Contributor for Excel allows decentralized users to participate in a centralized planning process by communicating their proposals to the Contributor server. Administrators can change models and bring in new data to models. Contributor for Excel allows you to use Excel workbooks to add data and Excel customization (formatting plus incoming and outgoing formulas) to your draft planning scenarios. By saving drafts in such Excel workbooks, you can work disconnected from the server and can retain the data and Excel customization for one or more draft scenarios.
Location | Centralized Server Version | Add-in for Excel Active Session | Drafts in Saved Excel file(s) |
Planning Model | + | + | + |
Data | + | + | + |
Excel customization (formatting plus incoming & outgoing formulas, etc.) | - | + | + |
Opening a saved Excel workbook containing a Contributor planning model allows you to see and to edit the planning model, the data, and the Excel customization saved within that workbook.
The model and data are not updated with the latest model and data until you log on to the associated Contributor Web site and rejoin the centralized planning process.
Open saved Excel workbooks in disconnected mode when you need to work offline while away from the office. You must log on to the system to update data.
Logging on to the Contributor Web site allows you to participate in the centralized planning process. When you log on to the server, Contributor downloads the latest changes and values in the planning model from the server into your open workbook.
You have not lost your data, however. The Contributor
for Excel automatically preserves a separate copy
of the data in your active session. As long as your Contributor
for Excel session is open, you can reload the active
data from some or all of the cubes back into your workbook. This
overlays the values sent from the server, as long as the cells have
not been locked by your administrator. You can activate this by
clicking Reassert Data on the Contributor menu.
You can get data in the following ways:
You can get the latest data on the server, by logging on
Latest data in your active session, by working disconnected or by logging on and then using the Reassert Data command.
Last saved data in an Excel file, by closing your active workbook without saving it and then re-opening it or another workbook and working in disconnected mode.
Whether you receive any Excel customization depends on whether you log on from within a saved workbook containing a Contributor planning model with Excel customization. The choices are:
No Excel customization
Use Excel customization
Logging on to a Contributor Web site from an Excel workbook that does not contain a Contributor planning model causes the latest planning model and latest data from the centralized server version to be inserted into new worksheets.
This insertion of the Contributor planning model can occur on an existing or a blank workbook.
You can then add data and customize the worksheet.
Logging on to a Contributor Web site from an Excel workbook that already contains a Contributor planning model causes the latest planning model and latest data from the centralized server version to be merged with the Excel customization within your Excel workbook.
You can then reassert your data from your active session, add and edit data, as well as to add and alter Excel customization.