Disadvantages of Using Pivot Tables. Mastering pivot tables takes time – Sure, creating a pivot table requires a few clicks inside Excel but truly mastering the tool takes time. First-time users of pivot tables might see it as confusing and overwhelming. Only when you have “tamed the beast” can you properly use it for data analysis. tables that allow you to manage and summarize substantial amounts of data, in a concise format for easy reporting and analysis. Therefore, this manual is an introduction to Excel Pivot Tables 2016. These instructions illustrate how you can summarize and manipulate your worksheet data by using Pivot Tables, Filters, Slicers, and Pivot Charts The basic steps for how to create a pivot table in Excel involve: 1. Insert a pivot table 2. Set an intention 3. Create a summary 4. Create a cross table 5. Create a visualization of the cross table. For this tutorial, we have fabricated some fictitious data to show you how to create a pivot table in Excel with some concrete examples. The good news is that, though most people use pivot tables in Excel, they can also be created in many other types of spreadsheet software (or even, hint, hint, business intelligence (BI) software). You can make a data table in Excel format, with Excel formula, in a spreadsheet software aside from Excel itself. In the Data Tools group, click on the Consolidate icon. In the Consolidate dialog box, select Sum from the function drop-down (if not already selected by default) Click on the range selection icon in the Reference field. Select the range A2:B9 (the data excluding the headers) Select the Left column checkbox. Click Ok. Example (Converting a Range to Table) How to convert range to table, step by step. Copy the values to follow along: Copy Values. Select range A1:F22. Click Insert, then Table ( ), in the Ribbon. Click OK. Note: The range ( A1:F22) already has headers in row 1. Unchecking the "My table has headers" option allows you to create a dedicated header If you're using Excel's Table feature, most of this lesson isn't necessary, since Excel uses the table as the data source, and automatically reflects any changes to the table in the pivot table. However, you will still need to Refresh your pivot table to include the new or changed data in the pivot table. Excel Pivot Tables are an absolutely essential tool for anyone working with data in Excel. Pivots allow you to quickly explore and analyze raw data in Excel, revealing powerful insights and trends otherwise buried in the noise. In other words, they give you answers. Whether you're exploring product sales, analyzing which marketing tactics drove Click OK to create a pivot table. Before adding fields into the pivot table area, you need to create the measure to be used in consolidating the text strings. Right-click on the table name in the PivotTable Fields pane and click Add Measure. Give the measure a name and enter the formula based on your data. Then, click OK to add the measure. We break the process down into several easy-to-follow steps. First, you’ll learn how to create a date table that keeps track of the dates for the periods you’d like to see in your calendar. Next comes making the PivotTable, then formatting it, and then you’re on your way to creating a responsive graphical calendar! gKPPg4.