How to Create a Pivot Table Report

Pivot tables can total up sales and compare orders sold by type, company and geographical location. And "refreshing" the data is as simple as pressing a toolbar icon. The beauty of using pivot tables is that they are very flexible because one report can offer several different ways to view the same collected data. Information is sorted when items located in drop-down lists are checked or unchecked. This data is then filtered and your report is ready for review.

Instructions

1. 

   Open the Excel workbook that contains the data for creating a Pivot Table Report.

2. 

   Select "Pivot Table Report and Pivot Chart Report" from the Data menu.

3. 

   Select the "Microsoft Office Excel List or Database" option and press "Next."

4. 

   Keep the suggested range (The Pivot Table Wizard automatically typically identifies the data within the spreadsheet) or manually adjust the range area by clicking on the text box under "Where is the data that you want to use?" Press the "SHIFT and ARROW" keys to highlight the range, then click "Next."

5. 

   Click on "Layout" and "Drag and Drop" your choice of name fields onto the table.

6. 

   Click on "Options" and make your selections, then press "OK" to Exit. Next, click "Finish" at the Pivot Table Wizard dialog box.

7. 

   Click the "Data" category and check "Sum of The 1st Qtr Sales."

8. 

   View the statistics and save your file, or make other selections to create various reports as needed. Refresh the data in the pivot table by clicking on the "Refresh" icon after new information is added to the spreadsheet that contains the referenced data. (Note: Always add new information to the original spreadsheet, not the pivot table).

Tips & Warnings

• Before laying out the format, develop a pivot table around your objectives. Decide what statistical information is helpful to know fast.