Excel 2016 updated with new Power Pivot features

Mark Coppock

Excel 2016 new Data capabilities

Microsoft’s Excel 2016 remains the premier spreadsheet solution for anyone who needs a powerful tool for analyzing and presenting complex data. While limited spreadsheet viewing and editing is available in Microsoft’s Office Mobile solution for smartphones and tablets and Google’s Docs, nothing compares to the full Excel 2016 in terms of handling massive spreadsheets, running macros, accessing outside resources like Power BI, and offering the most tools for slicing and dicing numerical information.

One of the most powerful analytical features in Excel 2016 is the Power Pivot add-in, which allows users to transform massive amounts of data very quickly into meaningful information that can be used to make real business decisions. Power Pivot can grab data from virtually any external source, including databases, data feeds, text files, and Reporting Services. Today, Microsoft spent some time over at the Office Blog in highlighting some new features in the most recent Power Pivot update.

First up, Power Pivot now allows users to save relationship diagrams as pictures, which can be printed, shared, and utilized as an additional analytical tool. Creating an image is as easy as clicking File in Power Pivot, then choosing Save View as Picture.

Power Pivot Save as Picture feature.
Power Pivot Save as Picture feature.

Next, Power Pivot now provides and enhanced Edit Relationships dialog to enable the creation of faster and more accurate data relationships. In addition to manually adding or editing table relationships, Power Pivot now also enables:

  • Table selection using keyboard navigation—Type the first letter of a table name to move the first column name starting with the selected letter.
  • Column selection using column navigation—Type the first letter of a column name to move the first column starting with the selected letter. Retype the same letter moves to the next column starting with the selected letter.
  • Auto column suggestion for same column name in both tables—After selecting the first table and column, on the selection of the second table, if a column with the same name exists, it is auto-selected (works both ways).
Power Pivot enhanced Edit Relationships dialog.
Power Pivot enhanced Edit Relationships dialog.

The update has also brought some significant fixes to the Power Pivot add-in for Excel 2016:

  • Power Pivot data model is no longer lost when working with hidden workbooks.
  • Ability to upgrade an Excel 2010 workbook with a data model to Excel 2016 is now available.
  • Ability to add a calculated column in Power Pivot, unless it contains a formula, is now available.

You can find out all of the updates here, and download the updates for Office 2016 Excel (KB3114374) and Office 2016 Power Pivot in Excel (KB3114297). Let Microsoft know how you feel about these updates at the Excel UserVoice, and below in the comments so that we can share your thoughts with the entire WinBeta community.