Spreadsheets stay the spine of day-to-day enterprise evaluation. Finance groups mannequin forecasts in Excel. Operations groups observe efficiency. Leaders depend on spreadsheets to reply questions shortly.
But, probably the most trusted and full enterprise knowledge more and more lives in a lakehouse. For a lot of organizations, connecting that knowledge to Excel right this moment is complicated, fragile, and inaccessible to enterprise customers. Guide ODBC configuration, multi-step setup guides, and ongoing IT help create friction that slows efficiency and adoption. Information duplication and a number of semantics layers introduce dangers and restrict who can truly use ruled knowledge.
The consequence: outdated extracts, duplicated datasets, and enterprise customers working across the knowledge platform as a substitute of with it, usually counting on legacy BI instruments or downstream methods.
The answer: Easy, ruled entry to Databricks knowledge in Excel
The Databricks Excel Add-in is designed to shut this hole. Now in public preview, the add-in lets enterprise customers import and analyze Databricks knowledge instantly from Excel — with out writing SQL or configuring ODBC drivers.
Constructed on Databricks SQL and Unity Catalog, the add-in brings dwell, ruled lakehouse knowledge and curated enterprise semantics into the Excel expertise customers already know. Setup is diminished from dozens of handbook steps to only a few clicks, making it dramatically simpler for enterprise groups to get began.
Critically, the Excel Add-in helps Unity Catalog metric views, letting knowledge groups outline enterprise semantics as soon as and make them accessible constantly throughout Excel and different analytics workflows.
With the Excel Add-in, customers can:
- Choose and filter Databricks tables and metric views utilizing a point-and-click UI — no SQL required
- Create native Excel pivot tables backed by ruled lakehouse knowledge
- Refresh knowledge to maintain spreadsheets updated
- Entry Databricks Workspace queries throughout workbooks for constant definitions
- Optionally write and save SQL queries for reuse
This permits knowledge groups to keep up sturdy governance whereas enabling enterprise customers to work independently in Excel.
The Excel Add-in helps us streamline our workflows with out compromising governance. Groups can discover, course of, and import Databricks knowledge instantly in Excel, whereas Unity Catalog ensures permissions and definitions keep constant. It is a large step ahead from CSV downloads and handbook refreshes. —Spenser Marshall, CIO, M Science
Why this issues: Enterprise semantics + Excel adjustments the equation
For enterprise customers, the worth is fast: quicker entry to trusted knowledge within the instrument they already use on daily basis, with out ready on IT or studying new interfaces.
For knowledge leaders, the Excel Add-in helps:
- Democratize knowledge amongst enterprise stakeholders
- Guarantee enterprise groups at all times work from trusted, up-to-date enterprise semantics by Unity Catalog metric views
- Implement Unity Catalog permissions, lineage, and governance
- Remove metric drift brought on by duplicated logic in spreadsheets and dashboards
- Cut back pressure on knowledge practitioners to carry out one-off analyses that take time away from their focus
Collectively, this makes Databricks a extra pure a part of on a regular basis enterprise workflows.
“The Databricks Excel Add-in turned our gold tables right into a enterprise prepared product. It’s quick, it retains Excel workflows intact, and it lets one ruled asset serve everybody from superior analytics to enterprise customers.” —Paritosh Mehta, Resolution Architect, Baytex Vitality Corp.
How this appears in apply
- Information groups outline knowledge belongings, like Unity Catalog metric views
Information groups create ruled metric views in Unity Catalog to standardize KPIs and enterprise definitions — as soon as — instantly on Databricks knowledge. - Governance and entry are managed centrally
Permissions and controls are managed and provisioned by Unity Catalog, making certain the proper customers see the proper metrics with full compliance. - Enterprise customers analyze knowledge instantly in Excel
Enterprise customers entry these metrics in Excel through the Databricks Add-in, construct pivot tables, and discover knowledge with out rewriting logic or exporting extracts.
Consequence: Quicker, extra dependable decision-making powered by a single supply of reality for enterprise semantics and seamless entry in Excel. It is a key step towards democratizing the lakehouse, bringing ruled analytics to the instruments enterprise groups already depend on.
What’s accessible right this moment and what’s coming subsequent
The general public preview already helps core workflows enterprise customers depend on:
- Choosing Unity Catalog tables and metric views
- Executing customized features with parameters
- Manually refreshing question outcomes
- Creating Excel pivot tables and filtering knowledge
- Choosing and reusing current Databricks Workspace queries
- Altering workspaces
Upcoming enhancements embody scheduled refresh, AI integrations, and extra usability enhancements to additional streamline the expertise.
The best way to get began
The Databricks Excel Add-in is offered in public preview and could be put in through the Microsoft Workplace Market or manually downloaded from Databricks documentation. Directors can deploy it centrally by the Microsoft 365 admin middle, whereas particular person customers can set up it instantly in Excel for the online, Home windows, or macOS (with the suitable permissions). After a fast setup, enterprise customers can connect with their Databricks workspace and begin working with ruled lakehouse knowledge immediately.