Training course · n8n · Data Analysis & Excel

n8n for Data Analysis and Excel

Workflow automation with n8n and AI: master nodes, the AI Agent node, integrations and GDPR-friendly self-hosting in practice.

Duration
2 days (14 hrs)
Format
Online or on-site
Language
German or English
Participants
open dates or exclusive for your team
Certificate
Certificate of attendance

Overview

This course connects n8n with the everyday processes of Data Analysis & Excel. Participants work on realistic scenarios and leave with prompts, workflows and checklists they can use straight away.

n8n is a flexible workflow automation platform that combines visual flows with language models and hundreds of integrations. Unlike many cloud services, n8n can also be self-hosted, so your data can stay in your own data centre or with a European hosting provider. Over two days you will learn how triggers, nodes and data flows fit together, how to transform data between applications and how to automate recurring tasks from your day-to-day work reliably.

The core of the course is the combination of automation and AI. Using the AI Agent node, chat models, memory and tools, you build workflows that classify emails, summarise documents, enrich records or answer enquiries. You learn to catch errors, test workflows and document them properly. Finally, you look at hosting options, credential management and data protection, so that your automations run stably, securely and in line with GDPR once they go into everyday operation.

In almost every department, decisions are made on the basis of spreadsheets, exports and reports – and much working time goes into cleaning, combining and analysing that data. Generative AI dramatically lowers the barrier to sophisticated analysis. It explains and writes Excel formulas, builds Power Query steps and macros, suggests pivot analyses and charts, generates Python or SQL code for larger datasets and drafts commentary on KPIs. AI agents can prepare recurring reports automatically. This empowers business users to answer questions themselves that once meant waiting for IT or an analytics team. What remains essential is checking results rigorously and keeping an eye on data quality.

The course is delivered live – either online in a virtual classroom or on-site in our training rooms in Munich, Salzburg, Berlin, Augsburg, Hanover, Bremen, Stuttgart and Kaiserslautern. We can also run it exclusively for your team.

Who is this course for?

  • Business users who work regularly with Excel and reports
  • Controllers and finance staff
  • Sales and marketing analysts
  • Business analysts and reporting teams
  • Team leads responsible for KPIs

Typical challenges we address

  • Time-consuming manual data cleaning and copy-and-paste processes
  • Complex formulas and macros that only a few people understand
  • Data from different systems in inconsistent formats
  • Error-prone spreadsheets without traceable calculation logic

What you will be able to do

  • You can build n8n workflows independently using triggers, logic nodes and data transformations.
  • You can connect n8n to the applications you use every day and fall back on the HTTP Request node where needed.
  • You can use the AI Agent node and other AI building blocks for classification, extraction and summarisation.
  • You can safeguard workflows with error handling, validation and human approval steps.
  • Create and understand complex Excel formulas, Power Query steps and macros with AI.
  • Clean, analyse and visualise data faster and more transparently with AI support.
  • Automate recurring reports and check AI results methodically for accuracy.

Course outline

Day 1

Module 1 Fundamentals: workflows, triggers and nodes
  • Getting to know the n8n interface, canvas and execution view
  • Trigger types: schedules, webhooks, incoming email and app events
  • Understanding items and JSON data and working with expressions
  • Using core nodes such as Edit Fields, IF, Switch, Merge and Loop Over Items
Module 2 Integrations and data processing
  • Connecting common applications: email, spreadsheets, CRM, collaboration and cloud storage
  • Using the HTTP Request node for APIs without a ready-made integration
  • Creating, managing and sharing credentials securely within the team
  • Filtering, merging and reshaping data and writing it to target systems
Module 3 AI in n8n: the AI Agent node and LLM building blocks
  • Connecting chat models from different providers as well as locally hosted models
  • Configuring the AI Agent node with a system prompt, memory and tools
  • Automating classification, structured data extraction and summarisation
  • Using your own documents via vector stores for retrieval-augmented generation
Module 4 Error handling, testing and maintainability
  • Setting up error workflows, retries and failure notifications
  • Validating AI output and defining fallbacks for unusable responses
  • Working with pinned test data and tracing past executions
  • Modularising, naming and documenting workflows for colleagues

Day 2

Module 5 Self-hosting, data protection and operations
  • Cloud versus self-hosted: effort, control and licensing model compared
  • Assessing data flows to AI providers against GDPR requirements
  • Managing access rights, logging and retention of execution data
  • Adding human-in-the-loop approval steps to automated processes
Module 6 Practice lab: Data Analysis & Excel
  • Writing and explaining formulas
  • Cleaning and combining data
  • Analyses and charts
  • Python and SQL for large datasets
  • Commenting on KPIs
  • Automating reports
Module 7 Data protection, quality & transfer to daily work
  • Spreadsheets often contain personal data about customers or employees as well as confidential business figures, which may only be processed in approved AI environments and ideally anonymised or aggregated. Analyses relating to employees may be subject to works council rights, and responsibility for the accuracy of reports remains with the business unit.
  • Ground rules for safe AI use in your team
  • Checking results: facts, sources, tests and the four-eyes principle
  • Personal action plan for the next 30 days
  • Open questions, outlook and resources for further learning

Practical scenarios from your field

Writing and explaining formulas

AI creates formulas such as XLOOKUP, SUMIFS or dynamic arrays from a plain-language description and explains existing nested formulas step by step. Common pitfalls are pointed out as well.

Cleaning and combining data

For inconsistent exports, AI suggests cleaning steps, builds Power Query queries or scripts for merging, de-duplicating and normalising, and documents the transformations. The steps can be repeated with one click next time.

Analyses and charts

From a business question, AI derives suitable pivot tables, metrics and chart types and helps present results clearly and accurately. Misleading displays such as truncated axes are avoided.

Python and SQL for large datasets

When Excel reaches its limits, AI generates Python or SQL code for analysing larger datasets, which business users run, understand and adapt step by step.

Commenting on KPIs

Variances, trends and anomalies in reports are translated into clear written commentary for management and departments; hypotheses about causes are checked by experts. Reports become self-explanatory in meetings.

Automating reports

Recurring monthly or weekly reports are automated with macros, scripts or AI agents so that data is retrieved, prepared and distributed as a report. Manual steps and transfer errors largely disappear.

Prerequisites

You should be confident with common office applications and have basic experience with AI assistants. No programming is required, although a basic grasp of structured data is helpful. Confident everyday use of Excel; no programming skills required.

Technical requirements

You will need a laptop with an up-to-date browser. We provide an n8n environment for the exercises, or you can use your own instance; API keys for a language model are set up together during the course.

Data protection & compliance

Spreadsheets often contain personal data about customers or employees as well as confidential business figures, which may only be processed in approved AI environments and ideally anonymised or aggregated. Analyses relating to employees may be subject to works council rights, and responsibility for the accuracy of reports remains with the business unit.

Suggested dates

All dates are suggestions – your preferred date is always possible.

  • Thu, 26 November 2026 – Fri, 27 November 2026 Online Request
  • Thu, 10 December 2026 – Fri, 11 December 2026 Berlin Request
  • Tue, 15 December 2026 – Wed, 16 December 2026 Online Request
  • Mon, 18 January 2027 – Tue, 19 January 2027 Stuttgart Request
  • Thu, 4 February 2027 – Fri, 5 February 2027 Online Request
  • Mon, 15 February 2027 – Tue, 16 February 2027 Hanover Request

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to code to work with n8n?

No. Most workflows are built visually by connecting nodes. During the course you also learn simple expressions to reference and reshape data precisely. A Code node is available for special cases but is not essential. A logical understanding of processes and data fields is entirely sufficient to get started.

Why is n8n attractive from a European data protection perspective?

n8n can be self-hosted, for instance on your own servers or with a European hosting provider. This keeps you in control of where workflow and execution data is stored. What still matters is which data you send to external AI services. On the course you learn to assess these data flows and, where appropriate, connect locally hosted models.

How does n8n differ from Make or Power Automate?

All three automate processes across applications. n8n stands out for its self-hosting option, its fair-code licensing and particularly flexible AI building blocks such as the AI Agent node. Make offers a very approachable cloud interface, while Power Automate excels at deep Microsoft integration. The course puts these differences into context for typical scenarios.

Do I need programming skills for data analysis with AI?

No. Good Excel skills are enough to start. AI generates formulas, Power Query steps and, where needed, Python code that you learn to follow step by step. What matters is being able to sanity-check results. The course focuses on exactly these checking techniques alongside hands-on practice.

How reliable are AI-generated formulas and analyses?

Often very good, but not flawless: references, edge cases or wrong assumptions about the data structure lead to silent errors. That is why you verify results with spot checks, control totals and cross-calculations. The course teaches a simple checking routine to apply to every AI-assisted analysis.

How much does “n8n for Data Analysis and Excel” cost?

The course costs a flat €949 plus VAT per participant – whether online or on-site. This includes 2 training day(s) with a live trainer, course materials, a lab environment and a certificate of attendance.

Can I suggest my own date?

Yes. Our suggested dates are just a guide. In the request form you can always describe your preferred date or period in free text – we check availability and confirm within one working day.

Is the course online or on-site?

Both are possible: live online in a virtual classroom or on-site in Munich, Salzburg, Berlin, Augsburg, Hanover, Bremen, Stuttgart or Kaiserslautern. We can also run the course exclusively for your team.

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