{"id":1867,"date":"2011-06-06T14:07:42","date_gmt":"2011-06-06T19:07:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/?p=1867"},"modified":"2022-07-28T09:51:46","modified_gmt":"2022-07-28T14:51:46","slug":"pivot-tables-in-google-docs-how-do-they-compare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/2011\/06\/pivot-tables-in-google-docs-how-do-they-compare\/","title":{"rendered":"Pivot tables in Google Docs: How do they compare?"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>\"Education\"A couple of weeks ago, Google announced some big news: Google Docs now has pivot tables<\/span><\/a>! I know what you\u2019re thinking: How is this different than other pivot table options, such as those found in Excel? Are they right for business? I\u2019d like to help you answer these questions.<\/p>\n

First, how does this differ from other pivot table options? Before we answer that question, we must first answer this question: What are the other options? Before Google pivot tables came around, there were 2 main approaches to pivot tables: Excel pivot tables and database-driven web pivot tables<\/span><\/a> (like those created with m-Power). With Google\u2019s foray into pivot tables, we now have 3 legitimate pivot table options. So, which one is best for your business? The best way to answer that question is to take a look at how each option compares in 5 key areas:<\/p>\n

1. Accessibility<\/h3>\n

How easily is your pivot table accessed or shared with others? Excel stumbles in this area, as spreadsheets are typically shared via email…often leading to security issues or version confusion. On the flip side, database-driven web pivot tables and Google\u2019s pivot tables are accessible via the web. They\u2019re both accessed in one central location, so there\u2019s never a question as to which version is correct.<\/p>\n

2. Data volume<\/h3>\n

How much data do you need to analyze? If you\u2019re dealing with a high volume of data, Google\u2019s pivot tables have a couple of factors going against them. First, their spreadsheets have a 400,000 cell limit. It\u2019s important to note that this is a cell limit, not a row limit. For instance, if each row has 10 columns, Google will limit you to 40,000 rows. For comparison\u2019s sake, current versions of Excel can hold 1,000,000 rows, while previous versions were limited to 66,000 rows.<\/p>\n

Secondly, Google\u2019s pivot tables–and Excel\u2019s pivot tables to a lesser degree–are limited by the device on which they\u2019re being run. Since calculations are performed on the device itself, an underpowered computer with very little memory would have trouble with pivot tables containing large amounts of data. For comparison\u2019s sake, database-driven pivot tables don\u2019t have such limitations. Because the calculations are performed at the database level, you\u2019re only limited by the amount of rows your database can handle and your database server capabilities. Millions of rows shouldn\u2019t be a problem using this method.<\/p>\n

3. Device support<\/h3>\n

Do you need to access and\/or edit your pivot tables on a smartphone or tablet? With Excel, you could most likely view a pivot table on your smartphone with the right app, but don\u2019t plan on editing anything. With Google Docs, the pivot table option isn\u2019t even available on their mobile version. However, a database-driven pivot table works just fine on any device, since it\u2019s web-based and not limited by the device on which it\u2019s being run.<\/p>\n

4. Data storage<\/h3>\n

Pivot tables are usually used to summarize important business data. The question for you: Where is that data stored? With Excel, that data is often stored in multiple locations, depending on how many people it was sent to. With Google docs, it\u2019s stored on Google\u2019s servers, which is better for accessibility but not for security. With the database-driven option, it\u2019s stored in your own database. As a result, the data presented in a database-driven pivot table is both real-time and secure.<\/p>\n

5. Application data security<\/h3>\n

If multiple people within your company need access to one pivot table, you might run into problems. For example, suppose that you had sales reps, managers, and C-level executives who all need access to one pivot table. The problem: The sales reps should only be able to see data applicable to their region, but the managers and executives should have more access. Using Google docs or Excel, the solution is multiple spreadsheets, which is difficult to maintain\/manage. A database-driven approach allows for single pivot tables with record-level security. This means that each user can only see the data which belongs to them. Everyone can access the same pivot table yet see different data.<\/p>\n

In conclusion, those are 5 of the most important factors to consider when comparing pivot table options. So, which option is best for your business? As every business is different, there\u2019s no blanket answer. It really depends on your business needs, your data, and what you need from your pivot tables. However, the comparisons listed above should point you in the right direction as you determine which option is best for your company.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A couple of weeks ago, Google announced some big news: Google Docs now has pivot tables! I know what you\u2019re thinking: How is this different than other pivot table options, such as those found in Excel? Are they right for business? I\u2019d like to help you answer these questions. First, how does this differ from …<\/p>\n

Pivot tables in Google Docs: How do they compare?<\/span> Read More »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","slim_seo":{"title":"Pivot tables in Google Docs: How do they compare? - mrc's Cup of Joe Blog","description":"A couple of weeks ago, Google announced some big news: Google Docs now has pivot tables ! I know what you\u2019re thinking: How is this different than other pivot ta"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[37],"class_list":["post-1867","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-education","tag-web-pivot-tables"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1867","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1867"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1867\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13447,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1867\/revisions\/13447"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1867"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1867"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1867"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}