Excel Client Tutorial
- Ioana Kocurova
Excel Client is a tool that helps you upload data into Pricefx tables. To use Excel Client, you need to have the MS Excel program installed on your computer. If you have a Mac, you will need to install MS virtual machine on your computer before starting to use this tool. By using EC you can create, edit, and manage spreadsheets with ease. It integrates with other applications and external data sources, making it a tool for a wide range of tasks, from simple data entry to complex financial modeling.
When you need to import data manually, you can use Excel Client. It allows you to import data to most of the data tables.
LEARN MORE: Get more information about data uploads, here.
In this tutorial you will learn how to upload data into the product master table, but the principle is the same for the other tables too.
Excel Client is a tool written in MS Visual Basic using macros. It is available as a downloadable Excel sheet from the Pricefx menu Master Data. It works only on the desktop version of MS Excel for Windows (Mac is not supported).
The destination table for the data will be a configured Product master table.
Note that there may be some changes regarding Excel Client. For more details check out this article.
All our how-to guides and video tutorials contain screenshot of our demo system and the information that you see will differ depending on your organizational configuration and the version of Pricefx software that you are running.
How to Use Excel Client in Pricefx
To make sure that you do not skip any steps, follow along this tutorial when embarking on an Excel Client task for the first time in Pricefx. To make things easier, we supplied screenshots. Check them out by opening the expand boxes where you See Screenshot applies.
Before you use Excel Client, ensure that your destination table has at least one record. If the table is empty, add one “dummy” record to the table. This is important, otherwise Excel Client will not be able to properly read metadata.
Navigate to the Master Data icon located at the top-right corner of your screen.
Select the Excel Client option from the dropdown list.
Navigating the Client Extension menu
A new browser tab will open, and an Excel file will automatically download.
Check your Downloads folder to locate the file.
Before opening the file, right-click on it and select Properties.
In the Properties window, check the Unblock option under the Security section.
Click Apply, then click OK.
Open the downloaded Excel file.
Enable content and any other pop-ups that appear in Excel.
Wait a few seconds for confirmation that you are logged in.
Ensure Pricefx is open in your browser and that you are logged in (refresh the browser page if necessary).
It is recommended to download a fresh Excel Client file each time you use it.
In the Excel file, click on the Pricefx menu.
The system will display additional options for uploading Pricefx master data, users, company parameters, and price lists.
To add new products to the master data table, click on the Products icon.
Note that this is simply an example. You can choose whatever data from the master table you need.
A Download Filter dialog box will appear. If you only have the dummy row in the table, or only a small amount of data, click Download All Items. If you have thousands of products already and you only want to upload some additional ones, then set up a filter and use Download Filtered Set.
Click on the Download Filtered Set option.
The system will display the current data available for editing. You can add, delete, or modify records.
Scroll to the end of the list to start adding new records.
Ensure all required fields are filled. You can copy/paste records from other files.
The system will automatically mark new products with an “N” in the first column to indicate they are to be added to the internal tables.
Note that for columns ordering Excel Client uses the same Preferences which are used by the user interface when you open the Product master page.
Under the main Excel menu, click on the Update Server icon.
In the Warning dialog box, click OK.
Review the updated records under the Master Data tables.
Examine the rows appended to the Products master table. Compare sample rows from the Excel sheet to verify that the product data was uploaded successfully to the Products master table.
Delete the dummy row if you have created it. You will not need it anymore.
This is how you can efficiently manage and upload data into Pricefx using the Excel Client.