How to Create and Use a Pivot Table in Excel Nikki Casasanto What you need Microsoft Office: Excel 2013 Data Why use a Pivot Table? Microsoft Excel pivot tables offer a way to quickly summarize data. It is an analytical method to delve further into raw data and visualize trends and answer unforeseen questions about it. The data can be summarized to find an average, sum or some other calculation against the data. Pivot tables are helpful in quickly analyzing data. Filters become an option to view selective parts of the data at one time. In addition, the pivot table allows the data to be switched between rows and columns while maintaining the calculations. This instruction set assumes that the user is familiar with Microsoft Excel, but does not necessarily need to know functions associated with pivot tables, as guidance is provided. The instruction set also assumes that the user is applying the pivot table function to data suitable for creating a pivot table. Glossary Assumed readers are familiar with the following basic terminology in Excel. cell: rectangular box on the Excel spreadsheet where each spreadsheet has multiple cells. Each cell corresponds to a letter and number with which it identifies, with the letter identifying the cell s column and the number identifying the cell s row filter: a drop-down menu that offers a check list for the contents of the cells in the filtered column. The user can opt to display all rows or display cells containing one or more selected values specified by checking/unchecking values from the list.
Inserting the Pivot Table 1. Using Microsoft Office Excel, open the spreadsheet of data that you would like to summarize. 2. Highlight the data you want included in your pivot table, including column headings. (Another option is to first go to Insertà PivotTable under the Tables group and then specify the range using the pivot table wizard.) TIP: If the data will be updated, consider putting the data into a table (Insertà Table) and using a table name reference so that new rows added to the table will be automatically included in the PivotTable report when the data is refreshed. 3. Go to Insertà PivotTable under the Tables group. 4. Choose the source of the data you want to analyze from the list: Microsoft Office Excel list or Database, External Data Source, Multiple Consolidation Range or Another Pivot Table report. The first option is most commonly used. 5. Specify a location in which the data will be placed. a. To place the Pivot Table report in a new worksheet select New Worksheet. b. To place the Pivot Table report in the worksheet in which you are working in, select Existing Worksheet and indicate the first cell in the range of cells where you want to position the table. i. To quickly select the cell with your mouse, click the Collapse Dialog beside the Table/Range or Location to temporarily hide the dialog box, select the beginning cell of the data you want to select or the cell you want to place the
data down on, and then press Expand Dialog. 6. Input the range or check to be sure the range you selected in Step 2 is highlighted. Choose OK. Creating the Pivot Table 7. D r a g a n d d r op the fields from the PivotTable Fields List window to the appropriate sections beneath
where it says Drag fields between areas below. Fields can be interchanged to produce different views of the data. 8. To change the automatic setting from Summarize field value by: Sum to a different calculation to summarize the data, click below VALUES on Sum of 9. Select Value Field Settings You will see a box such as pictured appear. As seen in the screenshot, Sum is the preselected calculation used to summarize the data. though it is usually helpful to use the name Excel provides, as this tells you the way in which the source is summarized. b. To take the summarized values even further and show them as a percentage or rank, for example, go to Show Values As Tab and 10. View the options under Summarize value field by and, as it prompts you to do, choose the type of calculation that you are looking to use to summarize the data from the selected field. Name can be edited to your a. Custom preference,
click the arrow down next to the preselected No Calculation and view the options and select the desired way to show values. 11. Select OK. 12. Customize the look of your pivot table and sort information as needed by selecting the Settings option under PivotTable Fields. 13. Right-click and select Refresh to update data if your spreadsheet changes. 14. To filter the data in the PivotTable, simply select the drop-down arrows within the PivotTable and manipulate the desired view of the data.
Creating the PivotGraph A PivotGraph can be useful to visually represent the data that you have summarized thus far. With a quick additional step, the PivotTable data can further be graphed and viewed with different graphing options. 15. To insert a PivotGraph to represent the summarized data in the PivotTable you have created, go to Insertà PivotChart within the Charts section. 16. Choose the best graphical layout that makes sense for the data you are displaying. 17. Select OK.
Example of Manipulating Data into PivotTable Above is an example of data where utilizing a pivot table summary would be useful. There are multiple categories in the columns, and along with unique IDs, there are repeated values which can be summarized. For example, it may be useful to look at this data by week or by day. To view the data in this way, the Week or Day field should be placed in the ROWS section of the PivotTable Fields, as shown below. Specifically, the data is sorted by summing the units bought by week, which can also be seen in the PivotTable Fields.
The pivot table table above shows weeks 1-20 by row and then summarizes the sum of units bought within each week. Pivot Tables and Pivot Graphs can be utilized with an example as simple as this, or can be used to analyze a more complex range of data. By adding more columns and filters to the pivot table, there are endless opportunities to view raw data and summarize it to extract its significance and trends.