Preliminary Setup As I mentioned in my post on how to format tables in Excel, before I do anything with raw data, I format it as a table.

Now select the 'Insert' tab and then 'Pivot Table'. It is best to insert the table into a new document. On other programs like OpenOffice data or in a Google spreadsheet, you might have to click the ...

Excel’s PivotTables (Microsoft runs the words together, although you?ll find pivot tables in other spreadsheet programs) can provide those types of answers. Do you want to group data by category?

Pivot tables and charts enable you to summarize and present data in a clear, dynamic format, while conditional formatting and automation tools enhance efficiency and focus.