In order to easily use data from smenso Cloud in other tools, a Reporting API is available for each Workspace.

Through this Reporting API, data can be retrieved live from smenso Cloud and used in other tools for reporting or analysis purposes.

This article describes how the Reporting API can be used to provide smenso Cloud data in Excel.

Requirements

Authentication token

Since the data from smenso Cloud is not simply exported but synchronized, authorization is required at the Reporting API. 

Each smenso Cloud user requires a separate authentication. This ensures that no unauthorized user can access data via the Reporting API to which they have no access.

The authentication is done via a token. This token can be obtained here:

• Open https://admin.smenso.cloud and log in with your user name
• Switch to the tab "API Keys" on your profile 
• Create a new key via "Add Key
  • Select the workspace
  • Create an optional description, e.g. "Excel Reporting"
  • Select an expiration date for the API key
• Create the key via "Add

Copy the token from the following dialog.

You need this Authorization Header in the Excel template.

API URL of the project view

In order to know which data is to be used, a view must first be created in smenso Cloud. This view is used to define which fields are to be transferred to Excel. For example, a separate view can be created for reporting only, in which a large number of fields are available.

In the following example, the view "🦅 Project overview (list)" was selected in the portfolio. This view contains all the desired projects and fields that are to be synchronized.

An API URL is required for the Excel table. This API URL is provided directly via the view. To do this, open the dropdown of the views and click on the Share icon .

In the following dialog you will find the area with the API link of the view:

Now you only have to copy the link.

Use Excel template

First you need to download the latest Excel template here:

After the Excel template is opened, the following input options appear on the Start tab:

1. The copied authentication token must be entered here
2. Here the API URL of the project view is entered
3. The API URL of the tasks behaves exactly the same as in 2., only that the URL must be created from the view of the task list.

After everything has been entered, switch to the project tab and load the data into the table. To do this, proceed as follows:

• Click in the table
• Right mouse button -> Refresh

After pressing the "Refresh" button, you will see in the status bar that Excel is connecting to smenso Cloud and updating the data. This process can take a few seconds.

When the data is loaded "the connection is established". To update the data, you only have to click on "Update" in the table, then the current data from smenso Cloud will always be available in Excel.

From this table, for example, a pivot table or a chart can be created and the data can be evaluated as desired using Excel tools.

To update the pivots or charts, it is then sufficient to click on "Refresh" to have the live data.

The data for the project tasks are available in the tab "Tasks" and the principle is the same as with the projects.