There are so many things as an end user you can do with Excel Services however it can be hard to get started.  There are not a lot of resources out there for end users to begin using Excel Services, so I aim to fix that. 

Over the next few months, I will be writing a blog series on how to best utilize Excel Services.  This first post will cover the basics, what is it and what you need to do to get started.  After that we will move on to more complex stuff like parameters, promoting pivot tables, connecting filters to your charts and tables. 

So first things first, what can you do with Excel Services? 

• Excel Services allows you to view Excel workbooks through the browser.  You can even configure them so users can have parameters for modifications.  For example, maybe you wanted to post a spreadsheet that contains the calculations you use to price your software.  You might have a parameter where a user could enter a discount percentage and then the price would be modified.  The only portions of the spreadsheet that can be modified are the parameters.  Excel Services is not for editing workbooks.  You will still need Excel to make changes.
• Do you have any complex workbooks that take awhile to load because they have complicated calculations?  Excel Services offloads the calculation to the server to improve the loading of these workbooks.
• Protect your sensitive information.  By publishing the workbook to the browser you can protect the formulas that are driving your workbook.
• Incorporate the workbook information in a Dashboard.  As SharePoint is becoming more and more a vital part of your organization, wouldn’t it be nice to display the tables and graphs that are driving your business on a web page as part of a Dashboard?

These are just some of the things you can do with Excel Services.  There are a couple important things to know before we get started:

• Excel Services is only available with MOSS Enterprise.
• The workbook must be saved to the 2007 file format: .xlsx
• The document or report library you are storing the workbook in must be set up as a Trusted File Location.  This task is handled in the Shared Service Provider (SSP), since this is an end user blog series, please see this link if you will be handling the task yourself:  http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc261678.aspx
• There is functionality that will cause the workbook not to load in the browser and functionality that will cause the workbook not to render correctly in the browser.  For more information about this functionality see, http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms496823.aspx.

For today let’s start with the first task of publishing and displaying a chart on a SharePoint Page. 

1. Create a chart in Excel similar to the one below:

Note:  Unfortunately this I not a blog series on how to use Excel, so if you need help getting to this point check out the information here:  http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/FX100646951033.aspx?CTT=96&Origin=CL100570551033

2.  You will also need to have a site created with the Enterprise Feature enabled.  The site will need to have a document library which has been added as a trusted file location (link provided above)

3.  In Excel, click the Office Button in the upper left hand corner.

4.  Select PublishàExcel Services.

5.  When the Save As dialog box opens up click Excel Services Options.

6.  On the Show tab, you determine which items you would like to be visible in the browser.  For the example select only Chart 1 (or the name you have given your Chart).  To select Chart 1, switch the dropdown to Items in the Workbook.  Check the box next to Chart 1.  Notice the parameters tab, this will be discussed in a later post. Click OK. 

7.  In the File Name box, place the URL to the document library you would like to store the workbook.  For example:  http://teamsite/Shared%20Documents/.  Be sure to remove the forms/allitems.aspx. Hit Enter.

8.  Give your workbook a Name and click Save.  Your workbook should open in the browser as seen below.

That’s all for now.  Next time we will configure the Excel Web Access web part.  And after that post we will begin with parameters, pivot tables, filter web parts, and KPI’s.  So much to do…

Nicola Young works exclusively with the SharePoint technologies. She specializes in information organization and usability. Nicola is currently both a SharePoint trainer and consultant with SharePoint911, and focuses on the business applications of the product. She is the coauthor of SAB301: Building Enterprise Solutions with SharePoint Server 2007 and SPG301: SharePoint Planning and Governance with the Ted Pattison Group and lead author of SBU201: Business Users Guide to SharePoint Server 2007.  Nicola is also a coauthor on the SharePoint book MOSS Explained: An Information Worker’s Deep Dive into Microsoft Office SharePoint Server.