Excel Pivot Table Tool Specification

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Objectives

1. Create an easier to use Excel pivot table experience for our end users
2. Create a sustainable tool which can be updated easily.

Background

Accelerated currently permits a user to access our secured server within Excel and create a pivot table.
This allows a user to explore data on an ad-hoc basis, as well as create their own reports which they can
refresh with new data daily. Many of our customer users have authored extensive reports using Excel
with connections to pivot tables. In some instances, a single Excel workbook might contain as many as
45 pivot tables which all query data which is then funneled to summary report pages.

Figure 1 provides the instructions we provide to users to make the connection.

Figure 1
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Current Challenges

1. Users do not always follow the instructions carefully, or in their entirety, which results in:
a. Excel errors about a failed / invalid connection.
b. User creates 5 pivot tables inside the same workbook, saves their document and exits.
User opens the Excel file the following day and hits “Refresh All” on the data ribbon.
But because they did not complete the instructions correctly they are asking to enter
their username and password to authenticate each pivot table. E.g. they have to enter
5 times.
2. When a successful connection is made Excel saves the information in a file on the user’s
desktop. If the user makes a new connection later, Excel will use the same file name and
over-right the prior file. If they made an error on the second file setup, it will corrupt all their
Excel files previously created using that saved connection file.

3. The users credentials are saved in the Excel file and improperly shared with other users.

Desired Solution

Create an Excel workbook with macro’s which aid the user in:

1. Proper sign on
2. Refreshing a workbook
3. Sharing a workbook with another user
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Conceptual Design

Create an Excel file with a “Login” worksheet

The worksheet will provide instructions to the user on how to sign on.

User will click the LOG IN button which will present a log in on form.
(note, the instructions section will have a hyperlink to the EULA and terms and conditions of use)
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User will enter their username and password and click Sign In.

Macro will create a pivot table connection by selecting Data Ribbon, Get Data, Analysis Services, input
the URL, input the user name, input the password, and click next.

Note: the URL to be used for testing will be replaced by a production URL before go live. The production URL will be the same for all users.
Initially, the production URL will simply redirect to our existing bridge URL. In the future, the single URL will redirect a user based on their active
directory settings.
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The user would be presented with a drop down allowing them to select a database name and an
available cube. The database and cube section are saved in the Excel file setup and used for all pivot
tables in the Excel file. The user only needs to make the selection on one time, during file creation.

Each time a user signs on to an existing workbook they will enter their username and password. User
credentials are not saved in the Excel file. The user will not not need to select a database and cube since
that is already saved. If a user wants to create a new Excel file using a different database or cube, they
will need to create a new Excel file.

A user can create an Excel file with one or more pivot tables on a selected database and cube and save
the file. That user can then share it with another user. The second user will only need to entire their
username and password to refresh the workbook, and/or create a new pivot table since the database
and cube are already saved in the file. If the new user does have permissions to access the saved
database and cube they should be shown an error message. “You do not have permission to access this
database. Please contact support@acceleratedanalytics.”

The solution should support Excel 2013 and newer.