Microsoft Office

Part V
Analyzing Data with Excel
To create a calculated item to compute the commission for January, February, and March, follow these steps:
1. Move the cell pointer to the Row Labels or Column Labels area of the pivot table and
choose PivotTable Tools ➪ Options ➪ Tools ➪ Formulas ➪ Calculated Item. Excel displays
the Insert Calculated Item dialog box.
2. Enter a name for the new item in the Name box and specify the formula in the Formula box
(see Figure 35.17). The formula can use items in other fields, but it can’t use worksheet functions.
For this example, the new item is named Qtr1 Commission, and the formula appears as
follows:
=10%*(Jan+Feb+Mar)
3. Click Add.
4. Repeat Steps 2 and 3 to create three additional calculated items:
Qtr2 Commission: = 11%*(Apr+May+Jun)
Qtr3 Commission: = 12%*(Jul+Aug+Sep)
Qtr4 Commission: = 12.5%*(Oct+Nov+Dec)
5. Click OK to close the dialog box.
FIGURE 35.17
The Insert Calculated Item dialog box.
NOTE
Note that a calculated item, unlike a calculated field, does not appear in the PivotTable Field
List. Only fields appear in the field list.
If you use a calculated item in your pivot table, you may need to turn off the Grand Total display
for columns to avoid double counting. In this example the Grand Total includes the calculated
items, so the commission amounts are included with the sales amounts. To turn off Grand Totals,
choose PivotTable Tools ➪ Design ➪ Layout ➪ Grand Totals.
CAUTION
After you create the calculated items, they appear in the pivot table. Figure 35.18 shows the pivot table after
adding the four calculated items. Notice that the calculated items are added to the end of the Month items.
You can rearrange the items by selecting the cell and dragging its border. Another option is to create two
groups: One for the sales numbers and one for the commission calculations. Figure 35.19 shows the pivot
table after creating the two groups and adding subtotals.
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