[bromcom] Deploy Excel addin silently

[neonetman]

I'm trying to roll out the various bits and pieces of addins for BromCom that are needed locally. The only one I can't work out how to install silently is the excel addin.

 

No matter which switch I use, it still insisits on popping up with a confirmation whether I want to install or not.

 

Has anyone got any suggestions for this? (I've tried running it though USSF, but that returns nothing either).

[pcstru]

I'm curious as to how many people you will roll this out to? We are a fairly large secondary (1800 students) and it is on one users PC (our Data Manager). There is very limited security over the information you can access (the add in uses it's own API login so permissions are global to that) so you need to ensure that whoever does have access, is OK to access all of the data in the scope of the API. IMO it is also clunky and not terribly useful - it basically saves a couple of clicks that you would need to run a report and export to csv. A shame really as anyone who can conquer integration between the MIS and Excel will have a killer product.

[neonetman]

Thanks @pcstru - I'd not been made aware of the implications (and haven't seen it myself yet), so it may be a manual install on one users PC in that case.

[matt40k]

A shame really as anyone who can conquer integration between the MIS and Excel will have a killer product.

 

PowerBI lets you download a odc which connects to the SQL\Analysis services, seems to work quite well. You can then just use it as a pivot table then. Not good for data dumps of course

[pcstru]

PowerBI lets you download a odc which connects to the SQL\Analysis services, seems to work quite well. You can then just use it as a pivot table then. Not good for data dumps of course

IMO the powerful tools lack curation (i.e. they connect to the raw database, so are difficult for MIS users to learn and drive (reverse engineer a schema and learn a new tool while trying to do that!)), while the curated tools like the Bromcom API tend to be highly constrained and clunky (which means they get slow as soon as things become complex). Somewhere between the two is where I think there is an opportunity being missed.

[matt40k]

You might want to look up BI @pcstru, you've just described every BI tool in the last 25 years+. The relational database is going to be complex, especially if you want a speedy system. The whole idea of having a warehouse is to flatten it so it's easier to report on, then you add analysis layer on top so users can interactive with it with low technical knowledge - you'll still need to understand the business speak however!

[RootsSchImp]

As someone whose worked with schools using Bromcom I'd push back on the idea that the add-in is useless. It won't replace every report but in certain cases being able to pull through, say, attendance percentages and breaking them down by years/contextual factors I think is a significant time/effort save on exporting and pasting, plus more reliable if the person using the sheet didn't build it.

 

That said, I definitely wouldn't roll out to all staff as it's only useful for ppl who're fairly advanced excel users so my approach would be to let it be known that it exists and give it in a case by case basis.

[kennysarmy]

I've installed the Excel add-in on the Data Manager's PC using a domain admin account.

 

When the data manager logs back in - no sign of the add-in

 

Surely there is a way to install it for all users?

[SpreadsheetJockey]

Is it listed (and therefore ticked) in Excel on the developer tab under COM Add-ins?

[kennysarmy]

Is it listed (and therefore ticked) in Excel on the developer tab under COM Add-ins?

 

When I install and check Excel I get the Add-in menu.

 

When the end-user logs back on they see no Add-in menu

 

Think the Bromcom supplied installer just installs per-user :/

 

[supportman]

I'm trying to roll out the various bits and pieces of addins for BromCom that are needed locally. The only one I can't work out how to install silently is the excel addin.

 

No matter which switch I use, it still insisits on popping up with a confirmation whether I want to install or not.

 

Has anyone got any suggestions for this? (I've tried running it though USSF, but that returns nothing either).

 

Out of interest have you managed to install the alert app silently? If so what command line switch did you use?

[kennysarmy]

From the deputy head to me

 

 

It is important that we come up with a solution to this.

 

The people responsible for the single central record have to demonstrate the ability to generate the single central record during an inspection.

 

They need to be able to do this.

 

I think it is a sensible idea for User X and User Y to be able to do this as well as a back up.

 

Just so I understand the problem:

 

The excel add in needs to be added to a user's account by the end user so I would have to do for my account for example.

 

We don't have the permissions to do this.

 

As the data manager has suggested could we be given the permission to do this for this one add in and then have this permission removed? Or is it a case that the add in will not run if we have this level of permission removed.

 

This is the single most important aspect of an inspection and so we need to get it right.

 

 

What a farce that something so important cannot be done in Bromcom and relies on an Add-in that can't be installed by standard users.

[Koldov]

I'm presuming you've reached out to Bromcom support for advice?

 

Can you share their response (or are they too busy with all their potential new customers and other pursuits)...

 

I'm thinking this would be something that must have been brought to their attention a few times (given the length of time since this thread was started) and the fact that their user base is schools who more recently are trying to get a grip of security.... maybe they know of a way to do it.

[kennysarmy]

I'm presuming you've reached out to Bromcom support for advice?

 

Can you share their response (or are they too busy with all their potential new customers and other pursuits)...

 

I'm thinking this would be something that must have been brought to their attention a few times (given the length of time since this thread was started) and the fact that their user base is schools who more recently are trying to get a grip of security.... maybe they know of a way to do it.

 

Waiting to hear back.

 

I'll update the thread in due course.

[Koldov]

It may well be a 'standard practise' given that the earlier posts mention that it is quite a powerful add-in and allows the user to be privy to 'all the data'...?

 

But as you say, it should be understood that even an 'admin/power user' of the MIS* may not necessarily be an admin of the machine they are working on...

 

Is it like SIMS where certain functions rely on the user having permissions on certain folders?

 

*other software/platforms available (and equally culpable).

[SpreadsheetJockey]

Can your people not just write/run a report and use a live data feed into Excel? I have the add-in installed but I never use it - in fact I have it disabled because it makes Excel take bloody ages to load.

[kennysarmy]

Can your people not just write/run a report and use a live data feed into Excel? I have the add-in installed but I never use it - in fact I have it disabled because it makes Excel take bloody ages to load.

 

Are you referring to the Bromcom people or the people in my school??

[SpreadsheetJockey]

Are you referring to the Bromcom people or the people in my school??

 

People in your school. When you run a report in Bromcom, there is (usually) a bright green "live data feed" button from which you can get a link that can be used to bring the report's data into Excel via Get and Transform (AKA Power Query) in the data tab ("From Web").

[kennysarmy]

People in your school. When you run a report in Bromcom, there is (usually) a bright green "live data feed" button from which you can get a link that can be used to bring the report's data into Excel via Get and Transform (AKA Power Query) in the data tab ("From Web").

 

I'll go back to Bromcom with that to see if the Single Central Record can be created that way.

 

Thanks.

[CyBeRkId2002]

Hi Kenny,

 

Not sure what you are looking for (not 100% familiar with everything a SCR contains) but under a staff report you can add all of the background bits that are stored within Bromcom.

 

Can you not just create a report that certain people then have access to. I am sure the Excel add-in has it's uses (we have definitely found some use in manipulating info with PowerBI) but for I would think you would be able to create a report that pulls out the key information without resorting to this. Key for me on something like this is making it as simple as possible for someone to access when needed... and can't imagine the Excel add-in would be that for most.

[kennysarmy]

Hi Kenny,

 

Not sure what you are looking for (not 100% familiar with everything a SCR contains) but under a staff report you can add all of the background bits that are stored within Bromcom.

 

Can you not just create a report that certain people then have access to. I am sure the Excel add-in has it's uses (we have definitely found some use in manipulating info with PowerBI) but for I would think you would be able to create a report that pulls out the key information without resorting to this. Key for me on something like this is making it as simple as possible for someone to access when needed... and can't imagine the Excel add-in would be that for most.

 

Hi

 

Not personally checked myself but the data manager assures me the Bromcom report only allows you to pull SCR for one person at a time. We need to pull records from 327!