Datarails Connect is a powerful tool that seamlessly integrates with Microsoft Excel, allowing you to efficiently query your enterprise systems like ERP, HRIS, or CRM.
This integration is achieved through a set of Datarails Connect functions designed to fetch data from your organizational systems and effortlessly incorporate it into your Excel workbooks. In this article, we will explore the various Excel Add-In buttons offered by Datarails Connect and how they can enhance your data retrieval and analysis capabilities.

Get Data

Get Data is at the heart of Datarails Connect and serves as your gateway to access your organizational systems. By clicking on the Get Data button, you can initiate queries in three distinct ways:

• Creating a Data Retrieval Formula: This feature enables you to extract summarized data queries from your systems efficiently. For instance, you can gather information such as the total expenses for a specific line item in Q4 or the projected number of hires for the upcoming year.

• Generating Reports: Utilize the "Get Data" button to produce reports derived from your operational or actual financial data. This functionality includes the generation of reports such as Profit & Loss (P&L) statements, budgets, forecasts, and more.

• DataRails Tables: This feature allows you to replicate specific columns from any table or report within your organizational systems. It ensures you receive real-time updates, thereby enhancing your data management capabilities.

Refresh

Datarails automatically fetches data from your organization's systems every night into the Datarails Cloud. Clicking the Refresh button ensures that your Excel data matches the data residing in the Datarails Cloud. Using this button is particularly valuable when you are aware that system data has been updated and you want these changes to be reflected in your Excel workbook. It refreshes all Datarails functions or queries within your Excel.

You may notice that there are two sub-items underneath the Refresh button for refreshing a specific cell or a specific table. These can be used to save time when refreshing the entire Excel spreadsheet takes too long.

Sync

While Datarails automatically fetches data from your organization's systems every night into the Datarails Cloud, there are situations where you may need to synchronize Datarails with a specific system during your workday. This could be necessary, for instance, when a new entry is logged in the GL or when a new deal is recorded.

After syncing a specific system, you will receive an email indicating that the sync is complete. Make sure to click on the Refresh button in order to update the Excel with the relevant updated data that has been synced.

Please note that the time required for this synchronization can vary depending on the volume of data that needs to be updated.

Drill Down

The Drill Down feature in Datarails Connect allows you to access the underlying data of every cell in your Excel that holds aggregated data, typically produced by the DR.GET() function. This feature is invaluable for diving deeper into your data. For example, you can drill down from the total sales of a department to obtain the list of deals per salesperson or retrieve the list of items that make up the expenses for the last month. To access this feature more conveniently, you can simply right-click on a specific cell to access the drill-down menu.

Templates

Datarails Connect offers a selection of templates that can jumpstart your reporting efforts. These templates are regularly updated, so it's a good practice to check them out periodically. Using these templates can save you time and effort in creating reports and analyses.

Export

The Export feature enables you to share your Excel workbooks with colleagues who may not have the Datarails Connect Add-In installed. With just a click, you can export your Excel file to PDF or a value-only Excel format. It's important to note that the exported version of the Excel file loses its real-time connection with the Datarails Cloud. Consequently, the data will not be automatically updated, and the drill-down capability will not be functional in the exported file.

Summary

In summary, Datarails Connect enhances your Excel capabilities by providing seamless access to your organizational data, real-time updates, data drilling functionality, templates for streamlined reporting, and the ability to export your workbooks for easy sharing. These features empower you to make data-driven decisions efficiently and

Updated February 13, 2024 12:01