Operational Reporting in Excel — Powered by Vivid Flex
Build SQL-driven, refreshable reports that pull live data from any ODBC source — then schedule, distribute, and drill down — all in Microsoft Excel®. Works with Microsoft Dynamics®, Epicor, Sage, Oracle, SAP — and any ODBC-compliant source.
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Streamline Financial Reporting
Automate Reports & Dashboards Without Leaving Excel
Vivid Flex is a complete reporting solution designed to help finance teams access multiple systems and bring that data together with confidence.
- Process any SQL expression directly from Excel for instant access across systems.
- Build dashboards, track KPIs, capture forecasts all in the same Excel workflow.
- Automate refresh, scheduling, and distribution to stakeholders.
Any Data Source
Create reports against any table or metric beyond the G/L using ODBC connectors
Dashboards & KPIs
Build interactive management views your team updates in seconds.
Data Capture & Advanced Forecasting
Capture input, do writebacks and get real time reporting.
Automation & Scheduling
Generate, print/PDF/email multiple reports with a click.
Vivid Flex Feature Highlights
Flex is a real time connection into your ERP to pull operational data into Excel and get the reports your ERP can’t deliver.
Multi-source joins
Combine results from different systems into comprehensive views.
No macros/VBA required
No workbook code, no hidden logic, no security issues
Design
Use Simple Designer or the SQL Designer & Preview to build and preview results.
Parameterize
Add Flex parameters to update expressions on-the-fly from cell values.
Distribute
Refresh to Excel, drill down across linked reports, and schedule delivery.
Drill-down
Use cascading spreadsheets to drill behind the numbers into the details.
Combining Financial and Operational Reporting
Use Flex with CPM to Trace, Reconcile, and Monitor
Vivid Flex is a powerful extension of the VividCPM platform, making it easy to move from financial reporting to planning and controls —without switching from Excel. Drill from CPM totals to subledger detail in Flex or resolve cash and compliance tasks in one place—no exports, no rework.
- Drill through: Jump from CPM totals to vendors, POs, receipts, invoices, and payments.
- Build operational views fast: Join subledger tables, slice by date/vendor/item, and surface exceptions (unmatched receipts, overdue AR/AP).
- Use Flex and CPM together for a single refresh of combined financial and operational detail to build recurring revenue, or cashflow or jobs reporting.
- Audit ready traceability: Trace any total back to line items and reconcile the flow (PO → receipt → invoice → payment) for audit-ready oversight.
Reconciliations
Approve, Resolve Escalate, Allocate, Close – from one report
Open Jobs Review
Profitability, Billings, Exposure, Commitments, Forecast
Cashflow Forecasting
Accuracy in liquidity planning
Bank Compliance
Fully automated, accurate, formatted for your institution
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Vivid Flex and when should I use it?
Vivid Flex is an Excel-based reporting layer that runs SQL directly from Excel to pull live operational data—great for KPIs, dashboards, and non-financial analytics alongside your ERP/CRM/HR systems. It supports any ODBC database and lets users refresh, navigate with parameters, and link between reports for deeper analysis.
Do viewers need Flex installed to open a report?
No. Flex outputs are standard .xlsx files anyone with Excel can open; installing the Flex client is only required to refresh or interact with Flex features.
What are the system requirements?
Desktop Excel (2007/2010/2013/2016/2019/365; Windows only), .NET 3.5 SP1/4.0, Office Runtime, read access to SQL Server and/or use of Vivid hosted solutions for dimensional data. Excel for Mac isn’t supported
What data sources can Flex connect to and how are connections secured?
Connections use a certificate file (encrypted credentials) created by IT; Flex then reads data via SQL. Best practice is read-only (db_datareader) credentials, and Flex can also reach any ODBC source when designed that way.
How should we use Vivid Flex to validate and de-risk our ERP migration?
Flex is transferable and can bridge between systems
Use Flex as your side-by-side, Excel-based control tower for the move. The goal is simple: same parameters, same day, both systems—then highlight any variance and fix it fast. Here’s a tight, field-tested flow:
1) Set up for parallel reporting
Create two secure Connections (Legacy + New).
Move critical SQL into the Library and version it (e.g.,
TB_vLegacy,TB_v2). Your workbooks reference tags, so one change updates every report.Build editable crosswalks for accounts, cost centers, items, customers/vendors, and fiscal calendars (staging DB or Flex Data).
Assemble a “Reconciliation Workbook” with a Control Panel (company, period, entity set) that drives every tab.
2) Run daily comparisons during your parallel ERP period
Schedule two Automation jobs with identical parameters—one hitting Legacy, one New—outputting to dated folders.
In the workbook, include tabs for Totals (GL TB, AR/AP open, inventory valuation, sales/purchasing counts), Variance (absolute + % with conditional formatting), and Exceptions (unmapped codes, orphans, duplicates, out-of-period).
Use Linking to jump from summary variance to detailed transactions while preserving filters; offer “Legacy ⇄ New” links for the same context.
3) Decide, cut over, and stabilize
When variances trend to zero and owners sign off, flip navigation so New ERP reports are default; keep Legacy read-only links for 2–4 weeks.
After stabilization, retire legacy Automation, lock the staging DB, and archive temporary crosswalks.
How do I build a report if I’m not a SQL expert?
Use the Designer wizard: pick tables/views or a Library query, and the wizard generates the SQL plus an interactive Control Panel for filters and prompts. You can start simple and refine later as needed.
How do Control Panels and parameters work?
Add a Panel to the sheet to give users dropdowns/choices; their selections feed your report and refresh on demand. You can also define input parameters so values from cells or the panel flow into your SQL.
Can I drill or jump between related reports?
Yes—use Linking to pass values from one report to another (on a new sheet or in a pop-up “Link Screen”). Link definitions can be built with Link Builder or defined manually.
Can we reuse SQL and standardize logic?
Store SQL in the Library and reference it by tag inside reports. This centralizes logic for reuse across multiple reports and simplifies maintenance.
How do we automate distribution (email, PDF, folders, printers)?
Create Automation tasks and schedule jobs from Excel; Flex will generate and distribute the report packages automatically (including print-to-PDF).
Can Flex capture inputs amd do writebacks, not just read data?
Yes—Flex Data lets licensed users save and manage input tables (e.g., forecasts or stats). For local saves, use a separate database (not production) because the Flex user will need read/write on that database.
Writeback also fills the gap between a source system that produces Excel reports for part of the data and an end-to-end solution for examples like:
- Sales forecasting
- Advanced product cost allocation
- Cash flow analysis
What’s the best practice for securing connections?
Create connections with read-only credentials and ensure the certificate file is accessible to the intended users; use cloud-saved connections if central distribution is required.
How do you prevent someone from accessing information they should not see
You can control what connections and data sources each user can access. You can build restrictions directly into the dynamic reports you distribute or you can provide static reports that only contain the information someone will need. Vivid Reports Flex also allows you to control functionally what a user can do so you can take capabilities away such as the ability to edit a report definition.
Ready to see your operational data live in Excel?
Book a personalized demo and discover how VividCPM can streamline your reporting, consolidation, and analysis—without leaving Excel.