My supervisor at Apollo Information Services put me in charge of developing and teaching Excel training courses to help employees learn how to use Microsoft Excel. This handout was given to the employees so they did not have to take notes during the classes. I also used it as a guide while presenting the material. This handout was used for the intermediate courses.

1. o Tips & Tricks Pg. 2-3
o Control & shift Pg. 2
o Freeze panes Pg. 2
o Highlight the entire worksheet Pg. 2
o Size all columns and/or rows so they are readable Pg. 2
o Quickly move or copy a worksheet(s) Pg. 2-3
o Select and work in multiple worksheets Pg. 3
o Special selections (all blanks, visible cells only) Pg. 3
o Make the same entry into all cells selected Pg. 3
o References – Relative & Absolute Pg. 3-4
o Subtotals Pg. 4-8
o Purpose & Example Pg. 4
o How to use the tool Pg. 5
o Expanding & collapsing your subtotals Pg. 5-6
o Subtotals by two or more criteria Pg. 6
o Copying & pasting your subtotals Pg. 7
o Text to columns to separate criteria Pg. 7-8
o VLOOKUPS Pg. 8-12
o Purpose & Example Pg. 8
o How to use the function Pg. 8-9
o Understanding how to organize and select your table Pg. 9-10
o The importance of unique values Pg. 10-11
o Issues because of formatting differences Pg. 11-12
o HLOOKUPS Pg. 12-13
o Pivot Tables Pg. 13-16
o Purpose & Example Pg. 13-14
o How to use the tool Pg. 14-16
1

2. o Tips & Tricks - (Difficulty Level: Easy)
o Control and Shift
 The basic way to highlight a range of cells is to click and hold your
cursor on the first cell of your desired range and then drag the
cursor to the last cell in your range.
 However, this is not practical when your range is very large.
Instead you can click on the first cell of your desired range, press
and hold shift, and then click on the last cell of your desired range.
 If you want to highlight multiple cells at a time but they are not in
a continuous range, then push and hold the control key and click
on all the cells you want to highlight.
 In addition, you can hold the control key while using the arrow
keys to move through your data (from top to bottom, left to right,
etc...).
• If you have blank cells in your data, this trick will not
work. Instead, it will stop at each blank cell.
 If you hold control and shift while using the arrow keys you can
move through your data and highlight it at the same time.
o Freeze Panes: To keep column headings and/or rows in view while
scrolling through your data you must freeze them using Freeze Panes.
When you use Freeze Panes it will freeze the column(s) to the left of the
most recently selected cell and/or the row(s) above the most recently
selected cell. For instance, to freeze row 1, click on A2, go to Window at
the very top, click Freeze Panes. If you want to freeze column A, click
B1, and follow the same procedure. If you want to freeze row 1 and
column A click B2 and so on…
o To select your entire worksheet: Click on the blank rectangle in the top
left corner where column A and row 1 meet.
o Quickly size all columns (or rows) so they are readable: If you want all
your columns to be readable then highlight the entire worksheet by using
the method mentioned directly above. Then move your cursor between
column labels A and B at the very top of the page. When you see double
arrows pointing left and right, double click. You can double click between
any of the column labels at the top and this trick will still work. This trick
also works for sizing rows so they are readable, but instead you must
double click between any two row labels after highlighting the entire
worksheet.
o Quickly size one or more columns (or rows) so they are readable:
Highlight the range of columns or rows that you want resized and then
double click between any of the highlighted labels. If you want only one
column (row) resized, then double click between the column (row) you
want resized and the column (row) to the right (below).
o Quickly move or copy a worksheet(s) into the active workbook or into
other workbooks: Right click on the sheet you want to move or copy,
select Move or Copy. To move the sheet, simply select the desired
2

3. location and push OK. If you want to move it to a new or open workbook
then select the workbook from the dropdown list. To copy the sheet follow
the same process but before pushing OK click in the white box next to
“Create a Copy”. You can copy or move multiple worksheets by first
selecting multiple sheets using the process mentioned above.
o Select multiple worksheets: You can hold down the control key and click
on and select multiple worksheets at one time. You can also select a
continuous range of worksheets by clicking on the first worksheet in your
range, pushing and holding shift, and clicking in the last worksheet of your
range. While multiple worksheets are selected, any change made to one of
the sheets is made to all of the sheets. This can be a very useful shortcut
when several of the same things need to be done to multiple worksheets,
but be careful what you try to do and be sure to unselect your worksheets
after you are done. (Note: anything found under the data tab cannot be
used while multiple worksheets are selected. Eg: Sort, Subtotals, Pivot
Tables).
o Unselect multiple worksheets: Right click a worksheet and click
“Ungroup Sheets” or click on to a worksheet that is not currently selected.
(Note if all your worksheets in the workbook are selected, clicking on any
one of them should unselect your selection).
o Make special selections: Click Edit, then click Go To (Shortcut: Ctrl +G),
and at the bottom left click Special. Now you can select any condition in
this list and Excel will highlight only the cells that match the condition.
For instance, if you wanted to highlight only blank cells, choose blank
and push OK.
o Simultaneously make the same entry into all cells selected: If you have
several cells or a range selected, you can simultaneously enter the same
thing into all the cells selected. To do this, make your selection, type in
what is desired, push and hold control, and push enter.
o References – Relative & Absolute - (Difficulty Level:
Easy/Intermediate)
o A reference to a cell contains a column letter and row number. (Eg. A1)
Cell references are often found in Excel formulas.
o You can also reference entire columns or entire rows in your formulas.
(Eg. Column: A:A Row: 1:1)
o Lastly, you can reference sheet names. (Eg. Sheet1!)
o You can reference a column, row, or cell in a separate sheet by tying
together a sheet reference with a column, row, or, cell reference. (Eg.
Sheet1!A1)
o References can be either relative or absolute. By default, references are
relative.
 Relative References
• As relative references (or formulas containing relative
references) are copied and pasted the column and/or row
reference changes.
3

4. • For instance, when relative column references (or
formulas containing relative references) are copied and
pasted to the left or right, the column letter in the
reference will change accordingly.
• Also, when relative row references (or formulas
containing relative references) are copied and pasted into
cells above or below the copied cell, the row number
reference will change accordingly.
 Absolute References
• Absolute references refer to the same column and/or row
no matter where you copy and paste the formula
• For instance, when absolute column references (or
formulas containing absolute references) are copied and
pasted to the left or right, the column letter in the
reference will not change.
• Also, when absolute row references (or formulas
containing absolute references) are copied and pasted into
cells above or below the copied cell, the row number
reference will not change.
• To make a reference absolute, enter a dollar sign before the
column or row reference (or both) that you want to make
absolute. (Eg. $A1, A$1, $A$1, $A:$A, $1:$1)
• If you are making the entire reference absolute you can
highlight the reference and push F4. This can sometimes be
a shortcut for making the entire reference absolute.
 Example
Absolute Column Absolute Row
Relative References References References
=a1 =b1 =$a1 =$a1 =a$1 =b$1
=a2 =b2 =$a2 =$a2 =a$1 =b$1
o Subtotals - (Difficulty Level: Easy/Intermediate)
o Purpose: A tool in Microsoft Excel that is used to summarize data.
o What this tool does: It inserts rows (orange, bold) however often the data
in a selected column (blue) changes. These rows contain either a sum,
average, count, etc… (orange) of the column(s) you choose (yellow).
o Example:
Total
Group CPT Ins Code Account Allowed
106001 99285 7075 30813 $270.62
106001 99283 7075 30858 $97.41
106001 99285 7075 30909 $270.62
106001 99285 7075 30994 $270.62
7075 Total $909.27
4

5. 106001 99283 E059 30784 $104.30
106001 99285 E059 30872 $251.30
106001 99283 E059 30803 $104.30
106001 99283 E059 30853 $104.30
106001 99285 E059 31003 $251.30
E059 Total $815.50
Grand Total $1,724.77
o How to use this tool:
 The first thing you need to make this tool easy to use is make sure
each one of your columns have headings.
 Next go to Data, Sort. (Make sure you have selected a cell
somewhere in the range of data that you are sorting or you will get
an error message).
 Choose from the first dropdown list the column that you want your
data summarized by (Eg. Ins Code).
 If your columns have headers make sure “Header row” at the
bottom is selected. If they do not then make sure “No header row”
is selected. Then push OK.
 Next go to Data, then Subtotals. (Again, make sure you have
selected a cell somewhere in the range of data).
 The first thing you see at the top is a dropdown list of all your
column headings. Above this list it says “At each change in.” This
selection will tell Excel how often to insert a subtotal. The column
you select should be the column that you want the data
summarized by (Eg. Ins Code). Excel will look through the data in
that column, and each time it changes, a subtotal will be entered.
(Note: If we didn’t sort the data, it would change sporadically and
subtotals would be entered inappropriately).
 The next dropdown list is a list of functions that can be used with
this tool. The most popular selection is the sum function. Other
popular selections include count or average. Select the function
you desire.
 Next you should see another list of your column headings. This is
where you choose the columns that you want summed, counted,
averaged, etc…Select the columns by checking the box to the left
of the column name. You can select one column or multiple
columns. Push OK when you are done selecting.
o Expanding & Collapsing your Subtotals
 Now that your subtotals have been entered, you will notice on the
very left side of your Excel program some things that you are not
use to seeing. For instance, up at the top left corner you will see a
small 1, 2, and 3.
 These numbers can be used to toggle between all the data and the
summary of the data. Pushing two gives you just your subtotals.
Any one of the subtotals can then be expanded to show the details
5

6. by clicking the + sign directly to the left. Clicking 3 brings you
back to all your data while clicking 1 shows just the grand total.
 If you want to remove your subtotals go to Data, Subtotals, and
click Remove All (bottom, left corner).
o Subtotals- Data summarized by two or more criteria
 Follow this procedure if you want your data summarized by two or
more criteria rather than one or the other (Eg. Ins Code & CPT).
(Hint: If you are following this procedure it usually means you
desire a more detailed summary).
 Example:
Ins Total
Group Ins Code & CPT CPT Code Account Allowed
106001 7075 99284 99284 7075 30870 $181.66
106001 7075 99284 99284 7075 30850 $181.66
106001 7075 99284 99284 7075 30896 $181.66
106001 7075 99284 99284 7075 30900 $181.66
106001 7075 99284 99284 7075 30924 $181.66
7075 99284 Total $908.30
106001 7075 99285 99285 7075 30813 $270.62
106001 7075 99285 99285 7075 30909 $270.62
106001 7075 99285 99285 7075 30994 $270.62
7075 99285 Total $811.86
106001 E002 99284 99284 E002 30756 $152.05
106001 E002 99284 99284 E002 30861 $152.05
106001 E002 99284 99284 E002 30982 $152.05
E002 99284 Total $456.15
106001 E002 99285 99285 E002 30894 $227.24
106001 E002 99285 99285 E002 30997 $227.24
106001 E002 99285 99285 E002 30995 $227.24
E002 99285 Total $681.72
Grand Total $2,858.03
 First you have to join the criteria in a separate, new column.
 To join these criteria you can use the concatenate function. Go to
Insert, Function, and search for concatenate and push OK.
 Enter your first reference (Eg: D2, Ins Code 7075) in the field
where it says Text1. I recommend clicking in the Text2 box and
entering only a space.
 Enter the next reference (Eg: C2, CPT 99284) in the Text3 box.
 If you have more to join then enter another space in Text4 and
enter your next criteria in Text5 and so on… Push OK when you
are done. (Notice there is a space between each criteria).
 Use this formula to fill in the entire column.
6

7. 
To speed up the sort and subtotals you are about to perform, you
may want to select the entire column you just created, right click,
click copy, right click, paste special, and click values.
 Next sort your data by the column you just created.
 Now you are ready to do your subtotals like you normally do (see
above instructions). Make sure that for the drop down list located
under “At each change in” you select the column you just created.
o Copying and pasting only your Subtotals
 Often you may desire to paste just your subtotals into a separate
sheet. To do this is very difficult without the following tip.
 First, go to View, Toolbars, Customize, Select Edit, scroll down
to the bottom. You will see a command titled Select Visible Cells.
Click, hold, and drag this command to your toolbar (top of the
page).
 Now, push the 2 to view only your subtotals, select your subtotals,
and click the command you just added to your toolbar. (The
command looks like four black squares with white borders).
 Right click, click copy, and now you can paste your subtotals
wherever you would like. (In the future, you can skip the first
step).
o Text to Columns- separating out the data you just joined
 After your subtotals are done, you may desire to separate all the
criteria that you joined earlier.
 Example:
From this To this
Total
Ins_Code CPT Allowed Ins_Code CPT Total Allowed
7075 99284 Total $908.30 7075 99284 $908.30
7075 99285 Total $811.86 7075 99285 $811.86
E002 99283 Total $328.12 E002 99283 $328.12
E002 99284 Total $456.15 E002 99284 $456.15
E002 99285 Total $681.72 E002 99285 $681.72
Grand Total $3,186.15 Total $3,186.15
 As long as you put the spaces in when you joined the criteria, you
can do this using a tool known as Text to Columns. (Note: Before
doing this you may want to copy and paste your subtotals into a
new sheet using the method mentioned above).
 First count how many spaces you have in one of your subtotal
descriptions (Eg: 7075 99284 Total, 2 spaces).
 Ensure that you have this many empty columns (2) to the right of
the column that contains your subtotal descriptions. See below
example.
7

8. Ins Code & CPT Total Allowed
7075 99284 Total $908.30
7075 99285 Total $811.86
E002 99283 Total $328.12
E002 99284 Total $456.15
E002 99285 Total $681.72
Grand Total $3,186.15
 Next, select the entire column with your subtotal descriptions. Go
to Data, Text to Columns, select Delimited and push next.
 Uncheck all the boxes under “Delimiters” besides the box titled
“Space.”
 Click Next, and you will see a preview of what your columns will
look like after you are done. Look at the preview to ensure you are
not unintentionally separating any important data. Click Finish.
o VLOOKUP - (Difficulty Level: Intermediate/Advanced)
o Purpose: This function is used to fill in missing information, reconcile
information, and build dynamic reports (reports that are designed to show
different data as the user chooses what they want to see).
o What this function does: This tool looks vertically for a value (orange)
(Eg: Site) in a separate table (blue). When it finds the value, it returns the
information you ask for that is related to that value (Eg: State, Site Name).
o Example:
Site State Site Name
To fill in the missing 10700
information, the 1 IL Alton Memorial Hospital
VLOOKUP performs 14500
7
a lookup of these 10800
sites (orange) in the 1
table below (blue). 12900
3
Site State Site Name
10700
1 IL Alton Memorial Hospital
21500
1 OH Samaritan Regional Health System
14500
7 IN Dunn Memorial Hospital
22500
4 SC Marlboro Park Hospital
10800
1 MO Parkland Health Center-Bonne Terre
22600
1 WV Saint Francis Hospital
12900 NY Cortland Convenient Care Center
8

9. 3
11100
1 MO Jefferson Regional Medical Center
o How to use this function:
 First go to Insert, Function. Search vlookup and push OK.
 For the first field, enter a reference that contains the value you
want looked up (orange) (Eg: A2). (Note: The value you are
looking up (orange) must be a unique value in your lookup table
(blue)).
 In the next field, you must enter the table (blue) that excel will be
searching in for your lookup value (orange). The table must
include the values related to your lookup values (Site #) and any
related information that you want the lookup to return (State, Site
Name). The table can be in the sheet you are working or in a
different sheet in the same workbook.
 The easiest way to enter the reference for your table is to click in
the second field (Table_Array), click on the sheet the table is in,
and then highlight the entire table. Your table can contain two cell
references, two column references, or sometimes even two row
references depending on how you select your table. (Eg: A8:C16,
A:C, 8:16). You generally want to make these references absolute
by inserting dollar signs manually or highlighting the whole
reference and pushing F4. (Eg: $A$8:$C$16, $A:$C, $8:$16).
 In the next field we will designate what we want the formula to
return after it does the lookup and finds the value. (Eg: State, Site
Name).
 We designate this by giving a column number. We can determine
the column number by manually counting from left to right starting
with the first column of the table we selected earlier. The first
column in the table is 1 the second is 2 and so on… (Eg: State=2,
Site Name=3).
 If manually counting is impractical then highlight your table,
and as you highlight you should see a number next to a “C” (C1,
C2, C3). This number will be right next to your cursor as you are
highlighting or in the white box at the top left of the page. Keep
highlighting your table until you reach the column that contains the
information you want the formula to return. When you reach this
column, look at the number next to the “C”. This is your column
number.
 In the next field we can only enter either true or false. False looks
for an exact match of your lookup value while true looks for an
approximate match. Generally, you will use false.
 Now push OK.
 Try the above example to get some practice.
 The formula to retrieve the state for site 107001 should read
=vlookup($A2, $A$8:$C$16,2,false)
9

10. The formula to retrieve the site name for site 107001 should read
=vlookup($A2, $A$8:$C$16,3,false)
 Now you can copy and paste this formula to fill in the rest of your
missing information.
o Understanding how to properly organize and select your table
 One thing that is extremely important to understand about
vlookups is that they only search for the lookup value in the first
(leftmost) column of the table you select.
 This means that when selecting your table, you have to start with
the column that contains your lookup values and move to the right.
 It also means that the data that you want the lookup to return must
be to the right of the data you are looking up. (See Example
below).
Site State Site Name
107001 IL #N/A
145007
108001
Site Name Site State
Alton Memorial Hospital 107001 IL
Samaritan Regional Health System 215001 OH
Dunn Memorial Hospital 145007 IN
Marlboro Park Hospital 225004 SC
Parkland Health Center-Bonne Terre 108001 MO
Memorial Hospital of Carbondale 116001 IL
In this example, because the site number is in column B of your
table, column B must be the first (leftmost) column in the lookup
table you select (blue).
 Also, the only information you can retrieve related to the site is the
state. If you need the site name you would have to reorganize the
table so it looks like the first example above.
o The importance of unique values
 Another important thing to realize about vlookups is that the first
column of your lookup table must have unique values.
 For instance, in the example below, neither the first or last name is
unique.
 When a lookup of the last name “Smith” is performed, the function
only returns data from the first match it finds. (Eg. Smith, John’s
DOB). Using last names the vlookup function cannot find the
correct DOB for Smith, Jane.
First Name Last Name DOB Lookup
Smith John 1/1/2000
10

11. Smith Jane 1/1/2000
Doe John
Doe Jane
First Name Last Name Date of Birth
Smith John 1/1/2000
Smith Jane 1/1/2001
Doe John 1/1/2002
Doe Jane 1/1/2003
 To solve this problem we have to create unique lookup up values
and unique values in the lookup table.
 We do this by joining data (last and first name) in a separate, new
column.
 Insert a new column. Select a cell in this new column that is
adjacent to the data you want to join.
 Go to Insert, Function, search Concatenate and push OK.
 In the field labeled text1 enter the first reference that you want to
join (blue) (Eg: B2).
 In the field labeled text2 enter the next reference that you want to
join (orange) (Eg: C2).
 If your must join more to create unique values then continue
entering references into text3 and so on…
 Push OK and use this formula to fill in the rest of the column.
 Make sure you perform this procedure on your lookup values and
in your lookup table.
 Now use the joined data (green) to perform the vlookup (See
below).
 Rather than using the concatenate function, you can type =
click on B2, type &, click on C2, and push enter.
First & Last Name First Name Last Name DOB Lookup
SmithJohn Smith John 1/1/2000
SmithJane Smith Jane 1/1/2001
DoeJohn Doe John
DoeJane Doe Jane
First & Last Name First Name Last Name Date of Birth
SmithJohn Smith John 1/1/2000
SmithJane Smith Jane 1/1/2001
DoeJohn Doe John 1/1/2002
DoeJane Doe Jane 1/1/2003
o VLOOKUP issues because of formatting differences
11

12.  A problem can sometimes occur when the formatting of the lookup
values and the related values in the lookup table are different.
 When one value contains numbers formatted as text and the other
contains numbers formatted as numbers, then the lookup will not
match the data even when the two cells read the exact same.
 To fix this you must reformat the numbers that are formatted
as text. The cells with numbers formatted as text should have a
small, green triangle in the top left corner of the cell. There are 2
methods to reformatting these cells.
 Method #1 – Use this quicker method only when reformatting
about 15,000 or less cells and when permanently changing the
format of your cells from text to numbers is not a problem.
• Highlight all the numbers formatted as text.
• Go to the top of your selection.
• You should see a small box with an exclamation point
inside of it.
• Move your cursor inside this box and click on the
dropdown arrow.
• One of your options should be “Convert to Number.”
• Click this option. (Note: It is best to do this before filling in
all of your lookups).
 Method #2 - Use this method when you have a very large amount
of data to reformat (+15,000 cells) or you do not want to
permanently change the format of your cells.
• Insert a new column next to the column with your numbers
formatted as text.
• In this new column, multiply the numbers formatted as text
by 1 and it should get rid of the text formatting.
• If any of your data contains actual text then when you
multiply by 1 you will get an error (#VALUE!).
• To solve this problem, use autofilter to filter for #VALUE!
and then enter a reference to the original column without
multiplying by 1.
• Then use this formula to fill in your filtered data. (Note:
you can fill in this formula the same way you always fill in
formulas)
o HLOOKUP - (Difficulty Level: Intermediate/Advanced)
o Purpose: This function is used to fill in missing information, reconcile
information, and build dynamic reports (reports that are designed to show
different data as the user chooses what they want to see).
o What this function does: This tool looks horizontally for a value (orange)
in a separate table (yellow). When it finds the value, it returns the
information you ask for that is related to that value (Eg: 99283 Charge,
99284 Charge, 99285 Charge).
AL-00 AR-13 CO-00 DC-01
99283 Charge 58.25 58.02 60.07 65.81
12

13. 99284 Charge 109.29 108.92 112.38 122.53
99285 Charge 162.40 161.81 167.06 182.37
99283 99284 99285
AL-00 58.25
AR-13 58.02
CO-00
DC-01
o The Hlookup function works the same as the Vlookup function except the
lookup values you are searching for (orange) are located horizontally in
the first row of your lookup table (yellow) rather than vertically in the first
column of your lookup table.
o Everything mentioned previously for Vlookups applies exactly the same to
Hlookups.
o PIVOT TABLES - (Difficulty Level: Intermediate/Advanced)
o Purpose: This tool organizes and summarizes your data in a table or chart.
The big advantage is you can quickly and easily change the way you
organize or summarize your data. Also, making a chart is easier than ever.
o Example:
Raw Data
Denial Site Ins_Type Ins_Code Ins_Name Denial_Count Denial_Desc
1 106001 B 2490 BLUE SHIELD MO 16 Deductible Amount
1 106001 B 7265 BLUE SHIELD MO 1 Deductible Amount
1 106001 H 7075 GROUP HEALTH PLAN 2 Deductible Amount
1 106001 H E002 AETNA PPO 2 Deductible Amount
1 106001 H E059 HEALTHLINK HMO 2 Deductible Amount
1 106001 H E061 HEALTHLINK PPO 1 Deductible Amount
1 106001 H E114 UNITED HEALTHCARE 13 Deductible Amount
1 106001 H E1293 CIGNA HMO 1 Deductible Amount
GOLDEN RULE UNITED
1 106001 H E1330 HEALTHCARE 1 Deductible Amount
1 106001 O 99997 MISCELLANEOUS O 3 Deductible Amount
1 106001 O E051 GREAT WEST LIFE & ANNUITY 2 Deductible Amount
1 106001 R 2488 MEDICARE MO 3 Deductible Amount
1 107001 B 108 BLUE SHIELD IL 29 Deductible Amount
1 107001 H 288 HEALTHLINK 1 Deductible Amount
1 107001 H 7736 TRICARE NORTH REGIONS 3 Deductible Amount
1 107001 H 7849 GMP RETIREE TRUST 2 Deductible Amount
1 107001 H E002 AETNA PPO 1 Deductible Amount
13

14. 1 107001 H E059 HEALTHLINK HMO 1 Deductible Amount
1 107001 H E061 HEALTHLINK PPO 8 Deductible Amount
1 107001 H E1291 CIGNA PPO 1 Deductible Amount
1 107001 H E1315 UNITED HEALTHCARE PPO 15 Deductible Amount
1 107001 H E1321 GHP 8 Deductible Amount
1 107001 O 99997 MISCELLANEOUS O 1 Deductible Amount
1 107001 O E125 UNICARE 1 Deductible Amount
1 107001 O E1288 JOHN ALDEN LIFE INSURANCE CO 1 Deductible Amount
1 107001 R 777 MEDICARE IL 7 Deductible Amount
Pivot Table
Denial (All)
Sum of
Denial_Count Ins_Type
Grand
Site B D E H O R Total
106001 360 128 11 689 45 376 1609
107001 728 369 15 1070 94 1185 3461
Grand Total 1088 497 26 1759 139 1561 5070
o How to use this tool:
 First go to Data and then click PivotTable and PivotChart Report.
 Make sure “Microsoft Office Excel list or database” and
“PivotTable” is selected.
 Push Next and make sure that the range Excel has selected is
correct. If not then manually enter or select the appropriate range.
 Push Next again. Make sure “New worksheet” is selected and push
Finish.
 Now you should be in a new sheet and you should see a box titled
“PivotTable Field List”. This box should contain all of your
column headings from your data. If this box is not visible then
right click anywhere in your PivotTable and click “Show Field
List”.
 These column headings can be dragged and dropped into the
different fields you see in your PivotTable. (Page Field, Row
Field, Column Field, Data Items)
 To drag and drop items into fields, click and hold the item in the
PivotTable Field List and drag and drop it into the desired field.
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15.  In the example above, Denial (blue) has been dragged and dropped
into the Page Field from the PivotTable Field List.
 Site (yellow) has been dragged into the row field.
 Insurance Type (red) has been dragged into the column field.
 Lastly, Denial Count (green) has been dragged in the data items
field.
 This PivotTable summarizes the Denial Count by Site and
Insurance Type (very similar to what you could do with subtotals).
 Each one of your PivotTable fields has a dropdown list.
Selecting different things from these lists changes what data you
will be viewing in your PivotTable.
 To change the function being used on your data, right click on
your data items field (Sum of Denial Count, green), and click
“Field Settings”. Choose the function you want from the list that
comes up (Sum, Count, Average, etc…).
 To change the way your data is displayed, right click on your
data items field (Sum of Denial Count, green), and click “Field
Settings”. Then click “Options”. Choose an option from the
“Show data as” dropdown list. In the example below, I chose “%
of row”. Instead of showing the sum of Denial Count as a number,
it is showing it as a percent of the total volume per row. This
breaks down the volume of denials per Insurance Type on a
percentage basis.
Sum of
Denial_Count Ins_Type
Grand
Site B D E H O R Total
106001 22.37% 7.96% 0.68% 42.82% 2.80% 23.37% 100.00%
107001 21.03% 10.66% 0.43% 30.92% 2.72% 34.24% 100.00%
108001 19.18% 27.52% 1.25% 29.44% 2.50% 20.10% 100.00%
108002 15.17% 18.68% 0.72% 22.36% 2.07% 41.00% 100.00%
108003 66.67% 0.00% 0.00% 33.33% 0.00% 0.00% 100.00%
108004 22.40% 8.01% 0.45% 30.54% 2.23% 36.37% 100.00%
108005 12.55% 26.15% 0.00% 25.36% 0.32% 35.64% 100.00%
Grand Total 19.07% 14.72% 0.53% 29.53% 2.15% 33.99% 100.00%
 You can quickly view the details of any of the data presented in
your pivot table by double clicking on the appropriate cell (also
similar to subtotals). This will create a new worksheet with the all
the detailed data you want to see.
 If you change something in your raw data, you must refresh your
PivotTable for the change to take effect. To do this, right click
anywhere in your PivotTable and click “Refresh Data”.
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16.  To move a field, click and hold the gray box that contains the field
you want to move, drag it where you want it, and let go. If you
want to completely remove a field from your PivotTable, then
drag it outside the area of your PivotTable (you should see a red
“X” when it’s outside the area of your PivotTable).
 You can add more than one field to the row and/or column areas of
your PivotTable. In the example below, I moved Insurance Type
from the column field and made it a second row field. This
displays the same data but in a different format. The chart for this
PivotTable would also look different than the chart in the 1st
example.
Denial (All)
Sum of Denial_Count
Site Ins_Type Total
106001 B 360
D 128
E 11
H 689
O 45
R 376
106001 Total 1609
107001 B 728
D 369
E 15
H 1070
O 94
R 1185
107001 Total 3461
 You can easily turn you PivotTable into a PivotChart by
clicking on the Chart Wizard located on your PivotTable
Toolbar. If your PivotTable toolbar is not visible, right click
anywhere in your PivotTable and click “Show PivotTable
Toolbar”.
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