At xOverTime we are impressed by the number of users that rely on Excel® as their default data analytics tool – as many as 750 million Excel users globally. Its flexibility has made it one of the most popular business software applications in the workplace that practically everyone uses. But while many organizations manage huge amounts of data solely in Excel, spreadsheet-centric solutions lack the structure needed to be part of the enterprise information architecture.
xOverTime’s solution provides an Excel-enabled cloud database that helps business users collaborate and manage data to drive business decisions along with API-level connectivity to other enterprise applications. Our customers experience the benefit this structure adds, and with it, the ability to extend their Excel-based data in a managed and secure way further into their organizations’ enterprise information architecture.
Several recent implementations in the utility sector show just how much xOverTime can help extend Excel into the enterprise. Each implementation used Excel to gather data using templates that closely align with a columnar data table format. Variable data was defined by users with their data uploads. Our innovative approach made it easy for Excel users to create a cloud database for their data right inside Excel. Version control allowed everyone to always work from the most recent data.
One implementation focused on how to create a cloud database for electricity rates data generated by three existing Excel-based models. The focus of this solution was to drive continued improvements around data governance for these regulatory outputs. The solution delivered ensures each source workbook is stored with electricity rates data maintained over time. The solution also supports controlled sharing and distribution of this important regulatory data, allowing users to feel in control of their data and its use. This has promoted sharing of data and a conversation around the use of this dataset within the organization.
Another implementation focused on extending Excel-based data used for compliance reporting into the enterprise data architecture by using data from xOverTime to power an open-source web framework. Previously this compliance reporting data reporting on electricity generation capacity commitments was distributed only by emailing spreadsheets, where real version control was impossible. Users dependent on this data can now view, query and compare data, with everyone always working from the most recent data.
Both examples demonstrate how xOverTime empowers users to work more effectively and collaboratively with their Excel-based business processes, while extending Excel into the enterprise, in a structured, secure way.
Curious to learn more about how xOverTime can extend your Excel-based data into your enterprise architecture? Contact us and we’ll show you how you can own your data and the conversations about your data!
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