What is Consolidate Data in Excel?
While working in excel, we have lots of data available in different worksheets, and if we want to merge or consolidate data on a single worksheet, Excel does have a function to do so after opening all the worksheets which have data needs to be consolidated, Consolidate button is available in the data tools section of the Data tab.
If you are not aware of the Consolidate tool in excel, this article will help you to understand the dynamics of the Consolidate tool in excel.
In common, when we receive data from different people, we get many worksheets to deal with. Consolidating everything is a herculean task, especially for intermediate levelers. In my early part of a career, I got data from a broad range of sources.
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For example, I was used to get sales data from 4 different zones from zonal heads. Four different zones include four different worksheets. At the end of the data, I was required to collate everything to one worksheet and create a database for analysis purposes. I was doing it manually the traditional way of copy & paste.
But I have spent some time learning new things and consolidate tools is one of them, and it has helped me a lot to collate the data with minimal efforts.
How to Consolidate Data in Excel? (Step by Step with Example)
I have sales data from four different regions in four different worksheets.
Each contains the same format and the same number of rows and columns. I need to consolidate all the sheets to a single sheet named Summary.
I have created the same template as it is in the other 4 sheets.
- Step 1: After creating the above template in the sheet Summary, select the cell B2 where we want to consolidate all the 4 different regions.
- Step 2: Now go to Data > Consolidate
- Step 3: Once you have selected the Consolidate option, you will see the below window.
- Step 4: This is the window we need to do the magic. Firstly, we see the Function drop-down the list from this drop-down list, we need to select our type of consolidation. Here we need to select the SUM function in excel because we are consolidating all the zone’s sales data and creating a summary report. So select SUM under this option.
- Step 5: The next step is to give reference to all the 4 different region’s sheets. Click on the reference box and go to the first sheet of all the zone’s sheets, i.e., South. After selecting the range, click the Add button.
- Step 6: After Clicking on the Add button, it adds the references to all cell references.
- Step 7: Similarly, create an excel link for all the other regions’ sheets. Finally, it will look like this.
- Step 8: Now click on the OK button; your consolidated data is ready without any errors at all.
- Step 9: Now, we have created a summary report; this is not a dynamic report because we have not created a link to the other tables. If there are any changes tables, remain the same, and our report goes wrong in this case. We need to link the table to the other sheets to make the report dynamic.
- Step 10: In the consolidate dialogue box, select the check the box Create links to source data. Click on OK.
Then it completes the process.
- Step 11: Now, it has created the SUM function. There is a plus (+) icon on the right-hand side of the spreadsheet, click on the plus (+) icon to see the breakup.
Other Options in Consolidate
- Function: This is the list of all the available functions in the Consolidate tool. You can use SUM, AVERAGE, COUNT, MAX, MIN function in excel, etc
- Reference: This is where we need to select the ranges of different sheets to consolidate the data to a single sheet.
- Browse: This is the beauty of the consolidate option. Not only it consolidates from the same workbook, but it can fetch the data from other workbooks as well.
- Add & Delete: This where we can add and delete all the references.
- Top Row: Use the top row as row headings
- Left Column: Use the left-hand side of the data as the column headings.
- Create Links to Source Data: This will make the report dynamic. The consolidated option creates the formula for all the other sheets to make the report real dynamic.
Things to Remember
- Under consolidate, option ranges of all the worksheets should be the same across worksheets.
- We can use any kind of function in the consolidate option.
Recommended Articles
This has been a guide to Consolidate Data in Excel. Here we discuss how to Consolidate Data from multiple excel worksheets into a single worksheet along with practical examples and a downloadable excel template. You may learn more about excel from the following articles –
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