 Most people say pivot tables are the most powerful tools in Excel 2016. Rod here, and in this video we will show you step by step an easy way to create a pivot table and use its power and flexibility to analyze data. Here's a piece of a larger data file that we will use to show you how to create a pivot table. This is data from an imaginary stationary company, and each row represents an order or sale. It shows the date the order, the region where the sale occurred, the name of the sales rep, the item sold, the number of units involved, the cost of a single unit, and the total cost of the order. To get started making a pivot table, first select all the data, and then click on the insert tab. Now click on the pivot table icon on your left, and a create pivot table option box appears. The first thing you must now do is choose the data you want to analyze. Excel automatically chooses the table and range of the data you selected, but you could choose to analyze an external data source. Let's choose the table range we already selected. Next, you must choose where you want the pivot table report to be placed. You can choose a new or existing worksheet. If you want a new worksheet, you should stay with where Excel automatically defaulted. Once you're satisfied with your choices, click OK. When you click OK, you'll be taken to sheet two, where your pivot table will be displayed. Notice that a pivot table information box appears on the left, and pivot table fields appear on the right. If nothing is on the right, click inside the pivot table information box at the top, and your pivot table fields will appear on the right. There are sections in the pivot table fields called filters, columns, rows, and values. It may look complicated, but it's actually not. I promise you will understand how all of this works once we show you how pivot tables themselves work. So let's start by analyzing total sales by region. Notice when you type in an open area, the pivot table fields disappear. Click inside the pivot table information box again, and the pivot table fields reappear. Since total sales is what we will analyze first, go to the pivot table fields and click on the total field. Notice that total goes to the sum of value section, and your pivot table reports on total sales. You can also drag total to some of values, and your pivot table reports again on total sales. Now also click the region field, which is the second part of the analysis. Region then goes to the rows section, and sales by region are reported in the pivot table. Now let's change the analysis by adding rep to the statement. Click or drag the rep field to the rows section, and now the pivot table reports on total sales by region and rep. Let's change our analysis again by adding unit to the statement. Click or drag the unit field to the sum of value section, and the pivot table now reports on total sales by region rep and unit. You could add order date, item, and unit cost to the statement if you want, but we will skip that since by now you can see the power of the pivot table. How do you prepare each pivot table report for presentation? First deselect each characteristic of analysis, and then we'll show you how to do exactly that. Remember our analysis statement is total sales by region rep and unit. Let's repeat our process by clicking on first total sales on region. Select the entire report that you see, and left click and select copy. Then click on an open cell, then left click and click the second copy option, which is copy value. Now you can present the pivot table report on total sales by region. Now click on rep and unit. Now your pivot table reports on sales by region rep and unit. Select this entire report, then left click and select copy. Click on an open cell again, left click, and then click on the second copy option, and now you have it. You can present the pivot table report on everything. Now you know that XL 2016 pivot tables allow you to analyze and present key important points hidden in large data reports. No other tool in XL gives you this flexibility and analytical power. Visit burn to learn dot com to watch our other videos in our Microsoft XL series. To get personal direct coaching support, click on our one-on-one coaching link and talk to our experts. Click our Patreon link to help us keep our videos available free of charge. Be sure to watch our next video on Microsoft XL 2016.