In their most basic form, PivotTables consolidate large amounts of complex data into a comprehensive, readable summary. But the real beauty of PivotTables is how they enable you to view your data from different angles. You can see the numbers in an entirely different way simply by dragging fields to different table locations. This is called pivoting.
PivotTables pivot because the data area acts as a kind of fulcrum around which you can move row, column, and filter fields. There are two main pivoting actions you can perform: