A Guide to Building Insightful Reports Using Pivot Tables
The Challenge: Siloed Logistics Data
For e-commerce sellers and supply chain managers using services like HubBuyCN, critical data often lives in separate streams. Quality Control (QC) fail ratesshipping timesparcel costs
The Solution: A Combined Analytics Hub
The HubBuyCN SpreadsheetThe Pivot Table.
By merging these datasets, you can analyze:
- QC Pass/Fail Rate
- Average Shipping Time & Cost
- Total Landed Cost
Building Your Integrated Pivot Table Report
Follow this step-by-step guide to create your own analysis.
Step 1: Data Preparation
Create a master spreadsheet with the following columns for each shipment batch:
| Data Source | Suggested Columns |
|---|---|
| QC Data | Batch ID, Supplier, QC Date, Quantity Checked, Quantity Failed, Failure Reason, QC Status (Pass/Fail) |
| Shipping Data | Batch ID, Shipping Route/Carrier, Parcel ID, Dispatch Date, Delivery Date, Shipping Cost, Destination Country |
| Combined Field (Key) | Use a unique identifier like Batch IDParcel ID |
Step 2: Create the Pivot Table
Highlight your combined data range and insert a Pivot Table. Use these configurations:
- Rows:Shipping RouteSupplier.
- Columns (or separate sheets):
- Values:
Average of Shipping Time (Days)Sum of Shipping CostCount of Parcel IDAverage of QC Fail Rate %
- Filters:Destination CountryTime Period
Step 3: Generate Insightful Comparisons
Build these specific table views to drive decisions:
| Report Focus | Pivot Table Layout | Key Insight |
|---|---|---|
| Cost vs. Quality by Route | Rows: Route. Values: Avg. Shipping Cost, Avg. QC Fail Rate %. | Identify routes that are "cheap but risky" vs. "reliable but premium." |
| Speed vs. Reliability | Rows: Route. Values: Avg. Shipping Time, Count of Parcels (Delivered), Avg. QC Fail Rate %. | See if the fastest routes maintain consistent quality and delivery performance. |
| Total Landed Cost Analysis | Rows: Supplier + Route. Values: Sum of Product Cost, Sum of Shipping Cost, Calculated Cost of Failures. | Determine the true total cost of each sourcing and shipping combination. |
Actionable Outcomes
This integrated analysis empowers you to:
- Negotiate Better:
- Optimize Routing:
- Forecast Accurately:
- Spot Systemic Issues: