The Excel Parser allows applicants to complete budgets and data tables in Microsoft Excel offline and upload the completed spreadsheet into SmartSimple. The uploaded data populates custom fields on a record or generates activities, such as budget line items or project milestones.
Who: Global Administrators configuring the Excel Parser for applicant submissions.
When to Use the Excel Parser
Use the Excel Parser when:
- Applicants need to submit complex budget tables or data grids with many columns, and the Advanced Data Table custom field would be cumbersome to complete or difficult to configure.
- The process relies on complex formulas that may change over time. Excel handles the calculations and only the final values need to be stored in the system, making updates easier to manage than rebuilding formulas natively.
- Extensive information needs to be collected from applicants, but only a subset of that data is needed for reporting or further work.
- The workflow requires generating individual activity records, such as budget items or project milestones, directly from applicant-submitted data.
NOTE It is recommended to configure the Excel Parser to either populate fields on the record or create activities, not both simultaneously.
How the Excel Parser Works
The Excel Parser process involves four stages:
- A Global Administrator prepares a locked Excel template with named cells and uploads it to a SmartFolder.
- An instructions field on the application form provides applicants with a link to download the template.
- Applicants complete the template offline and upload the file through an Upload - Multiple Files Storage custom field configured with Enable Excel Parsing toggled on.
- Upon uploading and saving, SmartSimple parses the named cells and maps the data to custom fields or generates activity records based on the configured field mappings.