We use Data model, in which we add and connect several tables, to create reporting dataset. In one of previous recipes we were talking about creating links between tables by dragging & dropping keys. The subject of this post will be manual modifying, changing properties or removing data connection. Also you’ll be able to see properties of tables imported from other data sources, such as MS SQL, MS Access etc.
In one of previous recipes I described how to make an Excel database connection. Similarly you can create a connection between Data model and various data sources. Main difference is in fact that Data model uses technologies for compressing data, during their import, and decompressing them only when used in the report, which saves memory and allows you to work with large amounts of data. You can create a link to a single table, multiple tables or to a data set made by running SQL queries.
When you start using Excel business intelligence tools you’ll realize that they enable connecting with data from multiple sources. This can be an Excel spreadsheet or text files, databases, data from the Internet, data warehouse “in the cloud” … If you have ever used MS Access, you will easily understand how to add and link tables within the model. If not, read this article and you will see that it is easy and quite intuitive task.
Data model is used to add and connect tables in a whole, in order to retrieve the data needed for reporting. This is a pseudo-base, part of Excel document. By adding a table into the Model data are automatically compressed; later, when we need them for reporting, they are decompressed and used as a reporting dimension in the pivot table. Data model is basis for use of “Power” technologies, i.e. “self-service” business intelligence tools.
In addition to my passion for Excel my great love, and partly my job, is Customer Relationship Management (CRM). One of the most important CRM charts for tracking sales is the Sales funnel. Every salesman likes to see it on his dashboard at the beginning of working day, because with one look he can conclude whether the sale is standing or advancing. Funnel does not exist as a standard chart. It is created by modifying the 3D Column chart, and how to do it you will find out in the text that follows …