Excel Proficiency: Pivot Table Basics

Pivot tables turn complex data into reports with a few mouse clicks. This 60-minute Excel pivot table basics webinar shows how to create and use them, and points out the nuances that can trip up users so your reports stay accurate.

You'll learn to start a pivot table from a list of data, prepare unwieldy data in the right format, add and remove fields, expand and collapse groups and drill into numbers with the Report Filter. The session explains how pivot tables differ from worksheet formulas and why Refresh matters.

It also covers number formatting, subtotals, Timeline date filters, turning off GETPIVOTDATA, a macro that removes "Sum of" from field names, and spotting anomalies in QuickBooks data.

• Start a pivot table from a list of data
• Add and remove fields and know where data lands by default
• Expand and collapse groups of data
• Format numbers in pivot tables the best way
• Use the Report Filter to dig deeper into the numbers
• Avoid common pivot table traps such as stale data and duplicated values

• Getting unwieldy data into the format pivot tables need
• The requirements of an ideal data set for pivot tables
• Starting a pivot table from a list of data
• Adding fields and where data goes by default
• Multiple ways to remove fields
• Expanding and collapsing groups of data
• Digging deeper with the Report Filter command
• How pivot tables differ from worksheet formulas and why Refresh matters
• Formatting numbers and other formatting nuances
• Subtotaling data within a pivot table
• Using a macro to remove "Sum of" from field names
• Filtering by date range with the Timeline feature (Excel 2013 and later)
• Disabling GETPIVOTDATA when you don't need it
• Why numeric data can appear more than once and how to fix it
• Using pivot tables to find anomalies in QuickBooks data

Pivot tables are one of the fastest ways to build accurate reports, but a few quirks can lead to wrong numbers. Each technique is demonstrated step by step in Excel, with differences between Excel versions pointed out along the way.

The session suits professionals in accounting, finance, banking, marketing, management consulting and HR who want to create accurate reports with pivot tables.

• Accounting
• Marketing
• Banking
• Finance
• Management Consulting
• Human Resources

David H. Ringstrom is a CPA and owner of Accounting Advisors, Inc., an Atlanta-based spreadsheet consulting firm that he started in 1991. David speaks at conferences and presents dozens of webinars annually on Excel and other topics. He has written numerous articles on spreadsheets, some of which have been published internationally. He has served as the technical editor for other 30 books on accounting software, and is the Tech Editor-at-Large for Accounting WEB and Going Concern. David offers Excel training and consulting services nationwide.