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Why pivot tables are having their main character moment again

Original: Rill | Why Pivot Tables Never Die

Simon SpätiAuthorFebruary 3, 2025Date5 minutesReading time
May 29, 2025
22 min read
Article
Beginner
Rill | Why Pivot Tables Never Die

Summary

Explores the concept of semantic layers in business intelligence (BI) tools, which provide a governed and reusable data model for dashboards and reports. Covers topics like LookML, Power BI datasets, dbt Metrics, and how to build universal definitions, join logic, and shared dimensions/measures that can be leveraged across multiple BI platforms.

Who This Is For

Business Analysts
Marketing Analysts
Product Managers

Key Takeaways

  • Understand why pivot tables remain the most accessible way to democratize data analysis across organizations
  • Learn how modern BI tools are reimagining pivot tables with enhanced computing power and AI capabilities
  • Discover the four core components that make pivot tables effective: rows, columns, filters, and values
  • Explore how pivot tables evolved from double-entry bookkeeping through VisiCalc, Lotus 1-2-3, to modern Excel
  • See why the simplest analytical tools often solve the most complex business problems

Tools & Technologies

Excel VisiCalc Lotus 1-2-3 Modern BI platforms SQL databases

Topics Covered

business-intelligence data-modeling semantic-layer data-governance data-definitions