I bring you the good word for all those who believe. The pivot table can transform your understanding of any subject that has many variables and facets.
Over 20 years ago, I became a believer in pivot tables. I preached the gospel to all those who would listen, but it is surprising how few have seen the light. Often, people would say they didn't have time to learn pivot tables. My response was that they didn't have time NOT to learn pivot tables.
In the last five years, I've begun to see more people apply them. But still, their use is rudimentary and much of their power is untapped by the majority of those who have chosen to learn them.
Take some time to understand them in depth. It will be time well spent. Once you start to play with them, your mind will begin to see the enormous potential oversight that pivot tables can provide.
In the accounting and finance worlds, so much is still driven by a single number at the bottom of a page (net income or earnings per share). I would equate this with seeing what is going on in the next room by looking through a keyhole. Even if someone is looking at each of the components for a period (revenue, GP, Op Income, etc.), that is similar to looking in the next room by looking through a slightly cracked open door.
Pivot tables enable the user to see through to the next room with the door wide open by allowing all metrics to be seen in a continuum. And then, they can look at those metrics in many ways - easily and quickly. The increase in understanding of the subject by using pivots is exponential.
Old school is flat financial statements. New school is flexible reporting with pivot tables.
So get limbered up and flexible. You're fitness for understanding the whole picture depends on it.
Be smart, be well-read and be successful.
