PowerExcel User Manual

PowerExcel User Manual

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 PowerExcel User Manual

POWEREXCEL
USER MANUAL

Module 2

Topics

• Introduction to PowerExcel

• Creating Slices – PowerExcel PivotTable,

Read/Write Formulas, and Power Query

• Working with Subsets

• Entering Data in a PowerExcel Slice, Driver-based Planning

and Bulk Copy-Paste into a PowerExcel Model

• Create Cube and Dimension Editor

• Inserting Another Data Set in a PowerExcel Slice and

Introduction to Range References

• Saving a PowerExcel Slice in a

Multi-User Environment

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Information in this document and in documents associated with other PARIS Technologies Training materials is subject
to change without notice, and does not represent a commitment on the part of PARIS Technologies. No part of this
manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, or by any means whatsoever, without the written permission of
PARIS Technologies International, Inc.

© Copyright 2021 PARIS Technologies International, Inc.

Windows is a trademark of the Microsoft Corporation.

Microsoft Excel is a trademark of the Microsoft Development Corporation.

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PowerExcel User Manual

Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION to PowerExcel .................................................................................. 1

If you see the “@” Symbol in the Microsoft Excel Formula Bar ............................................ 4

2. Working with Slices – PowerExcel PivotTable, Read/Write Formulas and Power Query ..... 5
2.1 Establishing the PowerExcel Connection .........................................................................5
2.2 Creating a PowerExcel Slice ...........................................................................................7
2.3 Using PowerExcel PivotTable—Reconfiguring a Slice ...................................................10
2.4 The PowerExcel Sidebar and Ribbon Commands .........................................................25
2.5 Working with a PowerExcel Read/Write Formulas .........................................................33
2.6 Working with a PowerExcel Power Query Table ............................................................41

3. Topics: The Subset Tab and the Calculations Tab ..................................................... 51

3.1 Default Subsets .............................................................................................................51
3.2 User-Created Subsets ...................................................................................................54
3.3 Dynamic Row (Labels)...................................................................................................60
3.4 Combining Subset(s) and Selected Members in a Slice.................................................61
3.5 Calculations Tab ............................................................................................................62

4. Entering Data in a PowerExcel Slice .......................................................................... 65

4.1 “Write Back” into a PowerExcel Slice – Typing in Numbers ...........................................65
4.2 Driver-Based Data Entry ................................................................................................68
4.3 Performing a Bulk Copy/Paste of Data to a PowerExcel Slice .......................................71

5. New Cube and Dimension Editor (Licensed Features) ............................................... 79

5.1 New Cube—Creating a Cube in Olation from an Excel Spreadsheet .............................79
5.2 Dimension Editor ...........................................................................................................83

6. Using Range References and Other Functions in a PowerExcel Slice ....................... 89

6.1 Setting up Two Slices in a Single Worksheet .................................................................89
6.2 Changing the Range Reference in a PowerExcel Slice .................................................92

7. Saving a PowerExcel Slice to the Cloud ..................................................................... 95

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PowerExcel User Manual

1. INTRODUCTION to PowerExcel
PowerExcel is a simple, powerful way for Excel users to connect to a highly efficient,
collaborative business-modeling platform hosted in the cloud. That platform is available
from PARIS Technologies, Inc., the developer of PowerExcel.

With PowerExcel, users access data from a business model for all manner of reporting,
analytics and planning: for example, financial reports, departmental budgets, sales
forecasts. Users can also model new analytics and plan versions, creating limitless data
views from a single spreadsheet.

All this can be done via the standard Microsoft Excel install that exists on virtually every
business user’s computer—so, as a user, you can experience PowerExcel simply by
opening the tool you work with every day.

The only requirement is a PowerExcel Add-In to reach Cloud-based models. [Note that
the following image shows a single user connecting to a PowerExcel Cloud Server
through use of the PowerExcel Add-in; the PowerExcel Cloud Server is a multi-server
configuration, as shown next page, at right, the “After” image.]

Add-In

Cloud Server

The business data resides on a PowerExcel Cloud Server—PARIS Technologies

makes this Cloud Server available for teams to work far more efficiently than can be
done with existing, overwhelmingly complex spreadsheet-only systems. Remote users
from different locations, whether around the world, or simply using individual machines,
will have the capability to work on separate Excel workbooks that are all connected to a
shared model on the cloud server. With the PARIS PowerExcel Cloud Server, Excel is
transformed into a dynamic access point for critical business decision-making.

If you have installed the PowerExcel Add-In, or have an interest in doing so, contact
PARIS Technologies to get underway with your own PowerExcel Starter Team.

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In the image below, the Before picture, at left, shows a typical scenario with proliferating
spreadsheets. This represents the work done presently, by firms large and small, in
spreadsheet-only models. Without PowerExcel, individual workbook(s) contain the entire
business model(s)—a huge problem, because Excel becomes an unwieldy database
itself, freighted with innumerable links, formulas, macros and the like. Spreadsheet
models of this sort become literally too big to handle, much less keep free of frightening,
potentially catastrophic errors.

As for sharing these spreadsheet-only models: often they make the rounds via email—
leading to multiple differing versions of the truth (a scary concept in itself). Or they are
posted on a shared directory/site, which hardly solves the “overly burdened, frightening”
spreadsheet issue.

The After picture, at right, shows the PowerExcel Cloud Server in the middle. Business
model(s) are accessible from the everyday spreadsheet…and, Yes, Power BI (and any
other BI application) can be set up as another way to reach business data, in real time.

For leadership, PowerExcel provides the means to communicate a vision for the
business and for staff to collaborate and act on that vision. In brief: leadership can see
results dynamically, and—with responsive planning models in place—can control
against objectives, in order to change business strategies as quickly as possible.

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PowerExcel solves these issues, and confers upon users and firms other benefits, so
that you can:
• Seamlessly and dynamically share your data through the cloud
• See your numbers tick and tie from the start
• Use a Financial Data Repository that keeps multiple versions of your numbers
straight
• Collaborate in critical department- or organization-wide efforts that concern
reporting, analytics and planning
The following illustration shows an example of users collaborating on a shared model,
whether via report views, planning (e.g., budget/forecast) templates or even charts and
graphs—all via a “disburdened” everyday instance of Excel.

Cloud Server

PowerExcel Users at Work

About this Manual

This manual is intended to give you a view into the main capabilities that users can perform
while using PowerExcel—creating Slices, entering data in shared models, using the Dimension
Editor (to create new components of the model), and building more complex reports.
An important note: the data shown here is from a representative financial model. While the
exercises proceed in a logical chronological fashion, some of the data may not be the same
from exercise to exercise. That said, with basic understanding of Excel and an inquisitiveness
about how PowerExcel can be useful to you, we hope that you are inspired to investigate
further, for a potential PowerExcel solution at your own firm!

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PLEASE NOTE ALSO before proceeding

If you see the “@” Symbol in the Microsoft Excel Formula Bar

Microsoft recently changed the syntax for some formulas in Excel, adding an “implicit
intersection operator” or “@” symbol.  This new syntax is added automatically by Excel to
some formulas.  Microsoft has made these changes in the core of Excel and you may or
may not be aware that this has happened.

PARIS Technologies, developer of PowerExcel and other advanced planning/

analytics/reporting products that feature dynamic spreadsheet connectivity, has
responded to these recent changes in Microsoft Excel and has developed enhancements,
allowing PARIS products to work with the new Microsoft changes to Excel. 

Indeed, many of the functions that you see in use within this PowerExcel manual will now
contain the “@” symbol. Although the screen grabs and the text describing these functions
may not presently show the “@” symbol, they will work as described.

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2. Working with Slices – PowerExcel PivotTable, Read/Write Formulas and

Power Query

This section will describe the first step in using PowerExcel: how, through a standard
spreadsheet, you can reach data that exists in a business model known as a Cube. The following
describes how to establish a connection to a model, and the three methods used to create a
Slice of business data, which will then allow a user to create a view of any desired data.

Important: This manual assumes that you have already installed and registered PowerExcel. If you
have not done so, please review the PowerExcel - Prerequisites. Installation, Registration
manual.

2.1 Establishing the PowerExcel Connection

Begin by creating a PowerExcel Connection in Excel.

To do this:

1. Launch the Excel application and go to the PowerExcel Tab along the Excel ribbon.

2. In the PowerExcel Connections control group, click the Connections icon (circled above).

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3. In the Connections dialog that appears, click New (red arrow in preceding image).
4. In the Name field, enter the <name of the PowerExcel connection>.
Note: You can provide any name for the connection; for this exercise
PandA_2021_Connect is the PowerExcel connection name.
5. In the URL field, enter the <correct URL>. This URL will be the URL of the Server
where the source PowerExcel database (Panda in this example) is currently
running/opened.

Important: Typically you will be entering an http:\\IP Address to reach a Cloud-based

Server provided by PARIS Technologies. (Note that the URL in the image below—
http:\\localhost:4387—is only an example.)

6. Click on the Database drop-down and select the correct source PowerExcel database.
In this example, select PandA_2021_Connect as the source PowerExcel database.

Important: The source PowerExcel database must be opened on the specified Server in
order for that database to be displayed when you click the Database drop-down button.

7. Click OK. The PowerExcel connection is now successfully created.

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2.2 Creating a PowerExcel Slice

Important: Before we begin creating PowerExcel Slices, configure the PowerExcel Slice settings
and enable the Automatically display sidebar option. This will help reduce the number of clicks
needed to do to work with the PowerExcel sidebar.

TO DO THIS: Go to the PowerExcel Addin Tab of the Excel ribbon→click the Options icon in
the PowerExcel Slice control group→check the Automatically display sidebar option in the
Slice Options dialog→Click Save.

1. In the PowerExcel Tab of the Excel ribbon, go to the PowerExcel Slice control group
and click the New (Slice) icon. The PowerExcel sidebar will appear in the right-hand
area of Excel. (The New icon and the sidebar are shown in the following image.)

2. Go to the PowerExcel sidebar; click on the Database drop-down and select the
appropriate PowerExcel connection, e.g., PandA_2021_Connect.

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3. Note: If you are trying to connect to a secured PowerExcel database, you will next be
prompted to enter valid user credentials to access the database.

If you are connecting to a non-secured database you will not be prompted for User
Credentials. Just proceed to selecting the Cube.

4. Still in the PowerExcel sidebar, click on the Cube drop-down and select the
appropriate Cube, e.g., Financial Data.
The PowerExcel sidebar will appear as follows:

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You may re-arrange the Dimensions by dragging and dropping them among the
Filters, Columns and Rows sections, and you may also select specific Members to
display. We will demonstrate this shortly; for now we will create a Slice with the
default selections.

5. Pick a PowerExcel Slice output by enabling the correct radio button. You can select
PivotTable, ReadWrite Formulas or Power Query. We will elaborate on these options
in the succeeding topics.
For now select PivotTable.
6. Select where you want to generate the PowerExcel report into the spreadsheet. In this
example, choose to insert into the Current Worksheet starting at cell A1. (See
selection for Current Worksheet and Location circled in the preceding image.)
7. Click the Insert button.
The PowerExcel Slice will look as follows:

At this point you have demonstrated making a Connection to a PowerExcel database and testing how
to create an example Slice.

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2.3 Using PowerExcel PivotTable—Reconfiguring a Slice

As mentioned previously you can re-arrange a Slice by dragging and dropping Dimensions to the
Filters, Columns and Rows boxes. You can also select the preferred ‘Display Member’ for those
Dimensions within the Filters (Page Members). Likewise, you can select a specific set of
Members to be displayed along the Columns and Rows.

Note: for the ensuing pages, PowerExcel PivotTable is the function that is used to bring data
into Excel. The Read/Write Formulas and PowerExcel Power Query function will be explored
in subsequent pages.

Important: Before making any changes to the PowerExcel Slice for the FIRST TIME, you will
need to click away from the PowerExcel sidebar and click on any cell that contains the
PowerExcel connection references (e.g., OLAPivotTable, OLADatabase, OLACube,
OLATableMember, etc.) so that the Insert button is replaced by an UPDATE button.

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To reconfigure the PowerExcel Slice shown previously:

1. Change the position of Dimensions within the Slice.

To do this:
• In the PowerExcel sidebar, drag and drop the Month dimension from the
Columns to the Filters.
• Next, drag and drop the Year dimension from the Filters to the Columns.
• Click the Update button. The Slice will look as follows:

2. Change the Display Member of Dimensions in Filters.

Next, we will change the display Member of one Dimension (Version) in the Filters
section of the PowerExcel sidebar. For this we want to see only Actual data showing.
To change the display Member in the Filters section:
• Double-click on the Version dimension; in the Select Members dialog that
appears, delete the ALL member displayed on the right-hand pane; then drag
and drop the Actual member from the left-hand pane to the right-hand pane.
• Click the green checkmark icon (OK button) located the top right-hand corner
of the dialog. (See the following screen images.)

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• Back in the PowerExcel sidebar, notice that the Version dimension now shows
Actual as the display Member.

• In the PowerExcel sidebar, click the Update button. This updates the
PowerExcel Slice values to show Actual data.

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3. Change the Display Members of Dimensions in Rows or Columns.

Next, we will change the display Members in both Rows and Columns.

We will begin by changing Members along the Columns so that it only shows data for
years 2020 and 2021.

To change the display Members in the Columns section:

• Go to the Columns section and double-click on the Year dimension; in the
Select Members dialog that appears delete the Members displayed on the right-
hand pane; then drag and drop the correct Members (2020 and 2021) from the
left-hand pane to the right-hand pane.

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• Click the green checkmark icon (OK button) located the top right-hand corner
of the dialog.
Back in the PowerExcel sidebar, notice that it now only display the years 2020
and 2021.

Next, let us change the Rows so that it only shows selected individual Income
Statement Accounts.

Sales of Goods Other operating Expenses

Sales of Services (Income)
Revenue Operating Expense
Cost of Goods Operating Expense %
Cost of Services Operating Profit
Cost of Sales Operating Profit %
Gross Profit Other Revenue
Gross Profit % Other (Expense)
Payroll and related expenses Other Income (Expense)
Distribution EBIT
Occupancy Expenses Interest Revenue
Research and Development Interest (Expense)
Sales and Marketing Interest
Depreciation Profit Before Tax
Amortization Income Tax Expense
Administrative Expenses Profit After Tax

To change the display Members in the Rows section:

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• Go to the Rows section and double-click on the Account dimension; in the

Select Members dialog that appears delete the Members displayed on the right-
hand pane; then drag and drop the correct Members (see list above) from the
left-hand pane to the right-hand pane.
• Click the green checkmark icon (OK button) located the top right-hand corner
of the dialog.

• In the PowerExcel sidebar, click the Update button. This updates the
PowerExcel Slice.
You now have a basic comparative Income Statement report as shown below:
Note: Notice that now the PowerExcel Slice only shows the years 2020 and
2021 along the columns (highlighted in purple in columns B and C); while only
the select Income Statement accounts appears along the rows (highlighted in
yellow in rows 12 to 42).

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4. Insert blank Rows or Columns.

You can also configure your PowerExcel Slice to include blank rows or columns, so that
when you generate the PowerExcel Slice it automatically includes those blank rows or
columns in the desired areas of the Slice.
For example, let us format this sample Comparative Income Statement report to include
blank rows between specific accounts as follows:

To insert Empty Row:

• Go to the Rows section of the PowerExcel sidebar and double-click on the
Account dimension.
You can insert blank or empty rows/columns by using the Insert empty
row/column after selected member button along the upper right-hand
pane of the Select Members dialog. This will insert an empty row or column (see
‘BLANK’ highlighted in yellow in the succeeding image) right after the currently
selected Member.
You can also reposition the empty rows/column by dragging and dropping them
before or after any Member.

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• In the Select Members dialog, identify in what area you want to insert an empty
row, select a Member directly above that area and click on the Insert empty
row/column icon.
As in the example above, to put a blank row between Sales of Services account
and Revenue, select Sales of Services account then click the Insert empty
row/column icon.
• Follow the same procedure and insert empty rows as shown in the screenshot
below:

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• Click the green checkmark icon (OK button) located the top right-hand corner
of the dialog.
• In the PowerExcel sidebar, click the Update button. This updates the
PowerExcel Slice.
You now have a basic comparative Income Statement report as shown below:

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5. Nesting Dimensions.
Let us further customize our Income Statement report. This time, we will ‘Nest’ (aka
‘Stack’) Dimensions along the columns to display both Year and Month dimensions
along the columns.
• Since we already have the Year dimension displayed along the columns
(showing both years 2020 and 2021) and, assuming we want to show the
individual months below the years, we will need to drag and drop the Month
dimension from the Filters section to the Columns section and place Month
below Year.
• Change the display Members of Month to only show individual months January
to December.

• Notice in the Rows section where blank Members were inserted, they appear as
follows:

• Click the Update button.

The PowerExcel Slice will look as follows, with columns B to M showing Income

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Statement data for the year 2020 (highlighted in yellow); while columns N to Y
showing Income Statement data for the year 2021 (highlighted in purple).

6. In preparation for our next topic, re-arrange the Slice so that it shows the following:

Filter Version: Actual

Year: All
Entity: All
Department: All
Columns Month:
individual months (Jan to Dec)
Rows Account:
Version, Sales of Goods, Sales of Services, Revenue,
Cost of Goods, Cost of Services, Cost of Sales, Gross
Profit, Gross Profit %, Payroll and related expenses
Distribution, Occupancy Expenses, Research and
Development, Sales and Marketing, Depreciation
Amortization, Administrative Expenses, Other operating
Expenses (Income), Operating Expense
Operating Expense %, Operating Profit, Operating Profit %,
Other Revenue, Other (Expense), Other Income (Expense),
EBIT, Interest Revenue, Interest (Expense), Interest, Profit
Before Tax, Income Tax Expense, Profit After Tax
Note: Notice that we maintained the same set of Income
Statement accounts as before but we have added the
Version Member at the top of the list. Version isn’t really
part of the Income Statement account but it was included
as a Member under the Account dimension for easier
identification of what values are on display in the Slice.
You will later see how that is used.

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• Place the Dimensions Version, Year, Entity and Department along the Filters
section. Set display Members for all Dimensions along the Filter to ALL, except
for the Version where Actual should be the display Member.
(If you have been following the exercise, all the Dimensions indicated are
already placed along the Filter pane except for the Year dimension. Simply drag
and drop the Year dimension to the Filters section, right under the Version
dimension.)
• Leave the Month dimension at the Columns section. Specify the display
Members to be Jan to Dec. (If you have been following the exercise, this is the
current setup)

• Leave the Account dimension at the Rows section. Presently, the desired
Members are already displayed except for the Version member. Double-click on
the Account dimension and in the Select Members dialog that appears, click on
the Version member from the Members list on the left-hand pane then drag and
drop the Version member to the right-hand pane at the very top of the Display
Members list.
• Still in the Select Members for Account dimension dialog, select the Version
member then click on the insert empty row/column after selected member
icon to insert a BLANK member between Version and Sales of Goods
members. Click the green checkmark button.

• Back in the PowerExcel Slice the PowerExcel sidebar appears as follows:

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• With Current Worksheet selected and with A1 as the starting cell selected,
click the Update button.
Note: You can adjust the column width as desired so that you can better see
the data.

7. You can further customize the PowerExcel Slice so that fact values appear a certain color.
To do this:
• Go to the PowerExcel Tab in the Excel ribbon and click the PowerExcel Slice
Options button.
• In the Slice Options dialog that appears, tick to enable the Format Cells
checkbox.

• The Slice fact data/values are formatted such that:

o Formulas appear as GREEN text
o Aggregates appear as BLUE text
o Details appear as BLACK text
o Excel Functions appear as RED text.

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• Click the Save button. The Slice appears as follows:

Take note of the OLAPivotTable reference (see where arrow points highlighted in yellow in the
above image, located in cell A10).

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We recommend at this point saving the Slice above by clicking on Save As and browsing to a
preferred location, just as you save a normal spreadsheet.

Important: If you save a Slice, you can open it at any time and see the latest data from the Cloud-
based model—simply hit F9 to re-establish the connection.

The final section of this manual concerns Saving a PowerExcel Slice to the Cloud so that it can be
viewed by other users who also have a PowerExcel connection to the same model.

8. You can opt to Save the PowerExcel Slice back to the Olation Studio so that you can
easily access/generate the same Slice configuration from scratch.
To save the PowerExcel Slice
• In the PowerExcel Tab of the Excel ribbon, click the Save PowerExcel Slice
button.
• In the Save Slice dialog, enter the <PowerExcel Slice Name>, e.g., PandA IS.

• You will get a prompt that says ‘Slice saved successfully’.

• Click OK. If you are to check the Olation Studio, you will see the saved Slice
appear (highlighted in yellow in the screenshot below):

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2.4 The PowerExcel Sidebar and Ribbon Commands

We are now in a position to explain some of the features that PowerExcel provides via the
sidebar, which gives the user extensive capabilities in organizing data within the PowerExcel
Slice (see next page); as well, we will explore the Commands on the PowerExcel Ribbon.

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Note the selections at the bottom of the PowerExcel sidebar, which become visible at right when
you click on the OLAPivotTable function.

These selections will enable you to

These selections determine the function
specify whether you want to insert the
that governs how data from the cube will
PowerExcel Slice into a New
be shown in the Slice. In the previous steps,
Workbook, New Worksheet, or the
OLAPivotTable was used. In the next few
Current Worksheet; use Location to
pages, you will use both Read/Write
choose the cell where the PowerExcel
Formulas and Power Query.
function will go.

These selections will, top to bottom,

constrain Rows with Zero values; maintain
the relative position of successive PivotTables
with constrained rows; ensure that dynamic Click on this button after you have made all
Subsets will show in an updated PowerExcel other selections, to insert the PowerExcel Slice
Slice; allow Excel functions to be used at in a worksheet. As discussed above, the Insert
Detail intersections (with OLAPivotTable button changes to Update after you have
only), with recalc/write-back on F9; format made further selections concerning Filters,
cells based on whether values are Columns and Rows.
determined by Formulas, Aggregates, Details,
Excel Functions.

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Note the selections at the top of the PowerExcel window, which becomes visible when you click
on the OLAPivotTable function located in cell A8, as shown in the previous image.

As shown previously: after

creating a New Connection, this is
where you will choose the
PowerExcel database and the
Cube in that database that you
want to “Slice to Excel.”

These Filter boxes enable you to

(a) reorient the Dimensions you
want to see as “Page”, Columns
and Rows Members, and (b) select
the individual Dimension
Members that you wish to see in
the PowerExcel Slice.

[see next page for PowerExcel Ribbon commands]

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The following are the icons on the PowerExcel ribbon, shown below (with a brief description).

Start here to create a Slice from a PowerExcel database (providing

Connection exists).
Opens a Saved Slice. Note that you will have further options about the Slice
Type and where to insert the data [see the final section of this manual for
further information]
Saves a PowerExcel Slice, which can be viewed by another user with a
connection to the same model [see the final section of this manual for
further information]

Refreshes the Slice data after making Member selections

Shows the PowerExcel Sidebar (pane) if you have unchecked the Option (see
Option [PowerExcel Slice] below) to automatically display PowerExcel
sidebar.

Finds PowerExcel function in an open Slice governing the Slice [for current
version: OLAPivotTable]

[PowerExcel Slice] Brings up a dialog concerning Workbooks (Create a new

Workbook, Create a new Sheet in current Workbook) and to enable Defaults
(Constrain Rows, Delete Removed Rows, Dynamic Row Labels).
Also includes Formatting options and a checkbox to automatically
Show/Hide PowerExcel sidebar.

Create a New connection (or Delete an existing one), or select existing

connection to an underlying database, and shows Name, URL, Database

Brings up a dialog concerning Caching Options, including Cache Expiration

(Hours) and Disable All Caching.

Clears Cache in the open Slice.

[Licensed Feature]
Accesses the capability to create Cubes in Olation® from selected tabular
data in an Excel spreadsheet – see Section 4.1.

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[Licensed Feature]
The Dimension Editor enables you to Add new Members (as a Sibling or Child
to existing Members) and to reorganize existing Hierarchies – see Section 4.2.

Enables the user to change Password on the selected PowerExcel database.

Brings up the Register PowerExcel window.

Clicking on this will check for latest PowerExcel release (note that this is a
licensed feature).

This shows information as to Version/build and License number of the

PowerExcel User Client application.

Concerning additional features within PowerExcel to select Dimensions and Members you wish
to display: Until now you changed Members in the Select Members dialog by deleting a Member
on the right, and then moving a Member from the left to the right-hand pane to view it.
Notice at the top of the Select Member dialog that there are selections that can make what
Member(s) appear easier.

Select Members dialog for Dimensions along the Filter section

Select Members dialog for Dimensions along the Rows/Columns section

Important: Notice that the Select Members dialog for Dimensions placed within the Columns/Rows
has an additional Tab called Subsets along the left-hand side of the dialog.

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Function Icon Description

MEMBERS Tab (Left-hand pane)

Sort or Sort the Member list in Natural, Ascending

Sort Members Alphabetical, or Descending Alphabetical order.

Type the filter parameter in the Filter box and click

Filter box the Apply Filter button; Members that satisfy the
filter parameter will appear.
Apply Filter
Click the Cancel Filter button to remove filter and
see the full list of Members again.
Cancel Filter
In the text box: type the starting string of letters for
Search the Member you want to find; click the magnifying
glass icon and the first Member with that string will
appear. Click on the magnifying glass to see next
Members.

HIERARCHY Tab (Left-hand Pane)

Select-highlight a Member; clicking this will highlight
Find Parent its parent.

Search In the Find text box: type the starting string of

letters for the Member you want to find; click the
magnifying glass icon and the first Member with
that string will appear. Click on the magnifying glass
to see next Members.

Expand (Hierarchy)
Expands the entire Dimension hierarchy.

Collapse (Hierarchy)
Collapses the entire Dimension hierarchy.

SUBSET Tab (Left-hand Pane)

This Tab is available only for Dimensions along Row/Column sections of the PowerExcel sidebar

Search In the text box: type the starting string of

letters for the Subset you want to find; click the
magnifying glass icon and the first Subset with
that string will appear. Click on the magnifying
glass for next Members.

CALCULATIONS Tab (Left-hand Pane)

Search In the text box: type the starting string of

letters for the Calculation you want to find;
click the magnifying glass icon and the first
Calculation with that string will appear. Click
on the magnifying glass for next Calculations.

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POWEREXCEL SLICE CONTENT LIST Toolbar icons (Right-hand Pane)

Copy Selected Copies selected Member(s) on the left-hand pane to

Members the PowerExcel Slice Content list at right.

Clear Clears the Member(s) listed on the Slice Content list.

Clears the Member(s) listed on the Slice Content list
Clear and Copy on the right and copies the selected Member(s)
Selected Members from the left-hand pane to the Slice Content list.

Insert Empty Row/ Inserts an empty row after the currently selected
Column after Member in the resulting Slice.
selected Member

Invert Selection Select a Member(s) on the right side, click on the

button; the “inverted Member(s)” will be selected.
You can click on the Delete button to remove
selected members. Clicking OK (green checkmark
button) will show the remaining Members in the
PowerExcel Slice.
In the text box: type the starting string of letters for
Search the Member you want to find; click the magnifying
glass icon and the first Member with that string will
appear. Click on the magnifying glass to see next
Members.
Click to close the Select Members dialog.
Exit
Click this to commit changes to the displayed
OK
Members and return to the PowerExcel Slice.

Finally, we can make note of one more important thing about PowerExcel—namely, the ability to
continue to improve a Slice by using standard Excel formatting. In short, you can apply
formatting (e.g., change the font, use highlighting, use conditional formatting etc.) to make a Slice
like the one that follows—an Income Statement report that will be used in a demonstration later
in this manual.

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2.5 Working with a PowerExcel Read/Write Formulas

PowerExcel’s Read/Write Formulas, when used as the means to bring data into a Slice, has
the key advantage of returning business-model data (according to Dimensions selected and
filtered) via individual, discrete cell-by-cell functions. In other words, each cell’s value is
governed by its own function (an OLAReadWrite function), rather than as part of a swath of
cells, which is the case when the OLAP Pivot Table or the PowerQuery functions are used (the
PowerQuery method is discussed in the section following this one).

The following exercise demonstrates how to use PowerExcel Read/Write Formulas to create a
Slice and the advantages of using it. Assuming that you already have a Connection to a
PowerExcel database (in the example, PandA_2021_Connect), proceed as follows.
1. To create the example Slice for this exercise, go to the PowerExcel Tab and in the
PowerExcel Slice control group, select the New icon
2. In the PowerExcel sidebar that appears, click on the Database drop-down list and
select the preferred PowerExcel Database connection (e.g., PandA_2021_Connect)
and Cube (Financial Data).
3. Re-arrange the Dimensions by dragging and dropping them along the Filter, Rows and
Column areas; and by specifying the indicated display Members, as below.

Filter Version: Actual

Year: 2021
Entity: Entity A
Department: Sales
Columns Month:
individual months Jan to Mar and aggregate month Q1
Rows Account:
Version, Sales of Goods, Sales of Services, Revenue,
Cost of Goods, Cost of Services, Cost of Sales, Gross
Profit, Gross Profit %, Payroll and related expenses
Distribution, Occupancy Expenses, Research and
Development, Sales and Marketing, Depreciation
Amortization, Administrative Expenses, Other operating
Expenses (Income), Operating Expense
Operating Expense %, Operating Profit, Operating Profit %,
Other Revenue, Other (Expense), Other Income (Expense),
EBIT, Interest Revenue, Interest (Expense), Interest, Profit
Before Tax, Income Tax Expense, Profit After Tax

Note that there are no Blank Rows.

TIP: Another much way to create your PowerExcel Slice, if you had been following the
flow of this exercise, is to go back to the PivotTable report you created earlier: click on
the OLAPivotTable connection reference to bring up the PowerExcel sidebar→but this
time select Read/Write Formulas as the PowerExcel Slice Type→select New
Workbook→specify starting cell Location as cell A1 and→click the Update button.
This will generate the desired ReadWrite Slice in a new Excel workbook.

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NOTE: If there are any ‘Blank Rows’ inserted in the new OLAReadWrite Slice, remove
them, as they will return an error (#ERROR)--or you can delete the #ERROR text in the
rows where they appear manually after generating the Slice.

4. Click the green checkmark icon (OK button).

5. Back in the PowerExcel sidebar, select a Slice Type: use Read/Write Formulas by
clicking on the appropriate radio button option (circled in the following image).
Note: Notice that at this point that the checkbox options along the left become grayed
out/disabled except for a) Embed Excel Functions and b) Format Cells by Type. The
grayed out options are not available for the Read/Write Formula Slice

6. Select the New Workbook radio button, and indicate the Location (cell) to insert the
start of the Slice: in this example, $A$1.
The Slice will appear as follows (detail):

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Notice the function in cell B13 (circled in the above image): it is the OLAReadWrite function
mentioned at the start of this section: it is the operative means of returning data when
Read/Write Formulas is selected in the sidebar. What is characteristic of this function?—in
sum, that each cell has its own unique argument, which is to say the referenced cells in
parenthesis following the function itself.

7. Having clicked in cell B13 (or any other), next click in the function itself, which appears
in the formula bar (as shown below).

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The function in this cell (reproduced below) has unique cell references; if you click in any
other cell that returns values, you will see that the cell references are indeed different.

=OLAReadWrite($B$1,$B$2,$E$3,$E$4,$E$5,$E$6,B$11,$A13)

The Read/Write Formula function points to—and returns the value from—a precise
multidimensional data point in the PowerExcel model: thus, the formula in Cell B13 is
returning a value from the intersection of (in this example):

$B$1 – the Database where the model is located

$B$2 – the Cube in the Database
$E$3 – the Actual member in the Version dimension
$E$4 – the 2021 member in the Year dimension
$E$5 – the Entity A member in the Entity dimension
$E$6 – the Sales member in the Department dimension
B$12 – Jan from the Month dimension [Column reference]
$A13 – Sales of Goods from the Account dimension [Row reference]

The interesting—and very important—fact is that that these cells are themselves
“selectable”—meaning that either by using the PowerExcel sidebar to the right or by double-
clicking on those governed by an {OLATableMember…} function, you can select a different
Member that will change all results in the field of data in Columns and Rows.
As an example, you can double-click in Cell $E$4, and make a selection of a different
version: if you do so and pick “Budget” (from the resulting PowerExcel Select Member for
Version window, as shown in the below image), then results for all the Members, including
those in Columns and Rows, will show results for Budget rather than Actual.

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For present, go back to (or keep the selection at) Actual. We will proceed what this “cell-by-
cell return of values” enables us to do in the following steps.

8. First delete Row 12, which shows data for the Version Account Member—this is a
formatting step, to show our data results more cleverly.

9. After the Rows have shifted upward one Row, click in Cell C12—Feb, Sales of Goods.

10. Highlight all cells across and down to E14 (Q1, Revenue); “grab” those cells and drop
them starting in Cell G12—the result will show as in the following image:
See the cells where you dropped the ‘grabbed values’ highlighted in yellow in the
succeeding image.

11. If you now double-click on Cell E3 and select Budget, then hit F9 to update—note,
those cells that you moved to the right refreshed to show Budget values (as in the next
image)! That is because Excel maintained the references to the cells, and the selected
Member in them, in their new position (G12 to I14—highlighted in yellow in the image
below). In essence, you have proven that with PowerExcel, you can return values from
a business model wherever you like, anywhere in a spreadsheet. This is enormously
useful in creating precisely the report view you wish, from a multidimensional model of
the sort PowerExcel features.

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12. For present purposes, revert back to the Actual member (double-click on Cell E4, then
select Actual as the display Member).
Next, highlight Cells B12 to B14 (Jan, Sales of Goods to Jan, Revenue); click on the
dot—Excel’s “fill handle”—at the bottom right of Cell B14 and “drag” the highlight across
to Column E.

13. When you hit F9 to update—you will see the that the data is the same as the data
to the right, which you moved a few steps ago. Here Excel, as is its custom, ensured
that what shows in Columns is the sequence. (This is a fine example of Excel
working the way a user expected!)

14. This next step involves some housekeeping/formatting, which is always important in
data presentation, and which here is necessary to arrive are our objective: to show
Budget numbers to the right of the data showing Actuals:
Copy the cells C11 to E11 (Feb to Q1) and paste them into cell G11, and make
those month headers bold.
Then, type the word Budget into Cell G10, making it bold as well.

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15. Next, to change the reference for the right “block” of cells, so they show Budget figures:
Click in Cell G12, then click within the function in the formula bar.
Change from the reference to Actual ($E$3) to Budget by highlighting it and pointing to
Cell G10 (you can do this by pull the rectangle surrounding E3 down to G10).
Before you press F9 to recalculate, your spreadsheet will look as follows:

16. Hit the Enter key and then press F9—note that the value changes to show Budget data
(as per the arrow in the following image)! As we saw earlier, there is indeed a Budget
value of 13200 for Budget, Sales of Goods for Feb (for 2021, Entity A, Sales—i.e., the
other referenced cells.)

17. Once again put your cursor in Cell G12; use the fill handle at the bottom right and pull
down to include G13 and G14; hit Enter and then F9 to update. Again these cells update
to show Budget values. Lastly, highlight G12 through G14 and, as above, use the fill
handle to pull the highlighted area across, covering all of the data set through to Column
I. Hit Enter and F9. The result set will show as in the following image.

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As a final part of this exercise, we will do something that is covered more in depth in a later
section: entering data into a PowerExcel model—here will type a couple of numbers into this
spreadsheet, which will further demonstrate (and validate) the use of creating data sets in a
spreadsheet by using the OLAReadWrite function.

18. Type example numbers—e.g., go to cell G12 and type 9999 as the Sales of Goods. In
this way we might be entering future budget numbers (in actuality, the entry template
would be for a “plan” period, not the current months), with full, and nearby, knowledge of
ongoing Actuals. (The Actual figures appear in Cells C12—highlighted in yellow to the
left in the next image.)
Hit Enter and F9.

As shown above on the right, the Budget numbers appear and even calculate
automatically (highlighted in pink), delivering the updated Revenue number for Feb.
Additionally, the Q1 value also updates to reflect the changes (aggregate values). This
calculation, defined once in the PowerExcel model—rather than in numerous cells
individually, in numerous spreadsheets—demonstrates another advantage of using
PowerExcel for business modeling.

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2.6 Working with a PowerExcel Power Query Table

The PowerExcel Power Query Table dynamically creates a Slice in Excel in a powerful format
that leverages Excel’s own Power Query capabilities. In sum, it gives the user the ability to
apply any queries to the table, apply numerous filters, easily reorder the table, and
record/automate/undo changes, among other capabilities.

IMPORTANT: The important thing to take note of when using the PowerExcel Power Query
Table is that it is updated using the Refresh button found in the PowerExcel Tab of the
Excel ribbon. The F9 key WILL NOT refresh a PowerExcel Slice that has the Power Query
Table as the Slice type.

The following exercise demonstrates the use of the PowerExcel Power Query to create a
Slice. Assuming that you already have a Connection to a PowerExcel database (in the
example, PandA_2021_Connect), proceed as follows:

1. First, create an example PowerExcel Slice.

2. Open a new Excel workbook. Go to the PowerExcel Tab and in the PowerExcel Slice
control group, select the New icon.
3. In the PowerExcel sidebar that appears, click on the Database drop-down list and
select the preferred PowerExcel Database connection (e.g., PandA_2021_Connect)
and Cube (i.e., Financial Data).
4. You can keep the same Slice arrangement and display Members, similar to the
PivotTable Slice the Dimensions (the following concerns a 6-dimensional business
model, or Cube) by dragging and dropping them along the Filter, Rows and Column
areas; and by specifying the indicated display Members:
Filter Version: Actual
Year: All
Entity: All
Department: All
Columns Month:
individual months (Jan to Dec)
and aggregate month Total Year
Rows Account:
Version, BLANK, Sales of Goods, Sales of Services,
BLANK, Revenue, BLANK, Cost of Goods, Cost of
Services, Cost of Sales, BLANK, Gross Profit, Gross
Profit %, BLANK, Payroll and related expenses,
Distribution, Occupancy Expenses, Research and
Development, Sales and Marketing, Depreciation,
Amortization, Administrative Expenses, Other operating
Expenses (Income), BLANK, Operating Expense
Operating Expense %, BLANK, Operating Profit, Operating
Profit %, BLANK, Other Revenue, Other (Expense), Other
Income (Expense), BLANK, EBIT, BLANK, Interest Revenue,
Interest (Expense), Interest, BLANK, Profit Before Tax,
BLANK, Income Tax Expense, BLANK, Profit After Tax

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5. Once you have configured the PowerExcel Slice: back in the PowerExcel sidebar,
select a Slice Type: use PowerExcel Power Query Table by clicking on the
appropriate radio button option (circled in the following image).
Notice how all the checkbox options are grayed out except for a) Constrain Empty
Rows and b) Delete Removed Rows. The gray-out options are not available in a
Power Query Slice.

6. Select the Current Workbook radio button, and indicate the Location (cell) to insert
the Power Query table: in this example, $A$1.
7. Click the Insert button located at the bottom-left area of the PowerExcel sidebar. Note
THE OLAPowerQuery function (see the next image, where arrow points highlighted in
yello, located in cell A10)—this is the PowerExcel function that governs how data
appears in the spreadsheet.

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Important: Most of the manipulations you made using the OLAPivotTable to arrange Columns and
Rows, and to select Members to filter, are available in the PowerExcel Power Query Slice. You can
try these on your own, arranging a Slice according to your preferences, as explained below.

The great benefit of using PowerExcel’s Power Query capability is that—following the
creation of a Slice—you can leverage all of Excel’s own Power Query options. To show
some examples of what can be done, proceed as follows:
8. With your cursor in the PowerExcel Slice, go to the Data Tab of the Excel ribbon, and
select the Queries & Connections command icon.
The Queries and Connections sidebar appears to the right of the PowerExcel Slice.

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9. When you select a query and double-click on it (see where arrow points), the Olation –
Power Query Editor appears. (This is shown in the next image.)
Within the Query Editor, you can make all kinds of changes to the orientation of the
data; as well, you can edit the query to show data as you like—there are truly limitless
possibilities.
These allow you to perform actions such as (but not limited to):
• Re-order the Columns and Rows
• Record and Delete some steps or actions performed
• Remove, Add or Duplicate Columns
• Unpivot Columns
• Filter Data that appears in Columns

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10. First, let us filter the Accounts to remove all sub accounts of Operating Expense from
the Slice display.

To do this:
• In the Olation – Power Query Editor, click on the Account drop-down (see
where arrow points in the image below).
• Uncheck all sub-accounts of OPERATING EXPENSE: Payroll and related
expenses, Distribution, Occupancy Expenses, Research and Development,
Sales and Marketing, Depreciation, Amortization, Administrative Expenses,
Other operating Expenses (Income) ̶ some of these are shown, unchecked
and shaded in yellow in the image below.

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• Click OK to apply changes and exit the Filter box.

Back in the Olation – Power Query Editor, notice that the table is updated.
Note: You will see in the Olation – Power Query Editor a list of actions
performed. Look at the applied steps section: notice the action we just
performed, i.e., Filtered Rows (see where arrow points in the image below).
Note: You can also rename the actions or steps.
To do this: right-click on the step/action→ select Rename option→type the
<new name>.

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• Once you click on the Close & Load command icon, you will see that the
changes have taken effect in the PowerExcel Slice (as shown below).
Notice that the detail Operating Expense accounts in rows 27 to 35 no longer
appear in the PowerExcel Slice.

11. For our next modification, move the Total Year aggregate Member for the Month
dimension to the beginning of the Columns.
To do this:
• In the Queries & Connections sidebar, double-click on a query to access the
Olation – Power Query Editor.
• Drag and drop the Total Year column just before Jan.
• Again, you will see the step listed (Reordered Columns)

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• Click Close & Load to update the PowerExcel Slice.

Now the aggregate Member Total Year, which rolls up all individual months,
appears in the first column of the Power Query Table.

12. For the third modification, we will delete a column. For this example, let us delete the
aggregate Month member Total Year.
To do this:
• In the Queries & Connections sidebar, double-click on a query to access the
Olation – Power Query Editor.
• Right-click on the Total Year column then select Remove.

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• The table is once again updated and the action/step listed (Removed
Columns).

• Click Close & Load to update the PowerExcel Slice.

Now you have formatted your PowerExcel Slice to show only the individual
months along the columns.

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3. Topics: The Subset Tab and the Calculations Tab

Subsets are a very important feature in PowerExcel, whether they (a) “Custom” Subsets, created
by users in PowerExcel—as explained in this section—or created in Olation®, the modeling
engine that PowerExcel reaches for users to plan, analyze and report on data.
What are Subsets and why are they important? in brief, a Subset is a saved list of Dimension
members. The importance of Subsets is that they allow users to select saved lists with a click or
two to create reports, templates, board books and the like in Excel. In other words, rather than
navigate to select the list of Members with each report, etc., the Subset is at hand for immediate
access, saving time and effort in PowerExcel.

3.1 Default Subsets

Before describing how a PowerExcel user can create Custom Subsets on his or her own, we note
that every Dimension—or, more specifically, every Dimension that has at least one Hierarchy—
includes Default Subsets: ALL, AGGREGATES, and DETAILS, which are described as follows.
(It is worth mentioning again here that the Subset tab becomes available in the Columns and
Rows selection boxes in PowerExcel; the Subset tab does not show in the Filter selection box.
Note as well that these Default Subset will appear, as below, in ALL CAPS in the Select
Members for [Dimension name] dialog when Columns or Rows are double-clicked.

ALL Returns ALL Members in Rows or Columns in the PowerExcel slice.

Returns AGGREGATE Members in Rows or Columns in the

AGGREGATES
PowerExcel slice

Returns DETAIL Members in Rows or Columns in the PowerExcel

DETAILS
slice

To show an example of these default Subsets and how choosing any of them will show in a Slice,
you can proceed with the following example:
1. First, create an example PowerExcel Slice—the one below shows selected Filters; Month
along Columns, and; Accounts in the Rows.

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2. Double-clicking Month in the Columns box brings up the Select Members for Month
dialog; click on the Subsets tab—note the default Subsets that appear, indicated by the
red arrows in the following image.

Before examining what each of these default Subsets mean we will just make note at this point of
the other Subset selections: Closed and RealMonths, which like the default Subsets have a
horseshoe-shaped icon to the left, are Subsets that have been defined in the Olation model (for a
description of how these Subsets are created, see the PowerExcel Studio manual); the other
Subsets, beginning with “SetExpression”, are the subject of the next section—User-Defined
Subsets in PowerExcel.
3. Select ALL on the left, and use the red horseshoe icon (Clear and Copy Selected
Members), to place ALL on the right. Click the green checkmark, and then Update in the

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PowerExcel pane on the right. As shown, the Slice now shows in Columns ALL the
members from the Month dimension. You would need to scroll right to see addition YTD
figures, as well as Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4, and Total Year—i.e., the full set of ALL Members for
this Month dimension.

Before we consider the AGGREGATES Subset selection it makes sense to point out something
in this spreadsheet—the fact that, in this model at least, there is not only a default ALL Subset,
but also an All Member. This All Member is defined in the Olation model database; it is a sum of
all the Detail MEMBERS, which in this case comprise the calendar months Jan through Dec.
Note that in the image above the All Member for Row 2, in Cell B2, for Payroll and other
expenses, is 11800 (boxed in red); Cell E22 (also boxed in red) validates this calculation, i.e.,
showing a Sum of Cells E12:P12 (blue highlighted).
4. Turning our attention to the AGGREGATES Subset:
Again, select Cell A10, where the OLAPivotTable function is, governing what data
appears in the Slice: in the PowerExcel pane on the right, double-click on Month in the
Columns box. Select the Subset tab: note that literally ALL Members now appear on the
right-hand side, as it is the current selection (see next image).

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5. Now select AGGREGATES on the left, and replace (again, using the Clear and Copy
Selected Members) the Members on the right with that Subset. Click the green
checkmark and then click Update. The AGGREGATE Members now appear in Columns.

6. Finally, to show what occurs when we pick the DETAILS Subset:

Proceed in like manner as above, select the DETAILS Subset; bring that Subset to the
right, and click the green checkmark. The DETAIL Members for the Month dimension
appear in the Columns. Note that there are Method and Amount Members in Columns B
and C and a Member called Agg in Column P—these are special Members incorporated
into the model, which render as Detail Members.

3.2 User-Created Subsets

We are now in a position to discuss User-created Subsets. User-created Subsets are defined
directly in PowerExcel, via the Subset tab, which is a great option if a subset is specific to a
user’s interest; he or she may need that subset frequently for setting up reports with the
component Dimension members. Keep in mind that, as the Subset is defined locally, it is not
shared with other users. (In order to share a Subset across users, it would be better to
create/save the Subset in the data model, where all users can reach it.)
The three types of User-created Subsets are as follow.

Wildcard… Returns a list of Members that satisfies the definition of the Wildcard

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expression.

Regular Returns a list of Members that satisfies the definition of the Regular
Expression… Expression.

Returns a list of Members that satisfies the selected Multidimensional

Function…
Set Expression

The procedure to create the Subset based on any of the above selections is the same. As shown
in the following image:
1. First, create a PowerExcel Slice—the one below shows selected Filters; Month along
Columns (Jan through Dec are selected), and; all Accounts in Rows.
2. Double-click on a Dimension in Columns or Rows. (Note: keep in mind that the Subset
tab appears only for Dimensions placed in Columns or Rows.) In the example below,
Accounts, in Rows, was chosen.
3. In the Select Members for Accounts (in this example), click on the Subset tab.
4. Right-click in the blank area below the Default Subsets (per previous section: ALL,
AGGREGATES, DETAILS)—note that a pop-up window (boxed in red in the following
image) appears, allowing you to select Add Custom Subset. (There is also a selection
for Delete Custom Subset.) The selections for a Customer Subset appear: Wildcard…;
Regular Expression…; Function….

Function…
The Function… selection is the simplest to explain, and currently there are 3 selections from
the drop-down menu: CHILDREN; MEMBERANDCHILDREN, and; DESCENDENTS, shown in
the following image.

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The selections will return Members as follows:

Returns Child Members of the selected Member’s immediate

CHILDREN
hierarchy

MEMBERAND Returns the selected Member and Child Members of its

CHILDREN immediate hierarchy

Returns all Members—including sub-hierarchies and their

DESCENDENTS
Member—that aggregate into the selected Member

Example: CHILDREN
We can now take a look at an example of what each of the Functions… selections will
return, in consideration of the Accounts dimension, and a portion of its hierarchy structure,
which shows on the left-hand side of the Select Members for Account window, shown below:

- In the Subset tab, right-click in the blank area and select Add Custom Subset;
select Function…, then chose CHILDREN from the drop-down.
Type EBIT. The window will look as follows:

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- Click OK. Note that the Custom Subset is now listed in the Subset tab, as below:
SetExpression(CHILDREN;EBIT), with a Custom Subset icon to the left.

- By using this Custom Subset in Rows in an updated PowerExcel Slice, the result will be
as follows (see boxed areas), showing Other Income (Expenses) and Operating Profit,
which are the 2 Child Members of EBIT’s immediate hierarchy.

Example: CHILDREN
- Follow the same steps as above to create a MEMBERANDCHILDREN Custom Subset
for EBIT, the result of which will be a selection that looks as follows

- Upon making this Custom Subset the selection for Rows and Updating the PowerExcel
Slice, the spreadsheet will look as follows:

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Example: DESCENDENTS
- Again, follow the same steps to create a DESCENDENTS Custom Subset for EBIT, the
result of which will be a selection that looks as follows.

- Upon making this Custom Subset the selection for Rows and Updating the PowerExcel
Slice, the spreadsheet will look as follows (reference the Account hierarchy a few pages
back to validate all the DESCENDENT Members):

Wildcard…
The Wildcard… selection allow a PowerExcel user to type in one of several standard
Wildcard characters—an asterisk (“*”), question mark (“?”), brackets (“[ ]”), etc.—to return a
list of Members that satisfies the definition of the Wildcard expression.
- As with the Function… selection, in the Select Members for [Dimension] window (in our
example, Accounts), on the left-hand side, right-click in the blank area; this time select
Add Custom Subset→Wildcard… (shown in the following image)

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- In the resulting Custom Subset dialog, the following example uses brackets to return
Members that include revenue, i.e., the Wildcard expression: [revenue].

- After clicking OK, the Subset using that Wildcard expression will be listed on the left:

- Upon making this Wildcard Subset the selection for Rows and Updating the PowerExcel
Slice, the spreadsheet will look as follows—note that Accounts with the expression
“revenue” (capitalization is not required in the Wildcard search) are returned:

Regular Expression… Not Available for this version

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3.3 Dynamic Row (Labels)

It is appropriate to speak of the PowerExcel Slice option Dynamic Row (Labels) in this
section concerning Subsets. Enabling Dynamic Row (Labels)—the checkbox shown in the
next image, which is a detail of the bottom portion of the PowerExcel sidebar—ensures that
if a new Member(s) is added to a Dimension, and if that Member(s) is part of a Subset (as
will be shown), the Member(s) will appear when a workbook is refreshed or opened.

- Assume that a PowerExcel Slice was created with the SetExpression(CHILDREN;EBIT)

selected as a Subset in Rows, as shown earlier. The Rows of the Slice looks as follows:

- Assume next that a new Account was added—Utilities—which in the underlying model
appears under Administrative Expenses. Upon refresh of the Slice (or reopening of a
Slice), it will now look as follow (shading and bold font added):

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3.4 Combining Subset(s) and Selected Members in a Slice

PowerExcel allows users to combine Subsets and selected Members in the creation of a Slice,
which provides great flexibility when building reports. The following image shows a Select
Members for Accounts window with, on the right, two of the User-created Subsets from previous
examples (a Wildcard and a SetExpression subset), with a BLANK row between them; then,
following another BLANK row, three selected Members from the Metrics hierarchy (shown with
bracket on the left.

When the Slice is updated to show these Accounts in rows, the worksheet will look as follows:

As with all PowerExcel Slices, this worksheet can be saved locally, or using the Save function, so
that other users connected to the Cloud-based model can see it.

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3.5 Calculations Tab

PowerExcel can perform on-the-fly aggregations on any axis (filter, row, column) and then used
(and saved) in any report. Since these are aggregations the specific calculations concern
addition, subtraction and weighted addition.
We will consider the following example, assuming that the sum of Jun + Jul + Aug is relevant to
an understanding of the business—these months are highlighted in the image below.

- To add a calculation, double-click on a Dimension in the Filter, Column or Row box of the
PowerExcel sidebar—here, below, the Select Members for Month window appears
- Click on the Calculations tab, then right-click in the empty space; in the pop-up window,
the selection Add Calculation appears, as highlighted below.

- The Custom Calculation for [Dimension] window appears, as shown below, for the Month
dimension.

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- When you highlight Jun, Jul and Aug, then drag them to the right, you will see an
expression of the 3 Members added: Jun + Jul + Aug, as shown below.
NOTE: to do a Subtraction, replace the plus sign (“+”) with a minus sign; to make a
weighted calculation of a Member, use a fraction (e.g., .05) within square brackets
immediately following the Member name (e.g., [.05]).

- Click the green checkmark to Save Custom Calculation. The calculation will now
appear in the Calculations tab, as shown in the following image. (The Members
displayed in the current Slice appear on the right.)

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- You can now drag the Custom Calculation to its logical place on the right in the Select
Members for Month window (as shown below); then, when you click the green
checkmark, and Update the Slice, the worksheet will show the new calculated Member
following Aug in the workbook (highlighted and boxed in the last image).

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4. Entering Data in a PowerExcel Slice

This section concerns the important topic of entering data into PowerExcel—essentially,
populating a data model by entering numbers in a Slice. Most often this kind of activity is done as
part of a planning (budgeting, forecasting, etc.) exercise, and it includes multiple users working
collaboratively on a shared Cloud-based model. With that in mind, the section immediately below
demonstrates you will see how to enter Budget data simply by typing in numbers.
The second section—also relevant to a planning exercise--shows how to work with a driver-
based template to arrive at forecast numbers.
The final section concerns a bulk copy-paste of numbers into a PowerExcel Slice to load an
entire model , as will often be done with transaction records from an underlying data set.

4.1 “Write Back” into a PowerExcel Slice – Typing in Numbers

For this exercise, we will enter forecast data for two Operating Expense accounts: Administrative
Expenses and UTILITIES (referenced in an earlier exercise). We will begin by creating a simple
PowerExcel Slice with key accounts along with all Operating Expense accounts—these will
appear in Rows. In Columns, we will show Jan, Feb, Mar, Q1, Apr, May, Jun, Q2, and YTD Jun.
As you will see, entering numbers for Detail Members will result in calculations for relevant
Aggregates.

Important: Remember that you can enter data only for Detail Member “intersections”, meaning,
ALL the selections (whether in Filters, Column or Row) must have detail Members at the
intersection (cell) where you want to enter data.

1. We will begin by creating the data entry Slice described above.

The Slice will look as shown below.
Note: In this Slice, cells shaded in yellow are Detail intersections; unshaded cells are
Aggregate intersections and will show calculations resulting from entries made in their
‘Child Members’.

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2. We will begin entering forecast data for the Administrative Expenses and UTILITIES sub-
accounts: Type figures for these accounts for the individual Month members Jan, Feb,
Mar, and Apr. Example figures are shown in the next image (red circled), which is a
detail of all Operating Expenses. Note also the figures for Operating Expenses, at the
top, and for Q1, Q2, and YTDJun (blue circled.

3. Press F9 to refresh the PowerExcel Slice. Notice that the columns and rows for
Aggregates are now also populated with data. These columns and rows show the
results of the hierarchies in the Account and Month dimensions.

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4. Also, we can observe that the entry of figures for Administrative Expenses and
UTILITIES has had an impact throughout the model, up to Operating Profit, EBIT and
Profit After Tax: the below detail (of an image shown previously) shows that before the
changes were made, January, Profit After Tax was 6070.5, whereas…

…on the next page, the impact of the entries shows that the same intersection point
(along with all others) is now 5916.5. reflecting the 55 entered for Administrative
Expenses and 99 for UTILITIES.

5. Now that you have entered figures, this data is saved back to the PowerExcel Cloud-
based model. Therefore, any new Slice that you create will show the data correctly
populated within the model.

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4.2 Driver-Based Data Entry

This final example of data entry in PowerExcel concerns the use a “driver-based” system for
generating planning (e.g., budget and forecast, etc.) numbers. As we will show, not only are
there numerous methods of projecting/spreading numbers, but individual data entry into cells
is also possible in combination with these methods.
Let’s examine first an Income Statement report, shown below, for The Great Financials
Company. This spreadsheet not only reflects the past few months’ figures, but also includes
numbers related to Forecast: this is indicated by the fact that the Version dimension
indicates Forecast (circled) and even shows in Row 13 the Version for each Year and Month
(also circled). Cleverly, the model detects the current month, and reflects the correct Version
as a result: thus, at the time this spreadsheet was being used, 2021 April shows Actual,
while May 2021 and the following months show Forecast.

We will now utilize the pre-built modeling methods, evident in the shaded, left-most columns, to
enter both a Method and an Amount to define and calculate driver-based figures for Forecast Sales
and Marketing and UTILITIES for the months May forward:

1. Type Revenue into the cell to the right of Sales and Marketing, Row 32, in the Method
column (indicated by the red arrow). This will calculate an amount for each of the
Forecast months on the basis of a percentage of Revenue, which figure you will
indicate next. (Note at this point that monthly Revenue is indicated in Row 18).

2. Next, type .08 (thus, 8 percent) in the cell to the right, which is in the Amount column
(indicated by a blue arrow).

3. Press F9. Note that Sales and Marketing Forecast figures, based on an 8 percent
calculation of Revenue, now show in the months May forward (see circled, next image,
both Revenue and the calculated results for Sales and Marketing).

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There is another key thing to point out in this report: the consequent effect that the entry of these
driver-based numbers have had on Operating Expense and Operating Expense %, which are
shown above in Rows 39 and 40 (circled in blue). Contrast these figures with those from the
previous image and you will understand how being able to create “what if” scenarios so quickly,
with new figures, will significantly impact the forecast—and the ability to plan and react to changing
market conditions.

5. We will forecast Utilities costs next (Row 36), using a different method, Set, which will
“write back” the figure you enter in the Amount column:
Type Set in the Method column, and 109 in the Amount column.

6. Then press F9.

Now note that 109 appears in the forecast months; as well, on Operating Expenses
and Operating Expenses % (as well as all consequent figures in the model) are
recalculated on that basis, as shown in the following image.

Lastly, we want to demonstrate another PowerExcel feature available with the driver-based
planning we have shown so far: users can enter numbers that override the driver Method, which
points up the limitless flexibility of using PowerExcel as a budget and forecasting—indeed, any kind
of planning—solution.

7. To demonstrate that a user can enter an individual number(s), let’s entertain the
hypothesis that in June The Great Financials Company will initiate a Sales and
Marketing campaign that will be far larger than the percentage of Revenue provided
previously: therefore, type 7777 in June for Sales and Marketing.
As well—and perhaps more far-fetched than hypothetical—the company expects a
huge increase in UTILITIES in the summer months: type 999 in June for UTILITIES.

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8. Press F9.
New figures, based on those numbers entered in the specific cells, “override” those
determined by the Revenue (percentage) and Set amounts previously demonstrated.
All dependent numbers throughout the model (Operating Expense, Operating
Expense %, etc.) also recalculate, as shown below, yellow-highlighted.

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4.3 Performing a Bulk Copy/Paste of Data to a PowerExcel Slice

This section concerns the wholesale data entry/import into a PowerExcel model via a bulk copy-
paste of data into a PowerExcel Slice—a Slice that will be used as a “Load” template for potential
ongoing use.

We begin by positing, How can we get data into a business model most quickly with the tools at
hand?—essentially, using a PowerExcel Slice, which is a “supercharged” instance of an Excel
spreadsheet. In sum, we will the Slice’s connectivity to a business model (as amply
demonstrated up to this point); as well, we will make good and clever use of several of Excel’s
native capabilities, which, arguably, give us greater power combined with the use of PowerExcel.

Positing further: we have a business model with Dimensions like Version, Entity, Department,
Year, Month and Account (as circled, below) and a mocked up Slice in the form of an Income
Statement (for this hypothetical firm, The Great Financials Company). As indicated: at this point,
there is no data in it!

Now, let us assume as well that we have a data set at hand, which we can use to populate this
multidimensional PowerExcel model: this data set features Row after Row of transactions in an
Excel spreadsheet. The transactions record specific particulars—which match our Dimensions—
as well as a Value for each event. For example, as below, this Row tells us that in the Year 2019,
for Entity A, in the Sales Department, in Jan, for Payroll and related expenses, there is a
Forecast a value of 900. It may not be the way we would explain the record in plain English, but
the point comes across!

Keeping in mind that there are Rows and Rows of such transactions—essentially a data table
that is a record of every transaction relevant to the PowerExcel business model—a
representation of this data would look as follows:

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Each Column can have multiple elements—which are precisely analogous to the Members in a
Dimension (and will match those in the PowerExcel model): e.g., Year in this example goes
back to 2019 (as shown in the drop-down). Likewise, there may be 1 to many elements for
Entity; 1 to many for Department; Month will show any/all of the 12 months of the Year; there
will likely be many Accounts, and; 1 to many Versions, including—as in this example—Actual,
Budget and Forecast.

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Note here the different Versions across tabs (boxed)—Actual, Budget and Forecast. The next
tab, Combined, will come in to play momentarily; and Load, as will be shown, will be our template
for the bulk copy-paste exercise.

It is straightforward to make the Combined tab contain all the Version data: first, by copy-pasting
the data from the Actual tab to this tab. You can insert a column to the left, the area of data that
appertains to each Version.

Next, copy paste all the data on the Budget tab directly below the Actual data, making sure that the
columns line up correctly; in column A (Version), indicate where the Budget data begins and carry it
down to the end of the data set. Do the same for the Forecast data, i.e., directly below Budget data.

Essentially, you will have one worksheet of data with all the Versions (as below, assuming each
Version has approx. 500 Rows of data—of course, this may amount to much more or less for each).

Actual data here…

Budget data copy-pasted here…

Forecast data copy-pasted here…

Next, create an identifier for each of the intersections—so named in Column H. We can do this
using the Excel concatenation formula function, as in the following image.

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You will next extend logic of the contatenation to the end of the data set, so that each transaction
Row is identifiable. Note that the Intersections are not necessarily unique, as there may be
multiple transactions in the same Month, for example, for the other parameters. (In short time you
will Sum the intersections with the same concatenated identifier, to bring that data into the
PowerExcel model.)

Next, the we will make use of a “Load template” (the Load tab): this is a PowerExcel Slice, with
all Dimensions, save one, stacked on the left; and the one remaining Dimension (in this example,
Months) in Columns (see the boxed area of the spreadsheet in the next image, which will extend
for many more Rows, as suggested by the arrow).

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The area to the right (blue, boxed) will be used to Sum all the data from the individual
transactions from the Combined tab (extended to the right and downward, per the blue arrows): it
will be necessary here, also, to create a concatenation that will be used as the Criteria for the
summation (boxed in blue in the following image). You will want to make certain the relative
referencing to the Dimensions (Row 8), and the Month indicator (Row 11) is correct. In this case,
the ampersand is used for the concatenation formula. (Respective sections for the Dimensions,
Month and the formula itself are noted in blue in the image below.)

[In this case, the ampersand is used for the concatenation formula. (Respective sections for the
Dimensions, Month and the formula itself are noted in blue in the image above; a detail of the
concatenation formula is below.)

This SUMIF formula will be written to:

• Evaluate the Range of intersection points in Column H from the large block of data on
the Combined tab;
• And IF the Criteria is met (by “equaling” the result of the concatenation formula), then
• SUM the correct values from Column G on the Combined tab appertaining to the Criteria
(and make a Zero if the Criteria is not met).
The full SUMIF function is shown next, with the Combined tab showing in the background.

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Before refreshing to execute the SUMIF formula (see red arrow below), you can indicate the full
area (the “beginning” cell is red circled, on the right) where results will appear by indicating it as a
Range, e.g., A_Copy (red circled, top left).

Execute the formula, and results will appear on the right, as below; then, finally, perform the
bulk copy-paste those cells into the PowerExcel Slice area on the left, per the blue arrow.

The effect of this bulk copy-paste into the PowerExcel Slice area of the spreadsheet is that all
that data now “writes back” to the model—next image (blue outline). Upon refresh, note that the
calculations—the results of aggregations and formulas within the PowerExcel model—now
appear (red circled area, see next page, second image).

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Numbers from the right-hand side—results of the SUMIF formula—bulk copy-pasted into the PowerExcel Slice

Member values driven by formulas in the model—like Operating Expense %, etc.—calculate upon Refresh

We are now in a position to take another look at the PowerExcel Slice with which we began
this section. As shown in the next image, the Income Statement Slice for The Great
Financials Company now has data in it! That data can be shown according to all the
selections in the Filters section—by Version, Department, Entity, Year, with Month in
Columns and Account is Rows [see next page].

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The Great Financials Company: an Income Statement that can be viewed by Version, Department, Entity, Year

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5. New Cube and Dimension Editor (Licensed Features)

5.1 New Cube—Creating a Cube in Olation from an Excel Spreadsheet

Introduction
PowerExcel users can create Cubes in Olation® from selected data in an Excel spreadsheet.
This feature determines the Dimension and Cube structures by looking at the selected data
range. Dimensions, dimension types and measure values are determined by look ing at the
data in each of the selected columns. Once the Dimensions and Cubes are created in
Olation, modifications can be made through either the Excel Dimension Editor (see next
section) or in Olation Studio. [Note that this presupposes that a user/com pany has an
accessible installation of the Olation Studio.]

Note: The PowerExcel New Cube capability is enabled on the basis of customer licensing. If
your PowerExcel installation does not include New Cubecapabilities, reach PARIS Technologies
for further information.

Creating a new Cube begins with a worksheet of tabular data in Excel. This data can come from
any source but needs to follow a basic structure, beginning with the fact that the data requires a
Header row (as circled in the following image, from an example file, Northwind Sample
Data.xlsx). This row is used to name the specific Dimensions and Measures for the new cube.

1. To define the new Cube, first select the columns (and rows) that contain the data.
You can select full columns and the logic will stop once it hits a blank row.

2. Next, select the New Cube option in the

PowerExcel uses the header columns along with the first 4 rows of data to determine what to
do with each column of data. If the column contains 4 text values, then the column is treated as
a standard dimension. If the column contains 4 date values, the column is treated as a data
dimension. If the column contains 4 numerical values, it is treated as a measure. The user will
receive a preview dialog with the parsed Dimension and Cube values, as shown in the
following image.

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Before clicking OK, there are 2 conditions that must be met in advance for successful cube
creation:

• An Olation database (whether a SQL, PowerExcel or other database type) must

exist; this may be an existing or a newly created database.

• There must be an established PowerExcel Connection to this database.

In the above diagram the Database circled top left (a drop-down selection) is in fact the
PowerExcel Connection name; a connection has already been established to a SQL database
also so-named (CreateCubefrPowerExcel).

The default Cube name is the name of the saved Excel document; you may name the new
Cube—circled top right in the preceding image—anything you wish (in this example, Northwind
Sample Data Cube). For each column that represents a Dimension, the dialog will display the
column header as the dimension name, an icon indicating the type, and a count or date range
indicating the number of unique Members for each Dimension. The columns that contain
numeric values will appear as Values columns and will become Measure members in the
Measure dimension.

3. Click OK.
A message will appear indicating successful Cube creation and added Values.

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If you want to change the name of any of the Dimensions or Measures, cancel the previous
dialog above, edit the column header and start the new Cube again. Clicking OK will pass this
structure along with all the rows of data to Olation and create all the new Dimensions and the
Cube and will populate the data. If the target database source is relational (e.g., SQL Server)
then all data will be pushed to relational tables (this is shown below). If the database is a
PowerExcel database, then it will be saved multidimensionally.

Note that Cube and Dimension names must be unique. Dimensions are created as custom
dimension types so users can easily edit them using either Dimension Editor (see next
section). Also note that, depending on the amount of data, this process can take some time. A
progress dialog will come up until all values are written to Olation.

In the below dialogs, note that the Dimensions and Tables are shown in Olation. As this is a
SQL-based Olation database, the Tables are also shown in SQL Server (second image).

Above, the Dimensions, the new Cube, and relational tables shown in Olation Studio.

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At left, the tables created in the New

Cube process shown in SQL Server

You can now create a PowerExcel Slice of the newly created Cube: the spreadsheet below
shows the Connection used to reach the Cube and the Cube itself (boxed area in the image
below). Filters and Columns and Rows selections have been made to show the following slice.

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5.2 Dimension Editor

The Dimension Editor or the Edit Dimension command is found on the PowerExcel ribbon.

The Dimension Editor allows you to create new or rename existing Members;
change the Hierarchy structure or create a new Hierarchy; edit Hierarchy
Weights, and; sort and filter the Member list directly from Excel. However, you
will be restricted from deleting Members that exist within the Dimension.

Note: The PowerExcel Dimension Editor capability is enabled on the basis of customer
licensing. If your PowerExcel installation does not allow Edit Dimension capabilities, reach
PARIS Technologies for further information.

For this exercise, you will demonstrate how to use the Dimension Editor to create a new
Member(s) within the PowerExcel model—this is a significant capability, allowing the creation
new metrics/KPIs/analytics of business performance based on existing data in the model.

In the following example we posit a business that is a children’s retail store: its biggest months
are Aug (just before school starts), and Nov and Dec (holiday sales). We will create a new
Hierarchy in the Month dimension, called Key Performance Months, to track the aggregated
sales for those three (3) months.

Important: Please note that specific figures or the order of the Dimensions may be different from
the data set you are working on. This exercise is meant to serve as a guide to the steps to be
followed to use the feature.

To proceed with the exercise:

Begin by accessing the Dimension Editor window:

1. Click on the PowerExcel Tab.

2. Click on the Edit Dimension icon and the following Dimension Editor window appears.

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3. Click the Edit Dimension button (circled in the previous image).

The Select Dimension window appears; next, select the Database Connection and
Dimension you wish to edit (as below, the example PandA_2021_Connect database
and the Month dimension).

4. Click OK; the Edit Dimension Hierarchy window appears (see image below).

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Commands and functions available in the Dimension Editor window:

(These can be found along the top portion of the window)
Function Icon Description
Left-hand Pane
This option allows you to define the sort order
Sort list of members
of the Member list. The Member list can be
sorted in Natural, Ascending Alphabetical, and
Descending Alphabetical orders.
This is where you type in the filter parameter.
Filter box
This executes the filter parameter specified in
Filter list of
the Filter box.
members
This removes the filter applied to the Member
Remove filter from
list.
list of members
Middle Pane

Find member in This allows you to perform a find and search.

hierarchy

Right-hand Pane
This pane shows the “child” Members when you click on a Hierarchy in the Middle Pane.
It features the same options as the Left-hand Pane, except for Sort Member list.
Other command buttons

Save Hierarchy Saves the changes you made in the Hierarchy.

Cancels all the changes and reverts to the
Close without saving
original Hierarchy structure.

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Next, proceed to add the new Member (Key Performance Months):

5. Go to the Hierarchy Definition Box (middle pane) and expand Month.

Right-click on Month and select New Child.
This will create a new textbox at the bottom of the Hierarchy where you can enter the
name of the newly added Member (see below).

Alternatively, you can expand Month, and select a Member that is at the same
hierarchy level where you want the new Member to be; then right-click and select New
Sibling. Doing this will insert the new Member at the same hierarchy level but directly
below the Member.

6. In the textbox that appears, type Key Performance Months.

Notice that the newly added member (Key Performance Months) is now displayed
under the Member List pane (left-hand pane).

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7. Press Ctrl, then select the Month members Aug, Nov, and Dec on the left, and drag
them below Key Performance Months in the middle pane to create the Hierarchy, as
shown circled below:

Note that the Member Key Performance Months now has a Sigma sign next to it ( ).

8. Click the Save Hierarchy button (green checkmark) at the top right (circled above) to
save Hierarchy changes.
At this point we want to see results in a report—for this, open a new PowerExcel
spreadsheet:

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9. In the newly opened Excel worksheet, click on the PowerExcel Tab and use the
selection box on the right to create an Excel Slice like the following, with those months
shown; you can use Excel formatting capabilities as well.
(Be sure that the Dimension members have been filtered to the Detail level—as below,
circled, Actual has been selected from the Version dimension, 2020 has been selected
for from the Year dimension, and so on.)

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6. Using Range References and Other Functions in a PowerExcel Slice

PowerExcel features very powerful capabilities through the functions it adds to Excel, from the
OLAConnection function, which enables the Slice to reach a Cloud-based multi-user model, to
the many others that govern what shows in a Slice. There are numerous additional other
functions that can obtain data/model logic from, and “write”/edit to, the Cloud-based model
(where the analytic database resides).

Note that a full list of the 20+ PowerExcel Add-in Functions, and a detailed description of each,
along with examples, can be found in the online PowerExcel Functions manual, as well as in the
Olation® Help file.

This section will demonstration use of the OLATableRange function: the first step will be to set
up a second PowerExcel Slice into the same workbook where an initial Slice exists; and then,
use the OLATableRange function to display different Members from the first, as a means of
making an “eyeball comparison” between, for example, different Entities or Departments.

6.1 Setting up Two Slices in a Single Worksheet

Until now we have worked with only 1 Slice in a worksheet; now we will add a second.

First arrange an example Slice using the PivotTable function—the one on the image below
shows Filters for Actual, 2021, Entity A, Sales, with the Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 for Month in Columns,
and select Members from the Account dimension. (These Members comprise a Subset that was
demonstrated earlier, i.e., DESCENDENTS;EBIT). The image shows the selected Members in
yellow highlight.

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The operative functions/Cells and their respective Cells is as follows their use, and

OLAConnection B1 Establishes connection to Olation analytical database

OLACube B2 Allows selection of Cube in the database.

OLATableMember B3 – B6 Allows selection (Filter) of Member in a Dimension

OLATableRange B7, B8 Allows a range of Members in a Dimension to be shown

One of several (along with OLAQuery and OLAReadWrite)

OLAPivotTable A11 selectable means to create the Slice.

Returning the task of creating a second PowerExcel Slice (or “Slice area”) in the same
worksheet: you can simply do the following:

1. Click on the PowerExcel Tab—or, if the PowerExcel sidebar is open, then:

2. Click New on the PowerExcel ribbon (if the PowerExcel sidebar was open, note that
the button at bottom right says Insert).
3. Indicate in the Location text box the Cell where you want to position the insert of the
Slice (e.g., Cell $J$!, as in the following image).

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4. For present purposes, keep all other defaults—i.e., if recreating the Slice shown
previously, maintain the same Filters, Column and Row Members, and use the
OLAPivotTable to create the Slice.
5. Click Insert. The second Slice in the worksheet, essentially a replication of the first, will
appear as follows:

Now, in order to change the Filters on either of those 2 PowerExcel Slices, one could simply
click on the OLAPivotTable cell (A11 for the first Slice, J11 for the second—both circled in the
preceding image. The PowerExcel sidebar will appear, and it would simply be a matter of
changing selections in either Columns or Rows. The next image shows that very thing: with
selected Metrics Account Members (circled) showing in the Rows of the second Slice.

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6.2 Changing the Range Reference in a PowerExcel Slice

This section will discuss how to correctly change a Range Function reference within a
PowerExcel Slice.

IMPORTANT: The following step-by-step procedure must be observed and followed when
changing Range References or when changing the range parameter of the OLATableRange
formula to ensure that the newly specified range will be committed to the formula.

A ‘Range’ or a ‘Range Reference’ concerns a group of cells rather than just one cell. For this
topic, we will show how to modify/update the OLATableRange function, which enables a user to
specify a range of Members to be displayed along Rows or Columns.

Note below the OLATableRange function that governs what appears in Rows. (This is from the
first PowerExcel Slice created previously.)

The Formula function OLATableRange

is the same across Cells B8 to E8 and
governs the Members shown in Rows.

As above, the circled function governs which Members are shown in Rows—in this spreadsheet,
Row12 through Row 33—you will see the same formula.

The correct way to modify the range reference is to simultaneously update the range within the
group of cells referenced in the Range Function.

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IMPORTANT: To correctly update the range, one must: (1) select the group of cells governed by
the Range function and update them simultaneously; keeping in mind that (2) the Members
covered within the new range must be valid Members (i.e., they exist within the source database).

Now suppose we wish to change the range reference of the second PivotTable so that it once
again shows the same Members along Rows that are displayed in the first PivotTable, the
method will be to do as follows:

1. Go to the PivotTable that you wish to update and locate the OLATableRange Function
for Row; highlight the group of cells referenced by that function. (As this is the second
inserted Slice, those Cells will be K8 through N8—see the image below, red circled).
2. Go to the formula bar; double-click on the last function argument (blue circled in
the below image). Notice that the related Rows are now highlighted in Excel (Gross
Profit % through Revenue per FTE, i.e., Row 12 through Row 16.)

3. Select the new range that you want to show in Rows. In this case, put your cursor on
A12 and highlight cells to A33, which will be the new target range (boxed in the
image below). Note that the function argument changes to this range of cells (arrow) .

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4. To commit the change, press Ctrl + Shift + Enter keys.

IMPORTANT: Bear in mind that when changing range references, in order to
successfully commit the changes to the formula, you MUST always press the Ctrl +
Shift + Enter keys. Otherwise, the new range will not be updated.

5. Press the F9 key to refresh the PowerExcel Slice. Notice that the range reference for
the rows of the second PivotTable has updated and now displays the same Account
members as in the first PivotTable.

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7. Saving a PowerExcel Slice to the Cloud

You can save PowerExcel Slices so that it becomes accessible to other users who connect to
the same PowerExcel model in the Cloud.

To save the PowerExcel Slice:

1. Create or Open a PowerExcel Slice, as in the example.

2. Click on a cell containing a PowerExcel reference—e.g., in the example above, the cell
containing the OLAPivotTable PowerExcel reference.
Note: You may click on cells containing other PowerExcel references such as
OLADatabase, OLACube, OLATableMember, OLATableRange and OLATableSubset
or OLAPowerQuery)
3. In the Excel ribbon, go to the PowerExcel Tab and click the Save icon. The Save
(Slice) as dialog appears.

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4. Type the <name of the Slice>, e.g., PANDA Income Statement.

5. Click Save. You will see a prompt that says ‘Slice saved successfully’.

6. Click OK to close the message prompt.

Next, another PowerExcel user—assuming he or she has a connection to the same

PowerExcel model—can proceed as follows:
7. Launch Excel, create a new workbook.
8. From the PowerExcel ribbon, click on Open.
9. The Open Slice dialog appears, as below:

10. Once again: assuming the next user has a connection to the database, he or she will
see it (assuming the same Connection name—in this case, PandA_2021_Connect)
among the Databases that may be selected from the drop-down, top left. As well, the
available Cubes will be shown (here, Financial Data is selected). Directly below, the
available Slices are listed. By selecting the Slice shown on the previous page, the user
can create the PowerExcel Slice by using one of the Slice Types, and insert it into a
New Workbook, a New Worksheet or the Current Worksheet in the specified location.
(Naturally, the Slice will be the same as the one saved by the last user—as shown in
the previous page.)
As such, the next user—indeed, any person working on the collaborative PowerExcel
model—may see any Slice that has been saved and in that way be dynamically
connected to the most updated data, or contribute budget/forecast figures to a company-
wide planning model.

And that, in sum, is the power of PowerExcel!

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