Introduction

Welcome! The menu in XLReporting has 4 main sections:

• Dashboard - this is where you can place your favorite reports and models, so they are all available at a glance. Read how to use your dashboard.
• Process - this is where you can access your reports, models, and data imports via the business processes they relate to.
• Analyze - this is where you will work most of the time, to run your reports and models, import data, and edit data. Read how to run reports, run models, import data, or edit data.
• Define - this is where you can define the configuration. When you sign up, your account already has a basic configuration, aimed at financial reporting. You don't have to start from scratch, you have working examples which you can start with. You can create new or change configuration at any point in time. Read how to define reports, models, imports, or data sets.
• Account - this is where you can change your settings, and add or change users and permissions.

If you're new to XLReporting, we recommend that you start in Analyze, and familiarize yourself with the default configuration before you define your own. We also recommend you read about navigation and useful tips.

You can also watch the instruction videos.

Process

This diagram shows the overall process in XLReporting:

Define your own

You can define XLReporting with 4 types of objects:

• Data sets - configurable objects that store your data (think of them as Excel worksheets, or database tables, or tabular lists). You can give each data set a name, define its columns, set user permissions, and import data.
• Imports - configurable objects that ensure data from other systems or files can be repeatedly and consistently converted and imported into data sets in XLReporting. You can give each import a name, define the source data, the target data set, the column mapping, conversions, data filters, and set user permissions.
• Reports - configurable objects that define how information from your data sets will be combined and presented into reports and charts. You can give each report a name, define the source data, multiple layouts, report fields, conversions, filters, and set user permissions.
• Models - configurable objects that combine data queries with spreadsheet-like templates, enabling you to build advanced reporting and interactive planning models. You can give each model a name, define the template, create formulas and logic, add queries, and set user permissions. Models are typically used for 2 different purposes:
  • Reporting - build your own custom reports. You can combine very diverse types of data into one model, apply your own format, add formulas, functions, and calculations, and integrate charts, icons, links, and images in your model.
  • Planning - build interactive planning models. You can pull data into your model, define cell editors, and allow users to enter data into the model in designated cells. You can apply formulas, functions, and calculations, and save the results back into data sets.

You can create new objects at any time by clicking on the New button.