SpotlightXL

SpotlightXL is a Microsoft Excel front-end that provides functionality for all Dynamic Planning engine capabilities: Analyze, Report, Excel Report, Model, and Manage.

Accessing SpotlightXL

Follow these steps to log in to SpotlightXL:

1. Open Microsoft Excel.
2. Click the SpotlightXL tab.
   
3. Click Login.
4. Enter the URL provided by Planful Support to connect to your tenant.
5. Enter your Username and Password, then click Login. Optionally, you can select the Reset Password checkbox to change your password.
6. If prompted, enter a new password in the New Password and Confirm Password fields and click Login.
7. Optionally, check the Remember Me box to save your Username for future logins.
8. Click Login.
9. If asked, select your application from the drop-down menu.
10. Click Select.

Username and Password Security

• Username: Only a valid email address format can be used as a username.
• Password Requirements: To enhance security, the following password requirements have been implemented:
• Password length: A minimum of 8 characters (10 characters recommended), up to a maximum of 128 characters.
• Characters: Include at least 1 uppercase letter (A-Z), 1 lowercase letter (a-z), 1 digit (e.g., 8, 1, 0), and 1 special character (e.g., *, &, #).

Note:

• All existing passwords will remain unchanged unless prompted or until you decide to update them.
• If a new password does not meet the specified requirements outlined above, an error message will be displayed, as shown below

Introduction to SpotlightXL

Upon logging in to SpotlightXL, the ribbon interface displays task, user, role, and application information. Click 'Select Task' to access the available tasks within SpotlightXL. These tasks include:

• Analyze: Perform analysis tasks like selecting models and views, refreshing data, zooming, filtering, and pivoting models.
• Report: View, design, and share static or formatted reports with organizational users for collaboration and review.
• Excel Report: Access and run reports with full Excel functionality, incorporating model data links, and publish/download reports in the cloud.
• Model: Perform detailed tasks like setting model types, permissions, dimension security, adding/changing dimensions, calculations, copying models, saving formulas, and data loading.
• Manage: Designed for power users, manage metadata, integrate data, configure settings, and perform user administration tasks.

Each task has its tab in the workbook area, such as Analyze, Report, Model, and Manage. Only one tab is created per task, as shown in the example.

Quick Summary of How to Assign or Restrict Access

The table below provides a summary of different methods to assign or restrict access to all aspects of models. Sometimes, multiple approaches achieve the same goal, but one method may be more efficient than others. The table prioritizes the more efficient methods over the less efficient ones. For instance, assigning access to a Model for a Group of users can be done using Model Permissions or Group Access, with Model Permissions being the quicker option.

• Roles: Predefined Dynamic Planning Roles include Power User, Contributor User, and Reviewer User. Power Users can view user-role assignments via Manage, User Management, or Manage, Navigation Access. These roles come with default access settings for models, views, reports, and other elements. Review these defaults in Manage, Navigation Access.
• Groups: These are user-defined lists of individuals within your organization, configured using Manage, Group Management, User Group.
• Types: Predefined User Types encompass Business and External categories. User Types determine a user's ability to create or modify other user accounts. The Business user type pertains to all organization users utilizing Dynamic Planning. External user type applies to individuals outside the organization requiring application access for diagnostics, development, or debugging work, such as Planful Support or Partner Consultants.

Variations of Operations Based on User Type

View and Report permissions are defined in two ways: by the groups allowed to use it as listed on the Properties page of each view or report, and by who created it. The permissions are clarified as described below.

• Power Users can use views and reports unconditionally.
• Contributors and Reviewers must have permission to access the model before they can access modify save or delete the view or report.
• A Contributor or Reviewer who created a view or report can access that view or report as long as they have permission to access the model.

The following table specifies all the variations of operations and what changes can be saved for Contributor and Reviewer users.