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How to Refresh Pivot Table in Excel Manually or Automatically

January 7, 2024October 26, 2023 by Vinai Prakash

4 Ways To Refresh a Pivot Table in Excel

If your pivot table is created in Microsoft 365, Excel 2021, Excel 2019, Excel 2016, Excel 2013, Excel 2010 or Excel 2007, you can refresh it quickly and easily with just a few clicks, or even automatically.

Excel Pivot table Refresh is extremely easy. There are multiple ways to refresh a pivot table in any version of Microsoft Excel. And they can be used without writing any VBA code too. Today I’ll show you 4 ways of how to refresh pivot table.

Excel Pivot Table - How to Refresh — A Pivot Table is Created

Why do you need to refresh the pivot table?

When you create a pivot table in Excel, Microsoft reads the entire data into its memory in a Pivot cache. This pivot cache is then used to build a summarized version of the report from this compressed source data. The pivot cache is actually stored internally within the Excel file and is read into memory whenever you open that Excel file.

Unfortunately, this pivot cache is not automatically refreshed every time you edit the original data.

Key Reasons Why You may need to Refresh a Pivot Table in Excel

A refresh of the pivot table is necessary when the underlying data changes,
A source data value is corrected or updated at a subsequent time,
Additional Rows are added in the raw pivot table data source,
Existing Rows are deleted in the original data used as a source for the Pivot Table, or
When the day, week, month or quarter changes, new data arriving from the sources (SAP, ERP, upstream data sources) changes.

So when you create a pivot table to analyze data, and then after a few days or weeks, the data has changed, you do not need to re-create the Pivot Table. You can simply refresh it.

As you can see, there are several instances when data changes, and we need to refresh the Pivot Table. Any or all of these use cases make it necessary to refresh the pivot table – manually or automatically.

The key way to do this pivot table refresh is to prod Excel into refreshing the pivot table manually, or automatically, depending on your choice. The options to do this in many ways is listed in this article, in detail.

First of all, you must create a Pivot Table in any version of Excel. Then you can summarize data, group it, and analyze it your way. Actually, there are more than a dozen things you can do with Excel pivots, that will truly transform your data.

As mentioned, all of these versions are supported: Microsoft 365, Excel 2021, Excel 2019, Excel 2016, Excel 2013, Excel 2010 and Excel 2007. You can refresh the pivot table in any of these Excel versions.

4 Methods: How to Refresh a Pivot Table in Excel

Method 1 to Refresh Pivot Table Manually: Existing Data Values change, but there is no change in the number of rows of data:

In this method to manually refresh the pivot table in Excel, you can make any changes to the data first.

Then go to the Pivot Table. Right-click inside the Pivot, and choose the Refresh option from the right-clicked menu. (See screenshot below for the Refresh option in the Pivot Table Right click menu).

The Pivot Table is refreshed immediately. Use this easy way every time the source data changes. To use this method to refresh a pivot table manually, your cursor must be inside the pivot table. It can be anywhere inside there.

You can also click on the Refresh All button in the Excel Ribbon, on the PivotTable Analyze menu.

Refresh Pivot Table Using Right Click Menu inside a pivot table — Refresh Pivot Table Using Right Click inside the pivot table

Method 2 to Refresh Pivot Table Manually when New Data Arrives: There is a change in the size of the data in Excel:

New rows or columns are added to the data set, and this new data is not reflected inside the pivot table. In this case, we need to redefine the data range source used for the pivot table, to include the latest data rows & columns. There are a couple of ways to do this.

a. If your pivot table is based on data from a range of cells, like cells A1:G100, you need to expand this range to include additional rows and columns.

The easiest way is to go to Pivot Table Analyze Tab in the Ribbon and choose the Change Data Source option button. The current source data range is highlighted. Go ahead and reselect the new data range, and click the OK button in the dialog box.

Change Data Source in a Excel Pivot Table — **Change Data Source** in the Excel Pivot Table.

Once the data source is updated to reflect the newly added data, the Pivot table is refreshed automatically too. If you wish, you can click on the Refresh button on the Pivot Table Analyze tab again at any time.

Once this is done, then you can click on the Refresh All button, and the pivot table is refreshed from the newly selected rows/columns, and updated in the pivot. The pivot table has been refreshed instantly.

b. If your pivot table is based on a Table, like Pricing_Table, Table1, and has been converted into a Table, the job is much easier.

c. All you need to do is to click on the Refresh button under the PivotTable Analyze Tab, and the pivot table is refreshed automatically.

Using a Table as a data source for the Pivot Table is a good practice you should use more often. It uses the entire Excel table when creating a new pivot table, and any extra rows added or removed later on will automatically be considered as part of the Pivot Table. Thus, whenever you add new rows or remove rows from the underlying table, and then click the Refresh button, it will automatically refresh a pivot table.

Method 3 to Automatically Refresh a Pivot Table upon Opening the File: Simyly Set the Pivot Table to Automatically Refresh every time the Excel file opens:

This is the best option because you do not have to remember to refresh the pivot table at all. The pivot table is refreshed automatically every time the Excel file is opened.

Go To Analyze Tab, and select the Pivot Table Options

To refresh the pivot table automatically upon opening the Excel file, go to the Pivot Table Analyze tab, and look for Pivot Table Options button.

When the above popup opens, go to the Data tab, and then select the third check box “Refresh data when opening the file”. (See Screenshot above).

This will ensure that every time you open the Excel file, the Pivot table will refresh automatically.

But be careful, if there are large amounts of data, or uses an external data source, the data is stored externally in a shared drive, the initial opening refresh may take some time. During this time, it may seem that Excel is not responding.

So just be patient for a few moments, and once the refresh is complete, you are good to begin your analysis of the latest, refreshed data.

Also, at the time of running this automatic refresh, you must have access to the data source. This means that the person opening the file must have access to the shared file path, and have the associated permissions to open the source file to read, update and consume it.

That’s it. We have successfully refreshed our pivot table in Excel. If you had created any custom calculation in the Pivot table, that custom calculation will be automatically updated too.

With these methods, you can refresh a pivot table manually or automatically.

Keyboard Shortcuts to Refresh the Pivot Tables in Office 365, Excel 2019 & All Other Excel Versions

Once you are inside a pivot table, you can click ALT + F5 keys together to force a manual refresh of the pivot table using this keyboard shortcut.

If you want to refresh all pivot tables using keyboard shortcuts, you can click Control+Alt+F5 keys together. This will refresh all pivot tables on the Excel file. This is a good option if you have multiple pivots, and do not want to refresh them manually, one by one.

How To Refresh a Pivot Table in Earlier Versions of Excel

If you are using an earlier or outdated version of Excel, you can still refresh the pivot table by using the step outlined above, with some minor changes to the menu or options inside the Pivot Table.

How to Refresh Pivot Table in Excel 2016:

Right-Click inside the Pivot Table & Choose Refresh.
Redefine the range of the source data by clicking on the Change Data Source button.
Use a Table as a source of data. That way, when the data increases, the Table will expand, and all you need to do is to click Refresh on the Analyze Tab.
Automatically Refresh a Pivot Table upon opening by setting the Pivot Table Options under the Analyze Tab.

How To Refresh Pivot table in Excel 2013:

First, make the Pivot Table.
Right-Click inside any single Pivot Table & Choose Refresh.
Redefine the range of the source data by clicking on the Change Data Source button. This is available under Pivot Table Options or the Pivot Table Analyze tab. Different versions patches may show you a different option.
Use a Table as a source of data. That way, when the number of rows increases, the Table will expand, and all you need to do is to click Refresh on the Analyze Tab in Excel 2013.
Automatically Refresh a Pivot Table upon opening by setting the Pivot Table Options under the Analyze Tab.

How To Refresh Pivot Table in Excel 2010:

Make the Pivot Table.
Right-Click inside the Pivot Table & Choose Refresh.
Redefine the range of the source data by clicking on the Change Data Source button in Excel 2010.
Use a Table as a source of data. That way, when the data increases, the Table will expand, and all you need to do is to click Refresh on the Analyze Tab.
Automatically Refresh a Pivot Table upon opening by setting the Pivot Table Options under the Analyze Tab.

How To Refresh a Pivot Table in Excel 2007:

First, make the pivot table by clicking on the source data to select it.

Then Click Insert > Pivot Table. Click OK to select the entire data.
A new pivot table is created in a new Sheet in Excel 2007.
Check the Category columns to go into Rows. Check the Numeric values you want to summarize in the Values Area.
Then go to the pivot table by clicking anywhere inside the Pivot.

Now to Refresh the Pivot Table created in Excel 2007.

Right-Click inside the Pivot Table & Choose Refresh. The data in the pivot will be refreshed.
Redefine the range of the source data by clicking on the Change Data Source button from the Pivot Table Options Tab of Excel 2007.
Use a Formatted Table as a source of data. If your data is not set as a table, go to Home > Format as Table. Your source data will convert to a table. Now when the data increases, the Table will expand, and all you need to do is to click Refresh on the Pivot Table Options Tab.
Automatically Refresh a Pivot Table upon Open by setting the Pivot Table Options under the Pivot Table Options Tab.

To Refresh a pivot table in Microsoft Excel 365:

Right-Click inside the Pivot Table & Choose Refresh.
Redefine the range of the source data by clicking on the Change Data Source button.
Use a Table as a source of data. That way, when the data increases, the Table will expand, and all you need to do is to click Refresh on the Analyze Tab.
Automatically Refresh a Pivot Table upon opening by setting the Pivot Table Options under the Analyze Tab.

Best Practices for managing pivot tables in Excel

When managing pivot tables in Excel, it’s crucial to maintain efficient and organized data sources. This includes regularly cleaning and structuring your data to ensure the pivot table functions correctly and efficiently. Frequent updates to your pivot table are essential to keep data accurate and relevant. This can involve setting up automatic refreshes or reminders for manual updates.

Customization and formatting are key to making your pivot tables more readable and impactful. Utilize Excel’s formatting options to highlight key data and make your tables more intuitive. Additionally, be mindful of performance, especially with large datasets. Employ strategies to optimize pivot table performance, like reducing the use of complex calculated fields or unnecessary data.

Finally, familiarize yourself with common troubleshooting issues. Knowing how to quickly resolve common problems with pivot tables can save time and reduce frustration. This might include fixing broken source links, dealing with incorrect data aggregation, or addressing performance lags. By following these best practices, you can ensure your pivot tables are both effective and efficient.

In Conclusion

With all these versions of Excel created by Microsoft, it is possible to refresh a pivot table manually or automatically. And it is almost similar or identical in the different versions. Once you master it, you can do the refresh in any version of Excel.

Hope this helps you.

Do share it, and subscribe to our ExcelChamp Newsletter to be notified of new tips and tricks in Excel to make you super awesome in utilizing Excel in your everyday work!

Cheers,
Vinai Prakash

Join the next cohort of Excel Data Analysis MasterClass

Excel for Business and Productivity

December 3, 2023June 14, 2023 by Vinai Prakash

Excel is a versatile and indispensable tool in the business world, providing a wide range of features and capabilities that can significantly enhance productivity.

From basic data entry and calculations to advanced data analysis and visualization, Excel offers a comprehensive suite of functions that empower business users to efficiently manage and analyze their data.

This article aims to explore the various ways in which Excel can be leveraged for business and productivity purposes.

Whether you’re a small business owner, a financial analyst, or a project manager, understanding Excel’s features and learning how to harness its power can greatly improve your efficiency and decision-making.

Table of Contents

I. Introduction

A. Importance of Excel in the Business World
B. Overview of Excel’s Features and Capabilities
C. Purpose and Benefits of the Article

II. Excel Basics for Business Users

A. Understanding the Excel Interface
B. Navigating and Managing Worksheets
C. Working with Cells, Rows, and Columns
D. Data Entry and Formatting Best Practices

III. Essential Excel Functions for Business Analysis

A. Mathematical and Statistical Functions
- 1. SUM, AVERAGE, MAX, MIN, etc.
- 2. COUNT, COUNTIF, COUNTA, etc.
- 3. Statistical Functions: STDEV, VAR, etc.
B. Logical Functions for Decision Making
- 1. IF, IFERROR, AND, OR, NOT, etc.
- 2. Nested IF Statements
C. Lookup and Reference Functions
- 1. VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP, INDEX, MATCH, etc.
- 2. Using Named Ranges for Efficient Formulas
D. Date and Time Functions
- 1. TODAY, NOW, DATE, TIME, etc.
- 2. Calculating Time Differences and Durations

IV. Advanced Data Analysis and Visualization in Excel

A. Sorting and Filtering Data
- 1. Sorting Data by Multiple Criteria
- 2. Applying Filters and Advanced Filtering Techniques

B. PivotTables and PivotCharts
1. Creating PivotTables for Data Summarization
2. Visualizing Data with PivotCharts

C. Data Validation and Conditional Formatting
1. Setting Data Entry Rules and Restrictions
2. Highlighting Data Based on Custom Conditions

D. What-If Analysis and Goal Seeking
- 1. Using Scenario Manager for Sensitivity Analysis
- 2. Goal Seek for Finding Desired Outcomes

V. Collaboration and Automation with Excel

A. Sharing and Protecting Workbooks
- 1. Sharing Workbooks with Co-workers
- 2. Password Protection and File Security
B. Data Import and Export
- 1. Importing External Data Sources
- 2. Exporting Excel Data to Different Formats
C. Automating Tasks with Macros
- 1. Recording and Running Macros
- 2. Increasing Efficiency with VBA Programming

VI. Excel Tips and Tricks for Increased Productivity

A. Keyboard Shortcuts for Common Actions
B. Customizing Excel’s Quick Access Toolbar
C. Using Templates and Custom Formats
D. Hidden Features and Lesser-Known Functions

VII. Real-World Applications of Excel in Business

A. Financial Analysis and Modeling
B. Budgeting and Expense Tracking
C. Sales and Inventory Management
D. Project Management and Timelines

VIII. Conclusion

A. Recap of Excel’s Importance for Business and Productivity
B. Encouraging Further Learning and Practice
C. Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways

I. Introduction to Excel For Business & Productivity

A. Importance of Excel in the Business World

Excel has become a cornerstone of business operations, playing a crucial role in financial analysis, budgeting, inventory management, and much more. Its ability to handle vast amounts of data and perform complex calculations makes it an invaluable asset for businesses of all sizes.

Excel allows users to create dynamic reports, generate insightful charts and graphs, and automate repetitive tasks, enabling better data-driven decision-making and streamlining workflow processes.

With Excel, businesses can efficiently analyze and interpret their data, identify trends and patterns, and gain actionable insights to drive growth and success.

B. Overview of Excel’s Features and Capabilities

Excel offers a wide range of features and capabilities that make it a powerful tool for business users. From basic functions like data entry and formatting to advanced data analysis techniques like PivotTables and macros, Excel provides a comprehensive toolkit.

It offers mathematical and statistical functions for performing calculations, logical functions for decision-making, and lookup and reference functions for data retrieval. Additionally, Excel enables sorting and filtering of data, data validation, conditional formatting, and what-if analysis.

With its collaborative features, users can share workbooks with colleagues, import and export data, and even automate tasks with macros. Excel’s versatility and flexibility make it an essential software for businesses across industries.

C. Purpose and Benefits of the Article

The purpose of this article is to provide business professionals with a comprehensive understanding of Excel’s capabilities and how it can boost productivity.

By exploring Excel’s basics, essential functions, advanced data analysis techniques, collaboration and automation features, and practical applications, readers will gain insights into leveraging Excel effectively in their day-to-day business operations.

The article aims to equip readers with the knowledge and skills needed to improve data management, streamline processes, and make informed decisions using Excel. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced user, this article will serve as a valuable resource for maximizing Excel’s potential in a business context.

II. Excel Basics for Business Users

A. Understanding the Excel Interface

Excel’s interface consists of various elements that allow users to navigate and work efficiently. The ribbon at the top contains tabs with different groups of commands related to formatting, formulas, data analysis, and more.

The workbook consists of individual worksheets, identified by tabs at the bottom, where data and calculations are performed. Users can navigate between worksheets by clicking on the tabs or using keyboard shortcuts.

The cells, rows, and columns form the main grid where data is entered, and formulas are applied. Understanding how to navigate and utilize these basic elements of the Excel interface is crucial for efficient use of the software.

B. Navigating and Managing Worksheets

Excel allows users to create multiple worksheets within a single workbook, which is beneficial for organizing and managing data.

To navigate between worksheets, users can simply click on the desired tab or use keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl+Page Up or Ctrl+Page Down. Additionally, Excel provides options to insert, delete, and rename worksheets as needed.

Renaming worksheets with descriptive names helps users identify and locate specific information easily. It’s also possible to group worksheets for simultaneous formatting or data entry.

Learning how to navigate and manage worksheets efficiently enhances productivity and simplifies data organization.

C. Working with Cells, Rows, and Columns

Cells are the basic building blocks of Excel, where data is entered and manipulated. Users can select cells by clicking and dragging, or by using the Shift or Ctrl keys along with the arrow keys.

Once selected, cells can be formatted, and formulas can be applied. Rows and columns play a crucial role in organizing and manipulating data.

Users can insert or delete rows and columns as necessary, and adjust their width and height to accommodate content. Excel provides features like autofill to quickly fill a series of cells with a pattern or sequence.

Understanding how to work with cells, rows, and columns efficiently is essential for managing and analyzing data effectively.

III. Essential Excel Functions for Business Analysis

A. Mathematical and Statistical Functions

Excel offers a wide range of built-in mathematical and statistical functions that simplify business analysis.

Basic functions like SUM, AVERAGE, MAX, and MIN enable users to quickly calculate totals, averages, and find the highest and lowest values within a range of cells. COUNT, COUNTIF, and COUNTA assist in counting cells that meet specific criteria or are non-empty.

Statistical functions like STDEV (standard deviation) and VAR (variance) help in analyzing data dispersion and variability. By utilizing these functions appropriately, business users can gain insights from their data efficiently.

B. Logical Functions for Decision Making

Logical functions in Excel allow users to perform conditional evaluations and make decisions based on specific criteria.

The IF function, for example, evaluates a condition and returns a value based on whether the condition is true or false. IFERROR handles errors gracefully by returning a specified value when an error occurs.

Logical functions like AND, OR, and NOT help users combine multiple conditions to perform more complex evaluations. Nested IF statements allow for even more intricate decision-making processes.

By mastering logical functions, business users can automate decision-making processes and streamline their data analysis.

C. Lookup and Reference Functions

Lookup and reference functions in Excel are valuable tools for finding and retrieving information from large datasets.

VLOOKUP is commonly used to search for a specific value in the leftmost column of a table and return a corresponding value from another column.

HLOOKUP works similarly but searches in the top row of a table.

INDEX and MATCH, on the other hand, offer more flexibility by allowing users to search horizontally and vertically within a dataset. By using named ranges, which are user-defined names for specific cell ranges, users can enhance the efficiency and readability of their formulas.

These lookup and reference functions empower business users to extract relevant information from their data quickly.

IV. Advanced Data Analysis and Visualization in Excel

A. Sorting and Filtering Data

Sorting data in Excel allows users to arrange information in ascending or descending order based on selected criteria. It is particularly useful for organizing large datasets alphabetically, numerically, or by date.

Excel provides options for sorting data by multiple criteria, enabling users to prioritize specific factors. Filtering data helps in narrowing down large datasets to display only the desired information.

Excel’s filtering capabilities allow users to apply custom criteria, such as filtering by specific values or conditions. Advanced filtering techniques, including wildcard characters and filtering by color or icon, provide additional flexibility. By mastering sorting and filtering functions, business users can easily analyze and work with extensive datasets.

B. PivotTables and PivotCharts

PivotTables are powerful tools in Excel that allow users to summarize and analyze large amounts of data quickly. By dragging and dropping fields, users can generate summary tables that provide insights into the data from different perspectives.

PivotTables can perform calculations, such as sums, averages, and counts, and can also group data based on various criteria.

PivotCharts, which are visual representations of PivotTable data, provide a clear and concise way to present and communicate trends and patterns.

With PivotTables and PivotCharts, business users can explore and analyze complex datasets with ease, making informed decisions based on the generated visualizations.

C. Data Validation and Conditional Formatting

Data validation in Excel enables users to set rules and restrictions on the data entered in specific cells. This helps maintain data integrity and ensures consistency. Users can define criteria such as data type, range, or specific values that are allowed or not allowed in a cell. Conditional formatting allows users to apply formatting rules based on specific conditions.

This feature helps highlight important information, identify trends, or draw attention to specific values in a dataset. By utilizing data validation and conditional formatting effectively, business users can improve the accuracy and readability of their data, facilitating better decision-making.

D. What-If Analysis and Goal Seeking

Excel provides tools for performing what-if analysis, allowing users to explore different scenarios and evaluate the impact of changing variables on formulas and calculations. By using data tables, users can see the resulting values based on different input combinations.

Goal Seek is another valuable tool that helps users determine the input required to achieve a specific goal. It allows users to specify a desired outcome and automatically calculates the input necessary to reach that goal. These features enable business users to perform sensitivity analysis, assess potential outcomes, and make informed decisions based on different scenarios.

Please note that this is a shortened version of the complete article, but it should give you a sense of how to expand each topic and subtopic. Feel free to further elaborate on each point as needed to create a comprehensive article on Excel for business and productivity.

V. Collaboration and Automation with Excel

A. Sharing and Protecting Workbooks

Sharing workbooks in Excel allows for seamless collaboration among team members. Users can invite others to view, edit, or comment on the workbook, enabling real-time collaboration.

Excel provides options to set permissions, such as read-only access or granting editing rights to specific individuals. Furthermore, protecting workbooks with passwords adds an extra layer of security to sensitive information. By leveraging the sharing and protection features of Excel, businesses can foster teamwork, streamline workflows, and safeguard their data from unauthorized access.

B. Data Import and Export

Excel offers a variety of methods for importing and exporting data, facilitating seamless integration with other systems and applications. Users can import data from various sources, such as databases, text files, and web sources, allowing for easy data consolidation and analysis. Similarly, exporting data from Excel to different formats, including CSV, PDF, or XML, provides versatility in sharing information with others. The ability to import and export data effortlessly enhances collaboration, enables data integration, and simplifies the exchange of information with external stakeholders.

C. Automating Tasks with Macros

Macros in Excel enable users to automate repetitive tasks and streamline workflows, ultimately saving time and increasing productivity.

A macro is a recorded series of actions that can be replayed with a single click or assigned to a keyboard shortcut. Users can automate tasks such as data formatting, report generation, and complex calculations.

Advanced users can even utilize Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) to create custom macros with more complex logic and interactivity.

By harnessing the power of macros, businesses can automate routine processes, reduce errors, and focus on more value-added activities.

VI. Excel Tips and Tricks for Increased Productivity

A. Keyboard Shortcuts for Common Actions
Excel offers a wide range of keyboard shortcuts that can significantly improve efficiency and speed up tasks. Shortcuts for commonly used actions such as copying and pasting, navigating between cells, formatting data, and performing calculations can save considerable time and effort. Learning and utilizing these keyboard shortcuts can boost productivity and streamline workflows, allowing users to work more efficiently with Excel.

B. Customizing Excel’s Quick Access Toolbar
The Quick Access Toolbar in Excel provides quick and easy access to frequently used commands.

Users can customize this toolbar by adding their most frequently used commands, ensuring that they are readily available at all times.

Customizing the Quick Access Toolbar eliminates the need to navigate through various tabs and ribbons, reducing the time spent searching for specific commands and enhancing productivity.

C. Using Templates and Custom Formats
Excel templates offer pre-designed formats and structures for specific purposes, such as budgeting, project management, or sales tracking.

By utilizing templates, users can save time by starting with a preformatted sheet and tailoring it to their needs.

Additionally, users can create and apply custom formats to enhance the visual appeal and readability of their data.

Custom formats allow for consistent styling and branding, improving the overall professionalism of reports and presentations.

D. Hidden Features and Lesser-Known Functions

Excel is packed with hidden features and lesser-known functions that can greatly enhance productivity and efficiency.

These features may include advanced filtering options, data validation techniques, advanced formula auditing tools, or powerful data analysis add-ins.

Exploring and learning about these hidden gems can unlock additional functionality and streamline processes in Excel, enabling users to leverage the full potential of the software.

VII. Real-World Applications of Excel in Business

A. Financial Analysis and Modeling

Excel is widely used in financial analysis and modeling, enabling businesses to evaluate financial data, create forecasts, and make informed decisions.

With its mathematical and statistical functions, Excel can perform complex calculations, generate financial ratios, and analyze trends.

By utilizing Excel’s capabilities, businesses can create robust financial models, perform sensitivity analysis, and assess investment opportunities, ultimately improving financial planning and decision-making.

B. Data Visualization and Reporting

Excel’s charting and graphing features enable businesses to create visually appealing and insightful data visualizations.

Users can transform raw data into meaningful charts, graphs, and dashboards, allowing for better data interpretation and communication.

Excel offers a wide range of chart types, customization options, and interactive features, empowering businesses to present data in a visually compelling manner, enhancing reporting and presentation capabilities.

C. Project Management and Tracking

Excel provides valuable tools for project management and tracking, allowing businesses to plan, monitor, and control project activities.

With Excel, users can create project timelines, allocate resources, track progress, and analyze project performance.

Excel’s features, such as conditional formatting and Gantt chart templates, simplify project management processes, aiding in effective project planning, scheduling, and reporting.

VIII. Conclusion

Excel is an indispensable tool for businesses seeking to improve productivity and make data-driven decisions.

Its wide range of features, from basic data entry and calculations to advanced data analysis and visualization, enables businesses to efficiently manage and analyze their data.

By leveraging Excel’s collaboration and automation capabilities, businesses can foster teamwork, streamline processes, and save time.

The various tips and tricks, along with real-world applications discussed in this article, serve as a roadmap for maximizing Excel’s potential and boosting productivity in a business context.

With Excel’s versatility and power, businesses can gain valuable insights, make informed decisions, and achieve their goals more effectively.

We invite you to attend the Best Advanced Excel Course in Singapore, and benefit from it. You’ll be amazed at your efficiency and productivity by learning so many tips and tricks in Excel in just 2-3 days.

Excel Pivot Table Tutorial

January 6, 2024February 25, 2022 by Vinai Prakash

free excel pivot table training by Vinai Prakash Excelchamp

Excel Pivot Table Tutorials: Step By Step Training Videos By ExcelChamp

Pivot Tables are one of the most important features of Microsoft Excel. Pivots help to quickly summarize and analyze any data set.

Almost all Executive, Managerial, Analyst and Serion Management roles require solid understanding and knowledge of Excel Pivot Tables.

Overview of Pivot Tables Training Course

Part 1: Introduction to Pivot Tables in Excel

Part 2: Introduction to Pivot Tables Formatting, Styles & Presentation in Excel

Part 3: Customize a Pivot Table For Best Results in Excel

Part 4: Create Subtotals in Pivot Tables in Excel

Part 5: Sorting Options in Excel Pivot Tables

Part 6: Filtering Data in Excel Pivot Tables

Part 7: Create Calculated Fields & Columns in Excel Pivot Tables

Part 8: Summarize Data With Excel Pivot Tables

How Did You Like This Training?

We hope you enjoyed this Free Pivot Table Training that helps in analyzing data quickly with Excel.

Do let us know how you liked this training. Simply write a comment below the YouTube Videos.

We read each and every comment, and will really appreciate it.

Cheers,
Vinai Prakash
Founder, ExcelChamp.Net

25 Amazing Excel Tips For Massive Productivity Gains

July 11, 2022February 13, 2022 by Vinai Prakash

Most people use Microsoft Excel to Organise and Visualize large amounts of Data & Save Time by Getting Complex Tasks Done Faster.

Yes, I find people using long and cumbersome methods to do simple tasks, which makes them much longer to get things done. They are frustrated but think that there is no other way.

Actually, you can improve your productivity by learning some simple tips and tricks, shortcuts, formulas that will save you countless hours.

Also, learn to Analyze Data Quickly with Excel here.

Here’s my collection of the Best & Most Amazing Excel Tips & Tricks that I have compiled for you. I am sure you will learn something new, and gain from these amazing tips that will give you massive productivity gains.

List of Amazing Excel Tips For You

How to Use Relative & Absolute Referencing To Your Advantage
Begin Using Range Names & Get Rid of Absolute Referencing
Master IF Function For Quick Decision Making
Conditionally SUM a few rows only, based on a criterion with SUMIF
Count only a few cells, based on any logic you can think of, by using the COUNTIF function
Go Beyond Formatting Tables to Actually using them For amazing Insights
Stop using Average. Use the Median Function to get a better sense of your data.
Use Special Data Types built into Excel to get Demographic, Weather, and other useful information
Learn to Combine Cells to Make Better Looking Reports
The Amazing Flash Fill can Do wonders to save you time
Learn some Date Magic in Excel
Find the difference between any 2 dates, with or without counting the Weekends – your choice!
Convert any data from Centigrade to Fahrenheit, or centimetres to inches. There are hundreds of free conversions built into Excel for you.
Master Pivot Tables To Analyze Any Data within minutes. Also, check out our Free MasterCourse on Analyzing Data With Pivot Tables on YouTube
Create Self Updating Pivot Charts
Create Beautiful Printouts & Reports With Beautiful Printing Options within Excel
Move around easily by Freezing or Splitting Sheets and Views easily
Don’t have time to analyze data? Can’t figure out where to start? Too much data? Fret not. Get Free Analysis Ideas done for you in a jiffy. And for more Advanced Data Analysis, use the Analysis Toolpak.
Hide or Show Grid Lines to make Excel look like Word or PowerPoint. Plus it makes better output and a pleasing view too.
Setup Links to other sheets or other workbooks with this simple hyperlinking technique and never have to search for your sheets. It is best is to create a Table of Contents with this technique.
Use Color To Enhance your experience working with multiple sheets, and create a livelier Workbook that looks amazing.
Before you analyze anything, remember to Remove Duplicates in a single click
Never get invalid or wrong data in your data. Setup Drop Down Lists so that all data entry is done to conform to the valid values only. Saves countless hours fixing data quality issues. Nip the evil in the bud with proper data validation with drop-down lists.
Moving around? Don’t have your own laptop? Don’t want to pay for an Excel license? No worries. You can use Excel For Free on the web. All you need is an Internet account and a free Microsoft account.
Got a colleague or Team to Brainstorm ideas? Now you can all work on the same Excel file at the same time with Collaboration built right into Microsoft Excel.

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How To Summarize Data in Excel: Top 10 Ways

December 3, 2023September 3, 2021 by Vinai Prakash

You’ve got some data in Excel, and you want to summarize it quickly. There’s not much time, and your client or boss needs information right away.

Apply any of these Top 10 Techniques to Summarize Data Quickly with in-built Excel Functions and Features. You’ll get instant results to satisfy most requirements fast.

Microsoft Excel has become the easiest way to analyze data quickly. Several Summary functions, Pivot Tables, What-If Analysis, and other powerful features & methods are available for your use within Microsoft Excel right out of the box. Learn them, and your data analysis will become a breeze.

Here are the Top 10 Ways to Summarize Data in Excel Quickly

These data analysis & summarization tips will work in Microsoft Excel 365, Excel 2019, Excel 2016, Excel 2013, Excel 2010, Excel 2007 & even Excel 2003. Further, they work on Excel for Windows as well as Microsoft Excel running on a Mac.

These Data Summarization Tips are listed in the order of the easiest to implement to the ones that need a bit more time. Some of the more complex data summarization methods will actually add more value to your data analysis.

Get The Data Ready For Summarization
Quick Summary With Auto Functions
Fast Analysis With Sort & Filter
Summarize Data With SubTotal Feature
Summarize Data With an Excel Table
Using Slicers to Summarize by different dimensions
Summarize With Excel Pivot Tables
Summarize Data With Excel Functions
Advanced Excel Functions for Summarizing Data
Summarize With Descriptive Statistics From Analysis Toolpak

You can apply the different ways to summarize data based on your familiarity with Excel.

The easiest methods of summarization are listed in the beginning.

And the Pivot Table technique is one of my favorite for a quick and dirty data summarization within Microsoft Excel. It always begins to give me numerous insights into the data.

We cover how to use the Pivot Table to Summarize Data in depth later in this article.

Let’s get started by exploring the different methods of summarizing data.

1. Get The Data Ready For Summarization

Before you begin your summarization, it is important to make sure that your original data is in a good shape.

Duplicate, a blank cell or missing values can often spoil your data summarization.

You need to make sure that the data range is correctly set up before you begin to analyze the data. Also, ensure there is no blank columns in between adjacent cells.

Ensure Proper Column Headings.

For each column, make sure that you have a short and unique column heading. Don’t leave any column without a heading, even though it may be obvious. Column Heading will make it easy to analyze data with any tool in Excel. This way the top row becomes the Header row.

Remove any Duplicates.

Duplicate rows can often sneak in from the data capture sources. So whether you capture data from the Web, or SalesForce, SAP or load from Text or CSV files, the first thing is to clean up the duplicates. To remove duplicates, click within the data range, and go to the Data Menu.

Data > Remove Duplicates.

That’s it, your data will now be cleaner.

Get Rid of Blank Rows:

While blank rows make the data look more readable and easier, it is a bane for data analysis. We do not want blanks to sneak in and skew our averages and other statistical calculations. By sorting the data with the different column headings, the blanks will get separated either to the top or to the bottom. Then you can simply delete these rows if they do not contain any other data points.

Don’t leave blank cells as blanks, specially if there is no value.

It is better to have a 0 than a blank value in any cell. For the text column, if the value is not known, it is better to have a NA (Not Available) showing up.

Having the data cleaned up is the first step in any data analysis. Now you can begin to apply the various data summarization methods.

2. Quick Summary With Auto Functions

The fastest way to summarize data is to calculate the Totals, count the number of entries, find out the average value, and figure out the highest and lowest values.

These 5 functions provide the vital stats of the data. These are the most basic and essential functions… just like a visit to a doctor starts with the nurse checking your vitals – height, weight and blood pressure.

These 5 numbers will provide a quick summary of your data. Here’s how to do this.

Here’s How To Create a Summary Section on Top of Your Data

Calculate SUM: Click on the Autosum icon on the Home tab of Microsoft Office to activate the Sum function of Excel. Then select the data range of the column you want to summarize. Here’s an example:

Calculate COUNT: Click on the drop-down icon on the Autosum button on the Home tab of Microsoft Excel. Choose Count from the list. Then select the data range of the column you want to count. You can use the count function only for numeric columns like Salary, Sales, Quantity etc. using this function. So don’t try this on a text column like Country or Department.

Calculate AVERAGE: Click on the drop-down icon on the Autosum button on the Home tab of Microsoft Excel. Choose Average from the list. Then select the data range of the column you want to Average. You can only average the numeric columns like Quantity, Profit, ROI etc. using this function. Here’s an example:

Calculate Highest Values: Click on the drop-down icon on the Autosum button on the Home tab of Microsoft Excel. Choose Maximum from the list. Then select the data range of the column you want to choose for picking up the highest value. You can only pick numeric columns like Quantity, Profit, ROI etc. using this function. Here’s an example:

Calculate Lowest Values: Click on the drop-down icon on the Autosum button on the Home tab of Microsoft Excel. Choose Minimum from the list. Then select the data range of the column you want to choose for picking up the lowest value. You can only pick numeric columns like Quantity, Profit, ROI etc. using this function.

Calculating the Sum, Count, Average, Min & Max are the fastest ways to get started in your journey to view summary data quickly.

3. Fast Analysis With Sort & Filter

If you sort the data by any key column like Country, Department, Category, Product, Zone, Area etc., then it becomes super easy to analyze data.

To sort the data on any column, follow these steps. Go to

Home > Sort & Filter > Sort A to Z or Sort Z to A.

This will sort the data in your chosen way (ascending or descending) for the column you are in.

Then click on the Filter icon. This will set up auto filters on top of all column headings. Now when you filter on any column, only values for that column will be visible. Unfiltered values are hidden, and visible data corresponds to the Filter selections.

After you have filtered for any particular selection, you can also highlight any numeric column, and see the summary being displayed at the bottom Excel bar.

At one time, you can see the Sum, Count, Average, Maximum & Minimum values from the selected range.

Now you can begin to summarize data for any selection, the way you want it.

4. Summarize Data With Subtotal Command:

If the data is already sorted, you are now ready to explore the Subtotal feature of Excel. This hidden gem has been languishing in Excel since the early 1990s, and very few people use it.

To add subtotals to your summary, first, clear all filters. And then Sort on the column that you want to add subtotal for.

The Subtotal feature is available on the Data tab of Excel.

Go to Data > Subtotal.

Choose the function to perform (Sum, Count, average etc), for the numeric column, and group by the desired column.

As an example, to get the subtotals of the number of employees by each department, it should say: At each change in Department, Count, number of Employees.

Using Subtotal to Summarize Data in Excel

Click OK, and you should see the subtotal rows from the data in Excel. In the end, you will also see the Grand Totals calculated.

Result of Subtotal Command in Excel — Results of Performing a Subtotal in Excel

You can clear the subtotals, and perform the subtotals again at any time. To clear the subtotals, go to Data > Subtotal > Remove All. The subtotals and the Grand total row are all removed completely.

5. Summarize Data With an Excel Table

Microsoft Excel 2007 brought a new feature called Tables, which are amazing at doing simple summarization from a table of data.

To begin, stay within the data range on the Excel sheet. Then click

Home > Format as Table.

Select any colour you prefer, and click OK. Excel automatically recognizes whether the data selection has headers or not.

Now you have a new tab added to the Excel menu, at the end. It is called Table Design.

Select it, and check the Total Row checkbox. Now you have an additional total row added at the bottom of the data. Every column on the total row is a total calculator. Simply click on the dropdown showing in the total row cells, and choose an appropriate summarization – sum, count or average. Now that column will show a total sum or total count or total average of that column.

The great thing is that now if you filter the list, the totals will change dynamically. No need to call the Subtotal function every time. This technique of data summarization is better than the manual methods of subtotal.

Result of Table Counts in Excel — Results of Total Row in an Excel Table

Begin using the Table features if you haven’t done so already.

6. Using Slicers to Summarize by different dimensions

Beginning Excel 2010, Microsoft added the Slicers functionality which takes the Tables to greater heights.

Instead of filtering each column one by one, you can now create a slice of the data from the Excel spreadsheet at any time.

Go to Table Design > Insert Slicer > Pick the column of your choice that you want to filter on.

Now you can click on any value in the slicer, and the data is instantly filtered. You can make multiple selections, by holding the control key.

And more than 1 slicer can be added, giving you multiple combinations of slices. The total row updates automatically as each selection is made. This is truly slice and dice of data, allowing you to summarize data in Excel spreadsheets just by using a mouse. No formulas or lengthy steps are involved.

7. Summarize With Excel Pivot Tables

Pivot tables have been in Excel for over 30 years. They are the most used feature of Excel, as it allows for business analysts & managers to manipulate and analyze data in countless better ways.

A pivot table is actually a summary table, which allows you to slice and dice the data by different dimensions.

Pivot tables are easy to get started with.

To create a pivot table, Stay within your dataset. Then go to Insert > Pivot Table. The entire dataset is selected. Click OK and a new pivot table is created in a new worksheet by default.

Click on the column that you want to summarize on, from the pivot table field list on the right side of the screen. In our example, we check the Department and Sales amount from the field list. Instantly, the total sales per department are calculated and populated in the pivot table on the left. Notice that Excel generates a unique list of departments, without any duplicates.

To visualize both the Sum & Count of the data points, you can drag one more copy of the Sales into the Values Area section. Then right-click on the value, and choose

Summarize Values by > Count.

Similarly, you can change the calculation type, and pick up Average, Max, Min. This way, you can have all the vital statistics about your data summarized by each department.

Additionally, to see the percentage of sales done by each department,

Right Click on any numeric value in the pivot table, and choose Show Value As > % of Grand Total.

This will instantly calculate the % of contribution done by each department. The grand total will show 100% of the sales.

It is a good idea to sort the % of Grand Total value from highest to lowest by value, showing the highest values on the top.

You can then add a further selection in the rows or columns, to get a 3D view of your data. As you can see, Pivot Table is a powerful tool that can get the analysis done the fastest!

As you learn more about the Pivot Tables, you’ll realize that they can be used to summarize data from a single worksheet or multiple worksheets.

A pivot can even summarize data from multiple workbooks too. This is a must-learn feature of Microsoft Excel. You can attend an Advanced Excel Training in Singapore at Intellisoft, where I teach this class.

FREE COURSE ON PIVOT TABLES TO ANALYZE DATA – No Signup is required. Click & Start watching Videos For Free and improve your Pivot Table Skills.

8. Summarize Data With Excel Functions

To get the most flexibility, you can actually write your own summary functions within Excel, by using the following formulas.

We have already covered the Autosum features of Excel which generate the Sum, Count & Average. Now we will look at how to write these functions manually.

To Sum a range of data, use =SUM(range) in the formula bar.

To Count a range of numeric data cells, use =COUNT(range). This generates a numeric count.

To count a range of alpha-numeric data cells, use =COUNTA(range). COUNTA can be used to count both numeric and non-numeric data.

To find the average of any data, use =AVERAGE(range).

9. Advanced Excel Functions for Summarizing Data

The real power of Excel functions is when you go beyond the basic summary functions and do some advanced data analysis.

You can use the following Excel formulas

Sum the data conditionally. For example, if we want to summarize the monthly sales only for a particular country, we can use the Excel Sumif function:

=SUMIF(country data range, select_country, monthly sales data range)

Similarly, to count the number of products sold by a country, we can count by using the COUNTIF function of Excel

=COUNTIF(country data range, select_country, monthly sales data range)

And average sales per country can be analyzed by using the following formula of AVERAGEIF.

=AVERAGEIF(country data range, select_country, monthly sales data range)

For multiple, if conditions, you can use the sumifs function to summarize data by your chosen selection. These functions can really cut down your data analysis time when you have large amounts of data to summarize.

10. Summarize With Descriptive Statistics From Analysis Toolpack

Finally, Microsoft Excel has the Data Analysis Toolpak, a hidden Statistical Analysis tool, that can calculate the Median, Standard Deviation, Variance, Analysis of variance (ANOVA), and much more in a single click.

To enable the Data Analysis feature in Excel, you must go to

File > Options > Add Ins.

Then select the Data Analysis ToolPak if it is inactive. You might have to click on the Go button at the bottom. Choose the Toolpak, and click OK. This will add a Data Analysis button on the Data tab of Excel, at the end. Check it out. Once this button is enabled, it stays active, and you can use it subsequently anytime.

To use this Data Analysis ToolPak, go to

Data Analysis > Descriptive Statistics.

Select the Entire numeric column that you want to analyze in the Input Range. Check the Labels in First Row checkbox if your data has a header.

Then check the output box radio button, and key in a cell address where you want the summary statistics to be generated. Check Summary Statistics, and click OK.

The full descriptive statistics are displayed instantly. This final result is a detailed Statistical Analysis of your data.

Descriptive Statistics Result from Analysis Toolpak

Multiple Ways to Summarize Data in Excel – Conclusion

There are so many different ways to summarize data in Excel. Mastering them will improve your data analysis skills, and you will be on your way to huge success, by taking action on the insights gleaned from your data analysis.

Go ahead and try them out.

Each technique is a gem, and adds to your skills in Excel data analysis.