{"id":2642,"date":"2021-04-02T07:44:54","date_gmt":"2021-04-02T05:44:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/?p=2642"},"modified":"2024-04-11T20:32:42","modified_gmt":"2024-04-11T18:32:42","slug":"show-the-difference-from-previous-months-with-excel-pivot-tables","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/blog\/show-the-difference-from-previous-months-with-excel-pivot-tables\/","title":{"rendered":"Show The Difference From Previous Months With Excel Pivot Tables"},"content":{"rendered":"

Excel Pivot Tables<\/a> have heaps of calculations under the SHOW VALUES AS option and one that gets the most use is the Excel Chart Month on Month Comparison.<\/p>\n

You can show the values as the Difference From<\/em> previous months, years, days, etc. \u00a0This is just great when your boss asks you how you are tracking to the previous months, years, days…<\/em><\/p>\n\n

 <\/p>\n

Follow the\u00a0step-by-step tutorial<\/strong> on How to Show Excel Month on Month Comparison and download this Excel workbook<\/strong> to practice along:<\/p>\n

Download excel workbook<\/span>DIFFERENCE-FROM-PREVIOUS-MONTH.xlsx<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

STEP 1:<\/strong><\/span>Select any cell in the data table.<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

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STEP 2: <\/strong><\/span>Insert a new Pivot table<\/a> by clicking\u00a0on your data and going\u00a0to Insert > Pivot Table.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

STEP 3: <\/strong><\/span>Insert a new Pivot In the Create PivotTable<\/a> dialog box, select the table range<\/strong> and New Worksheet,<\/strong> and then click OK<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

STEP 4:<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0In the\u00a0ROWS<\/strong>\u00a0section put in the\u00a0Sales\u00a0Month<\/em>\u00a0field, in the\u00a0COLUMNS<\/strong>\u00a0put in the Financial\u00a0Year<\/em>\u00a0field and in the\u00a0VALUES\u00a0<\/strong>area you need to put in the\u00a0Sales<\/em>\u00a0field twice, I explain why below:<\/p>\n

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The Pivot Table will look like this:<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

STEP 5:<\/strong><\/span> Now click on the second Sales field’s (Sum of SALES2<\/em>) drop down and choose Value Field Settings<\/strong><\/p>\n

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STEP 6:<\/strong><\/span> Now you need to select the Show Values As tab and from the drop-down choose the Difference From<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

STEP 7:<\/strong><\/span>You need to select the Base Item as (previous)<\/strong> and Base Field as Sales Month<\/strong> and press OK<\/strong>. \u00a0So it will read the “Difference from the previous Sales Month<\/em>”<\/p>\n

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STEP 8:<\/strong><\/span> You can do some cosmetic changes by going back into the Values Field Settings<\/a><\/strong> (from step 3) and changing the Custom Name<\/strong> to show whatever you like eg. Diff. From Previous Month or Monthly Variance.<\/em><\/p>\n

From in here, you can also click on the Number Format<\/strong> (bottom left-hand corner) to change the way the numbers show:<\/p>\n

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STEP 9:<\/strong><\/span> To create a chart with this data, Go to PivotTable Analyze<\/strong> > PivotChart<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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STEP 10:<\/strong><\/span> In the Insert Chart dialog box, select Column<\/strong> and click OK<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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The month to month comparison excel chart<\/a> will appear in the worksheet.<\/p>\n

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STEP 11:<\/strong><\/span> Click on the filter button<\/strong> in the chart and select 2012<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

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This completes our tutorial on month over month comparison Excel<\/a>!<\/p>\n

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Further Learning:<\/strong><\/p>\n