Pivot Tables

Pivot tables create new metrics from distinct dimension values. For example, you might want a different column for each date period in the report.

Pivot tables are a fundamental component of any spreadsheet. The reporting system produces data in the form of a grid where each row represents a unique combination of each dimension. Pivoting rotates the chart so that values in a dimension become new columns.

An Example Pivot

This is best described with an example. Suppose you want a table of how many shipments each customer did in each of the last three months.

Column	Type
Customer Name	Dimension
Month of Shipment	Dimension
Shipment Count	Metric

This may result in the following dataset

Customer Name	Month of Shipment	Shipment Count
Joe Shipper	2020-01	5
Joe Shipper	2020-02	4
Joe Shipper	2020-03	31
Acme Logistics	2020-01	4
Acme Logistics	2020-02	32
Acme Logistics	2020-03	3
New Customer	2020-02	5
New Customer	2020-03	30

It may be more useful to have customers in the Y axis (rows) with Months in the X axis (columns). To accomplish this you need to Pivot the table on the Month of Shipment for the metric Shipment Count.

This results in the following table instead

Customer Name	2020-01	2020-02	2020-03
Joe Shipper	5	4	31
Acme Logistics	4	32	3
New Customer		5	30

This structure makes it readily apparent where data is missing and makes it easier to spot trends or find information.

Configuring a Pivot

Pivots are a Report Feature so they are configured after you have designed your report. Once you have created a report, in the Reports table find your report and click on the Features button.

In the Pivots section, you can click Add Item to create a new Pivot.

For each pivot you must select the Dimension (representing the column from which all the unique values for the new metrics are taken) and the Metric (the column from which the new metric values are taken).

Click Save to store your changes to the report.

Note that if you change your report design, and Features you configured will be lost and you must configure them again.

You may create multiple pivots but note that each pivot removes the Dimension and the Metric from the table. You cannot use those columns in successive pivots.