EAConnect planning is a SaaS application enabling companies plan, forecast and report. It is based on Google Sheets for user interactions and have a web UI for administration activities. For seamless multi-user environment with access control, change logs and connectivity across spreadsheets, it uses a backend database.
Google Sheet Extension
EAConnect Planning comes with its GSheet add-in. Users need to install it one time.
Working with spreadsheets
Users can work with spreadsheets using this add-in. EAConnect Planning spreadsheets can be categorized in three types:
- Calculation Spreadsheets - these are spreadsheets which have all the planning process logic encoded in them, using GSheet formulas and functions. A calculation worksheet is typically configured and deployed once, and then setup for periodic refresh to get data and results. Data can be fed into these sheets using integration processes (from other applications) or user inputs.
- Input forms – these typically are forms where users can report and maintain driver values. These are linked to other spreadsheets through database tables.
- Reports - similar to forms but used for reporting only (no inputs).
Database objects
EAConnect Planning achieves a scalable multi-user planning environment by using a database for storing configuration, metadata, integration and user info. In addition, business data from spreadsheets are stored in the database in one of three types of DB objects that users can configure.
- Component Tables - these are DB tables. Columns in DB tables can be dimensions, or plain DB columns. A typical component table is linked to a section of Calculation or Form/Report spreadsheet. Data between spreadsheets and with the DB is synchronized using automated processes.
- Dimensions - these are DB tables used for storing specific business entities and their properties (e.g. Company, Profit Center). Some dimensions are special (e.g. Time Period, Version) and additional properties are automatically added to these at time of definition. Dimensions can be used in other DB objects as columns. These are also used as parts of data slice for defining users' data access controls.
- Cubes - Cubes are DB tables which are made up of dimensions as columns and one key figure. These and Component Tables can be used in a similar way and clients can opt to use both or either in their configuration.
Models
A set of GSheet spreadsheets, DB objects and related configuration can be tagged as one model. Certain configurations (e.g. user access control) are scoped at model level. This is still work in progress.