For some people PivotTables seem to be too intimidating; for others PivotTables are a foreign concept. With a little information, guidance, and demonstration from the instructor, you will be ready to begin using PivotTables to accomplish routine analysis and reporting. This session will begin with basic PivotTables and progress to advanced PivotTable topics.

Specific topics covered in this session will include drag‐and‐drop pivoting, grouping and ungrouping, creating calculated items and fields, and drilling down to underlying details. PivotTables consolidated from multiple ranges and PivotTables dynamically linked to external databases and financial accounting systems will be covered. Participants will have access to sample data files.

Learning Objectives

• Identify and define the six main elements of a PivotTable report and describe how they are used when creating basic PivotTables; describe how to group and ungroup data in PivotTables, how to use field settings to alter the data displayed, how to sort and filter data in a PivotTable, and how to update the PivotTable for changes in the underlying data
  
• Describe how to import the data from an accounting system and prepare the data to be used in the PivotTable; additionally, describe how to use tables and named dynamic ranges as sources for PivotTables
  
• Define consolidation PivotTables, describe how to construct consolidation PivotTables, and identify the advantages of using consolidation PivotTables in lieu of other consolidation techniques
  
• Define ODBC and describe how to use ODBC data sources as the foundation for PivotTables; define PivotCache and describe techniques used to manage the PivotCache; describe how to create PivotTables from multiple, unrelated data sources