Want to utilize your reports from Civic Review to create accurate counts, metrics, or presentations? We've got you covered! In this guide, we'll walk you through how to analyze data, including basic formulas, filtering, and more, in Excel.
Exporting Data from Civic Review
Ready to dive into your Civic Review data? Let’s get exporting!
There are 3 areas that you can export your data from:
The "All" Permits Section: Need more details? Check out Exporting Reports in All Permits.
Transactions: Get the full scoop in The Transactions Page.
Reports: Customize your insights with reports, then export them for deeper analysis. Learn how in Building a Report.
Filtering Reports in Excel
Filtering in Excel lets you zoom in on the stuff you care about by hiding the rows that don't match your criteria. It's like putting on a pair of data goggles that help you spot trends and find what you need without messing with your original data.
Select your data: Click and drag to select the range of cells you want to filter. This could be a single column or multiple columns containing your data.
Go to the "Data" tab: Look for the "Data" tab at the top of the Excel window—it's where all the data magic happens.
Click on "Filter": In the "Sort & Filter" group, you'll see a button labeled "Filter." Click on it, and you'll see little dropdown arrows appear next to each column header in your selected range.
Choose your filter criteria: Click on the dropdown arrow next to the column header you want to filter by. You'll see a list of unique values in that column. You can either select specific values to filter by or use the search box to find what you need.
Apply your filter: Once you've chosen your criteria, click "OK" or "Apply" (depending on your version of Excel). You'll notice that Excel hides the rows that don't match your criteria, leaving only the rows that do.
Explore your filtered data: Now that your data is filtered, you can explore it to your heart's content. You can analyze trends, calculate totals, or whatever else you need to do with your filtered subset.
Clear the filter (optional): When you're done with your filtered view and want to see all your data again, simply go back to the dropdown arrow next to the filtered column header and select "Clear filter."
For examples and videos, check out How to Filter Reports in Excel and Google Sheets.
Using Functions in Excel
Excel functions are like little helpers for your data. Here are some commonly used ones:
SUM: A classic for adding up numbers in a range.
VLOOKUP: Great for finding specific data in a table based on a lookup value.
IF: Perfect for creating conditional logic, returning one value if a condition is true and another if false.
INDEX/MATCH: A powerful combination for looking up values in a table with multiple criteria.
CONCATENATE: Joins two or more text strings into one.
Here are some of my favorites:
COUNTIF: Counts cells based on a condition. For example,
=COUNTIF(A1:A10, ">10")counts cells greater than 10.SUMIF: Adds cells that meet a condition. Try
=SUMIF(B1:B10, "Apples", C1:C10)to sum up "Apples" in column C.AVERAGEIF: Calculates averages based on a condition. Use it like
=AVERAGEIF(D1:D10, "<>0")to find the average of non-zero cells.
Creating Charts and Graphs in Excel
Charts and graphs in Excel are like visual storytellers for your data. They help you see trends, patterns, and relationships without getting lost in a sea of numbers. Plus, they make it super easy to share your insights with others in a way that's clear and easy to understand.
Ready to visualize your data? Let’s make some charts:
Select your data.
Go to "Insert" and pick your chart type.
Customize with titles, labels, and more.
Play around with different styles and types to find the perfect fit.
Here are examples of different charts made in Excel:
We know Excel is a powerful tool and these are just a glimpse of its awesome capabilities. We hope as you dive in, it will help you analyze and make the most of your Civic Review data!
For a guided look at some of these awesome options, check out this webinar: