Pivot Charts in Excel

Spreadsheets filled with figures are a nightmare to understand. Now, what if you could change that data into a visual narrative, exposing the trends and patterns that are not visible on the surface? That's the special thing about pivot charts in Excel. This brilliant tool acts as data interpreters, summarizing and visualizing the information in a manner that is interactive and easy to understand.

With pivot charts, you can be sure that you have fully understood your data, you can notice the most important trends and can make data-based decisions with more certainty. This pivot chart Excel tutorial will give you the necessary information and the steps to produce pivot charts in Excel, thus helping you master the data that you will be able to use in the best possible way.

What are Pivot Charts used for in Excel?

Pivot charts are versatile and can be used for various purposes, including:

1. Identifying trends and patterns

Pivot charts in Excel can ascertain the linkages among various data points that are present in your spreadsheet. A pivot chart is a perfect tool to find out if there is a connection between sales figures and different regions or product categories.

2. Comparing categories

For example, if you see the sales data of the different product categories, create a pivot chart in Excel which will let you compare the performances of the sales in the different categories, so you will be able to see which of them are doing well and which of them need improvement.

3. Creating dynamic reports

Pivot charts in Excel are interactive and hence, you can focus on the data or you can change the way it is summarized. This is why they are the perfect tool for producing reports that are adaptable to your requirements.

Where is the Pivot Chart in Excel?

The pivot chart button and other important features of the Excel program are sometimes difficult to locate whether to your version or from the moment you first launched the program. Here's a quick guide to pinpoint its location:

Source- WPS

1. Excel 2010 and Later

The Chart Wizard button is embedded in the programmed (Excel 2010 or higher versions ) tab. Try to find the statistics, or charts group, inside this tab. And not to be forgotten is the pivot chart icon which you will find in a peaceful neighborhood with other chart input alternatives besides a chart grid presenting examples of a pivot table.

2. Excel 2007

The way of its execution by the Excel 2007 users can be a little bit different. Go to the “Insert” tab as the chart group is displayed on the right-hand. However, the table group for your use is located on the left-hand side. Follow the flow of your spreadsheet as you will see the pivot chart button here, and from your tables, you'll be deploying visualization capabilities.

Remember: Software is developed in continuous extensions, therefore the path to the file can change in future versions of the Excel software. Also, the core capability of the button, providing you the option of generating, analyzing, and visually pleasing charts from your data, as its initial purpose, has not changed. However, if this button is unknown to you or you don't know where it is located in your version of the spreadsheet, a quick online search or just going through the Excel menus should always reveal its location. Additionally, you can refer to this Excel tutorial for guidance.

How to Create a Pivot Chart in Excel

• Select your data: Initially, you have to choose the data range that you want to put into the pivot chart. The data range you are referring to should be the table headers.
• Insert the pivot chart: Click on the pivot chart button and then select the place for the pivot chart (a new or an existing sheet).
• Drag fields to the rows and columns: The pivot table field list will be on the right side of the Excel window. In the row and column sections of the pivot table Fields pane, choose the fields you want to show.
• Filter and Customize: In addition, you can choose your pivot chart according to the filter that is located in the pivot table fields pane. Apart from that, you can also modify the chart type, style the chart components, and put the data labels into the chart as you wish.
  

Excel Pivot Chart Examples

Here are a few examples of how pivot charts can be used to analyze data in Excel:

1. Sales Analysis by Region

Think of a spreadsheet that has the sales data for various regions and product categories. A pivot chart in Excel can be used to visualize the variations in sales in various regions. This will enable you to discern which areas are doing good and which ones might need some extra effort.

2. Customer Analysis by Demographics

From the customer data with demographics like age, location, and purchase history, you can create a pivot chart in Excel to analyze the customer buying trend. To be precise, you can find out if there are any age groups or places that are more likely to buy the particular products.

Pivot Chart Formatting

The process of creating your pivot chart is ready, and now you can modify its design to make it more attractive and comprehensible. Here are some formatting options you can use:

1. Change the chart type

Excel has many chart types that are used to show data, such as bar charts, column charts, pie charts, and so on. You can pick the kind of chart that is the most appropriate for the kind of data you are trying to present.

2. Format chart elements

You can set up the colors, fonts, and borders of the different parts of charts such as the chart titles, axis labels, and data labels.

3. Add data labels

Labels of the data put forth the real data values inside the chart. This way, people will be able to grasp the data points without the need to check the legend.

Wrapping Up

Pivot charts in Excel are used to transform raw data into graphical presentations of the data. Through the proficient usage of pivot charts, you will be able to comprehend your data more deeply, discover the trends, and make data-based decisions with a higher rate of confidence. Thus, the next time you are dealing with big data in Excel, you should not be hesitant to use the pivot charts to your advantage!

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the difference between a Pivot Table and a Pivot Chart?

A pivot chart in Excel is a visual representation of the data in a pivot table, on the contrary, a pivot chart is a graphic that shows the data in a pivot table. It inculcates a way of recognizing the patterns and trends in the data more conveniently. You can view a pivot table as the backstage worker and the pivot chart as the finished product, which is the final, polished, and eye-catching presentation of the data.

2. What are the different types of Pivot Charts in Excel?

Excel provides several chart types that can be used for pivot charts creation. Some of the most common ones include:

● Bar charts: The comparison of categories of data is the outstanding feature of this thing.

● Column charts: On the same level as bar charts but with vertical bars instead of horizontal bars.

● Line charts: The best choice for illustrating trends over time is the time series analysis.

● Pie charts: The usefulness of pie charts in the representation of proportions of the whole is undeniable.

3. What is VLOOKUP used for?

The VLOOKUP is a function in Excel used for vertical lookups. This way, you can search for a particular value in the leftmost column of a table and get a matching value from another column in the same row.

4. How does HLOOKUP work?

HLOOKUP is the other lookup function in Excel, whereas, LLOOKUP is for vertical lookups. It looks for a given value in the first row of the table and gives the corresponding value from the same column but in a different row.

5. How to use INDEX in Excel?

The INDEX function enables you to extract a certain value from a range of cells by providing the row and column number you want. It is mostly used together with other functions such as MATCH to construct more sophisticated formulas.

6. How do I find duplicates in Excel?

There are a couple of ways to locate the same value in Excel. You can employ the conditional formatting feature to draw attention to the duplicate entries. On the other hand, you can apply the advanced filter on the data tab or use formulas like COUNTIF or COUNTIFS to find the rows with duplicate values. Refer to these Excel tips and tricks for more information.