This article discusses proxy votes or ideas portal custom domains. You need to be an Ideas Advanced customer to access these features. Please contact us if you would like a live demo or would like to try using it in your account. If your Aha! account was created before October 20, 2020, you may have access to these integrations, but you will need to upgrade to Ideas Advanced for any future enhancements.
Pivot tables are incredibly powerful tools for in-depth analysis of your data. Just like list reports, pivots allow you to manipulate data from hundreds of different data objects. You can use them to summarize data, visualize it in new ways, and perform calculations on pivoted data sets.
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How to create a pivot table
Before you create a pivot table, it is helpful to think about how the Aha! Ideas report model works. Reports are built around relationships between record types, and the order you add related record types to your report matters. As you work through the report builder, try experimenting with different record types, and see how it affects the report you create.
Before you create a pivot table, it is helpful to think about how the Aha! Ideas report model works. Reports are built around relationships between record types, and the order you add related record types to your report matters. As you work through the report builder, try experimenting with different record types, and see how it affects the report you create.
To create a new pivot table, navigate to Reports Pivot, then click Create new report. This will open the report builder, which will walk you through the process.
If you are new to pivot tables or would like some inspiration, choose Use an example pivot report. The example reports are an excellent starting point from which you can add and narrow down the data you want to see. See which ideas are trending with the Trending ideas pivot table or learn more about your customers’ needs by generating the Top ideas by segment report — there are several useful pivot table to chose from. Select one of the options, and watch your pivot table build itself. Then customize the example report to fit your needs.
Otherwise, select Create your own pivot report, then follow the next step in the report builder to Select records for your pivot table. You can select from Popular or Advanced record types.
Next, let's focus on how to build out your pivot table in the Add fields step of the report builder.
Add fields to your pivot table
In the Add fields step of the report builder, you will add fields based on the record type(s) you select to the rows, columns, and cells of your pivot.
When you select a record type, Aha! Ideas will automatically create a column that includes the record's name. This ensures that you are putting together a table with valid data objects that can be pivoted against each other.
Remember, the first record type you select will define the relationship for future data added to your table. For more details on how this works, please read this article section on how the Aha! Ideas report model works.
Use the Record hierarchy to adjust the record types that your pivot will be built on. Then click Add fields in your pivots Columns, Rows, or Cells to add fields from those record types to your pivot table.
Quantify report rollups through calculations across rows and down columns with the Within cells list as: option. Functions include list, count, sum average, minimum, and maximum. The list of available functions will vary based on the data you select for the table.
Sort by row, column, or cell values in the report by clicking the Sort fields buttons. You can sort every value in the pivot table by any other field available. Drag and drop when multiple values are present to choose which sort should supersede the others.
Click Next when you are ready to move on to the Add filters step of the report builder.
Add filters to your pivot table
Add filters as necessary by clicking the Add filter step in the report builder or by clicking the Add filter + icon on the filters bar to add a quick basic filter after you have created your pivot table. Filters are organized by record type and are searchable to allow you to find specific details without scrolling through long lists.
Once you have selected a filter, you can filter your report by blank (or not blank) values, by specific or a range of values, or by using advanced filters to apply logical strings to your filters. If you know exactly how you want to focus your report, set your filter values right from the report builder. And later on, you can always use inline filters to refine your reports too.
Customize the report
Use the Customize view dropdown to customize your pivot table. The Edit data option will take you to the Add fields step of the report builder. The Customize style option will open a modal to help you customize the theme, formatting, and color layout of your pivot.
Theme: The different themes change the visual layout of the table and enable different sets of colors to be used when colorizing data on the table.
Show row headers + Show column headers: Toggles the display of optional headings for your columns or rows. The headings will display what the data type is in the column or row fields of your pivot table.
Show cell headers: This shows cell headers and enables calculations — total, average, minimum, maximum, count — within individual cells on rows and columns.
Use swimlanes for first row headers: This option will place the heading for the first data object in Rows as the header across the top of the data. This is useful if the table is too long and you wish to make it easier to read.
Allow table cells to wrap: This wraps text to help limit the width of cells when displaying large amounts of information, such as the full descriptions of features.
Color by: This allows you to select which data objects to color based on the data available in your table. You can then customize the colors based on the color palette available for your theme. Assigned colors for records and statuses will default to selected colors assigned during their set up.
You can also use your mouse to customize the column width of your pivot table by clicking on the border between columns and dragging to the width you prefer.
Chart your data (Advanced)
If you are an Ideas Advanced user, navigate to Reports → Charts to create beautiful visualizations and charts of the report that you have just created.
Save pivot views
To save the view, click the Views button on the upper-right corner of the page and select Save view. When you save a view, you will have the option to name the saved view, choose who you wish to share your saved view with, and select if others can edit the view. Saved views are then accessible within the Views menu under the Saved views section.
Share your pivot table
With your pivot table completed, you can easily share it with your stakeholders by selecting one of the export options through the Share button on the top-right corner of the page.
To invite people outside of your Aha! Ideas account to view your report, select Share as webpage.
To schedule recurring email delivery of your report, select Schedule email delivery.
To export your report for further analysis, select Export to Excel or Export to CSV. You can import from CSV to update data later. The Export to Excel option is particularly powerful as it allows Aha! Ideas users to export the entire pivot table in Excel without losing any of the table formatting. This is perfect for when you need to combine information from multiple systems or use an advanced formula.
For a static version of your report, select Save as image or Save as PDF.
Export a pivot table to a whiteboard
Explore your structured data in a more fluid way. Export a pivot table to a whiteboard to visually explore different scenarios by moving records around.
From your pivot table, click Export and select Add to whiteboard as records. The Add to whiteboard modal will open. Select Existing whiteboard and select a whiteboard from the dropdown to add the records to a whiteboard that already exists in your workspace or personal documents. Select Create new whiteboard and select a workspace to open the records in a new whiteboard (you can select None to open the new whiteboard in your personal documents.) Then click Add to whiteboard.
When you export a pivot table to a whiteboard, records included in the report will populate within a whiteboard table. Click a record to open its detail drawer. Other elements of your pivot table will populate as text or shapes. You can customize the table by adding new columns and rows, moving records into different cells, and changing colors and table formatting.