Appended columns not updating in power pivot model

[ulooz]

Hi folks,

My colleague sent over a workbook by in which a powerpivot model was created, I was tasked with adding a few data fields and refreshing for latest months data (so we need to appended rows/columns with new data when it comes along)... As title suggests, power pivot model is not updating the new appended columns or data. To note, the worksheet isn't in the format of a table, so I suspect the power pivot model was created by going to Insert / Pivot Table / then "Add this data to the data model" was selected. I was under the impression its best practice to put your data into a table format, then add that table to the powerpivot model... From my experience appending the columns and rows of a table updates the model just fine... Am I right to suspect this is why the power pivot model is not updating automatically? What other possibilities could it be? Thanks in advance for any insight... Also, if I made the data into a table now and added to the powerpivot model, it would essentially be a new set of data for powerpivot and thus attempting to update the data source in the numerous pivot tables would in effect ruin them, right? So i'm a bit worried will have to start from scratch here.

 

[peter789]

Not very helpful I'm afraid but, unless someone knows otherwise, from personal experience while teaching myself PowerPivot I made the same mistake and rebuilding the pivots is the probable solution. Possibly if the data isn't a table there might be a chance the source is a named range in which case you can edit the definition to include the extra rows. However you say the latest data is not refreshing also so I think rebuilding is the answer. Make a copy of the original which you can refer back to and also copy and paste any measures across. Starting over again will also enable you to build a better base to develop the workbook as this won't be the last time someone asks for just a "tiny" alteration!
Peter