Forum Discussion
How to do an average of multiple columns?
I have 3 columns and would like to get the average of 3 of them. How do I do that?
| App1 | App2 | App3 |
| 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 2 | 3 | 5 |
| 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 5 | 4 | 3 |
| 2 | 5 | 4 |
MichalHoltz you right!
what about
(AVERAGE(Table2[SAP SRM Functionality])+average(Table2[SAP SRM Productivity])+average(Table2[SAP SRM Quality])+average(Table2[SAP SRM Support]))/4?
14 Replies
- dang
Advocate I
To be fair, dividing the sum of averages by the number of averages skews the data if each average does not contain the same number of records. In my mind, a more exact method would look something like (Sum(Table2[SAP SRM Functionality]) + Sum(Table2[SAP SRM Productivity]) + Sum(Table2[SAP SRM Quality]) + Sum(Table2[SAP SRM Support])) / (Countrows(Table2[SAP SRM Functionality]) + Countrows(Table2[SAP SRM Productivity]) + Countrows(Table2[SAP SRM Quality]) + Countrows(Table2[SAP SRM Support]))
- tjm4q2Frequent Visitor
You are the only one correct on this thread -- notwithstanding missing values that saturate your counts, taking the average of the summation of averages (otherwise known as the mean of means) IS NOT the same as taking the average of two columns worth of data; there are actually three common ways to take the average when using multiple columns and dang has utilized the most correct way.
- tjm4q2Frequent Visitor
Update: An even more correct way using DAX would be to use a summarize(sumx()) statement.
- jimmy66Regular Visitor
I have the same issue i want to add columns , but the average should only be for columns that have a value , i can't see what answer was proposed
- vanessafvg
Community Champion
- MichalHoltzFrequent Visitor
Thanks. I tried this but I get an error message- The AVERAGE function only accepts a column reference as an argument
What am I missing (I'm new to Dex)?
Measure = AVERAGE(SUM(Table2[SAP SRM Functionality])+SUM(Table2[SAP SRM Productivity])+SUM(Table2[SAP SRM Quality])+SUM(Table2[SAP SRM Support]))
- vanessafvg
Community Champion
MichalHoltz you right!
what about
(AVERAGE(Table2[SAP SRM Functionality])+average(Table2[SAP SRM Productivity])+average(Table2[SAP SRM Quality])+average(Table2[SAP SRM Support]))/4?
- AnonymousNot applicable
I don't know the full model, but wouldn't it make more sense to change the datamodel into a thin fact table with App1-3 as a category, instead of building measures like this?
Would seem to be more alligned with best practice.