ASC Blog

Integrate and Leverage Excel Computations

Posted: October 1, 2015
Written by Angie Stockley

ASC’s integrated and advanced Excel reports automatically pull system data, perform calculations and push the results back to the system (e.g., ROI and performance metrics)

Contract management professionals and other users love the functionality and flexibility of Microsoft Excel but spreadsheets lack the critical data controls, security and traceability provided by online contract management systems.

A best-in-class contract management system with integrated Microsoft Excel reports provides the best of both worlds -- full contract data control with the familiarity of Microsoft Excel.

The Full Utility of ASC Contracts Reporting Controls with the Familiarity of Microsoft Excel

ASC Contracts with its integrated Microsoft Excel reports delivers this combined Excel spreadsheet familiarity with complete contract data control -- the ASC system serves as the central record, including integrated data feeds from other primary source systems (e.g., Salesforce, SAP, Oracle, etc.), for your report data while providing a push and pull gateway to securely share and manipulate data in the familiar Excel report format.

Use Excel to Securely Compute, Model and Manipulate Your Cloud Data

The ASC Contracts integrated Microsoft Excel capability provides a secure bridge between your ASC Contracts cloud-based data and Microsoft Excel on your desktop allowing a secure and controlled push and pull of data via a simple, wizard-driven mapping of ASC Contracts field data to Excel columns.

This integration enables your team to use the full power of Excel (e.g., spreadsheet computation engine, advanced templates, etc.) to perform complex computations and calculations and to control data presentation while maintaining a central and secure data source within the ASC system.

The Excel files can also be saved to the local desktop for further processing (e.g., KPI analysis, ROI calculations, etc.), modification or distribution. If required, users can modify the Excel reports to present the data in a way that meets additional reporting requirements, add notes/comments for particular audiences, augment graphs and charts, and distribute electronically copies. Other advantages of the Excel report format include being able to add/delete columns (e.g., it might not be appropriate to share certain information with some audiences), sort the data, etc.

How the Spreadsheet Computation Engine Integration Works

For instances where system field data is used to compute other values, ASC enables the calculation to be contained/computed directly on the spreadsheet which is then stored within the ASC system and simply mapped to related system fields for automated data push and pull.

This means you can simply and easily use your existing spreadsheets with their inherent formulas and calculations directly with the ASC system.

On the system push side, the mapped field data is then “delivered” to the spreadsheet. The spreadsheet automatically applies its pre-defined formulas to the data to produce the required calculation outputs.

The resulting analysis is then delivered back to the ASC system form -- to the appropriate associated data fields -- and presented to the user instantaneously in the form.

Virtually any type of Excel report including advanced reports with‎ multiple pivot tables and charts can be accommodated and simple or complex computations or calculations can be performed.

This capability enables users to continue to use the familiar Excel environment and their existing Excel templates ‎while benefiting from the security, automation and other process controls provided by the ASC system.

In addition to providing very flexible reporting and data analysis options, this Excel Integration capability enables the data from previously stand-alone spreadsheets to be made available in the ASC system for secure corporate-wide visibility and workflow while users can continue to use the familiar Excel format.

Why ASC?

ASC's flexible Excel Integration capability is an integral part of all our web-based, zero footprint solutions.  Whatever your business process automation needs, you can trust ASC to deliver tailored online technical solutions that streamline your business operations for improved performance, advanced business intelligence and a better bottom line. Find out more about ASC solutions.

Securely compute, module and manipulate your Excel reports with ASC Contracts.