In Variable Cells, select B2:B3.
6. Click Add to set constraints (as shown above).
7. Click Solve.

Result:

Solver will find the best combination of units for Product A and B to achieve the maximum total profit under given constraints.

4️⃣ Comparison Table

Conclusion

What-If tools in LibreOffice Calc empower users to experiment and forecast outcomes without manually adjusting data. They’re essential for business analysis, decision-making, budgeting, and optimization.