Using Excel’s Slicer Tool

When Microsoft Excel first came onto the scene one of the newest and most talked about features was the slicer tool. What are slicers? Essentially they allow you easily filter through any data contained in a pivot table report. The difference between this and other tools of its kind before is the fact that it is really easy to use. All you utilise is a set of buttons. You won’t have to search through a drop-down menu list until you find the items you wish to filter as you would have previously. So, how do you put this tool into use when using a Microsoft Excel pivot table?

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The good news is that creating a slicer is really easy. All you need to do is begin by creating a pivot table. You can find great templates for Microsoft too. Check out https://www.templafy.com/blog/microsoft-office-templates-are-the-one-tool-your-business-needs-to-succeed/ for more details. You can then create your slicer and use this to filter the items in question.

Creating a pivot table
So, let’s begin by revealing how to generate a pivot table. Start off by selecting the range of data you want to incorporate in your pivot table. Don’t forget to include the column labels. Navigate to the Insert tab, select table, and then pick the pivot table. A box will appear on the screen. All you need to do is confirm whether you want to place the table in your current worksheet or in a new one. Then hit ok. It will now appear on your screen and all you need to do is check the field you wish to include in the report. That’s that step complete. Onto the slicer…

Add a slicer
Ok, so begin by simply clicking anywhere within the pivot table so that the tools become visible. Navigate to the options tab, then to the sort and filter group and click insert slicer. A dialog box will appear on your screen. All you have to do is select the fields you want to use in order to filter your data. Hit ok and then you will notice that the slicer boxes will appear in your current worksheet. Please note if you wish to delete a slicer all you need to do is click on it and hit the delete button on your keyboard.

Filter with a slicer
Finally, the only thing that is left to reveal is how to filter with the slicer. You will have to begin by clicking the field name you require in the slicer box. If you want to see more than one field you have to click the first field you wish to see and then hold down the Ctrl key and click on the second field and so on and so forth. So there you have it; as easy as one, two, three!

Get to the consulting level
The gold standard for preparing and presenting data is consulting. Many companies that rely on Excel for their day-to-day operations look to consulting firms to help them make sense of the data they have. Consulting firms use advanced tools, such as Tableau and Power BI, to build tailored dashboards and metrics. With consulting, you can get a better understanding of your data and performance so you can make better decisions. Professional consultants who are masters of data, like Wete and Company, set a good example for Excel users to reach.

This three-step guide should allow you to easily make use of Microsoft Excel’s top feature. Simply create your pivot table, then add a slicer and then you can easily filter the data. This allows you to easily filter through data and access any information you require. It really is a recommended tool as it can enhance efficiently dramatically.