Using Qbyte Exchange

Qbyte Exchange Overview

Qbyte Exchange is a powerful tool that allows you to insert, update and retrieve data from Qbyte Financial using a Microsoft Excel Add-in. 

The Microsoft Excel Add-in for the Qbyte Exchange framework is deployed via the Microsoft Store.  The specific code for the Qbyte Financial functionality related to Qbyte Exchange is deployed via the general Qbyte Financial releases.

Qbyte Exchange Requirements

• To utilize Qbyte Exchange for Qbyte Financial, the Microsoft Excel Add-in must be downloaded from the Microsoft Store.  Refer to the Qbyte Exchange Setup section below for more information

• Office 365 or Office 2021 versions of Excel are required for Qbyte Exchange

• Both desktop and web-based versions of Excel are compatible with Qbyte Exchange

• For Qbyte hosting clients, Qbyte Exchange allows you to utilize your local version of Microsoft Excel (from your desktop) rather than using the IFS Hosted version of Microsoft Excel published for you on the hosting portal

• Qbyte Exchange for Qbyte Financial was introduced in version 23.2 of Qbyte Financial; therefore, your environment must be on 23.2 or greater of Qbyte Financial in order to utilize Qbyte Exchange

Qbyte Exchange Setup

To utilize Qbyte Exchange, you first need to download the Microsoft Excel Add-in from the Microsoft Store.  Note:  The Microsoft Excel Add-In is currently available to users residing in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.

• Open a new Excel Workbook from your local (desktop) version of Microsoft Excel

• Click on the Insert menu option 

• Click on the My Add-ins dropdown and choose See All...

• Click on the Store tab

• In the Search field, enter 'Qbyte' and invoke the search icon.  The Qbyte Exchange Add-in will be returned.  Note:  If you don't have access to the Microsoft Office Store, contact your internal Microsoft Office administrator.

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• Select the Add button

• The following Term window will be displayed; select the Continue button:

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• Now the Qbyte Exchange icon will appear on the far right-hand side of your 'Home' Excel ribbon:

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• After the initial setup, the first time you invoke the Qbyte Exchange Add-in you may encounter a welcome section before the login panel appears:

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• Select the Get Started button to display the login panel

Resetting Cache in Microsoft Add-ins

Sometimes resetting of cache may be necessary in Microsoft Addins to see changes.

If you need to reset cache copy all URLs to a different location before you begin as they will be lost with the refresh.

• Microsoft outlines steps to clear/reset the cache Clear the Office cache - Office Add-ins [https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/office/dev/add-ins/testing/clear-cache]

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• Restart Excel and bring in the Microsoft Excel Addin.

• The logo will show up properly in the excel toolbar

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Qbyte Exchange Inventory of Manifest File Changes

Updating Qbyte Exchange for Changes

When changes are made to the manifest file you will receive a message 'An update is required for this add-in'. 

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Click on Update now.

When the spreadsheet becomes available, click the Qbyte Exchange icon again and the login panel will display as normal.

Qbyte Exchange Login

In your Excel worksheet, when you invoke the Qbyte Exchange Add-in from your 'Home' Excel ribbon the login panel will appear.

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• Username - The username you use to sign into Qbyte Financial 

• Password - The password you use to sign into Qbyte Financial

• Server URL - The Server URL is the unique URL for the Qbyte Financial environment you want to access, whether that is your production or test environment. 

  • Log a ticket through the Customer Support Portal to request the server URLs for your production and test environments.

  • Once the Server URL is copied into the login panel, it will be saved, and you can select it from the dropdown the next time you log into Qbyte Exchange.

• Login - The Login button will log you into Qbyte Exchange for Qbyte Financial.

• Clear Saved URLs - The Clear Saved URLs button will remove all saved URLs from your Qbyte Exchange login panel.

After you select the Login button, the main Qbyte Exchange for Qbyte Financial menu will appear.

Qbyte Exchange for Qbyte Financial Menu and Roles

Once you have logged into Qbyte Exchange, the modules that appear are based on the roles assigned to you in Qbyte Financial.

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• The Business Associates module is displayed if you have Role 1 Business Associate Master Maintenance

• The Cost Centres module is displayed if you have Role 3 Cost Centre Maintenance

• The AFEs module is displayed if you have Role 4 AFE Master Maintenance and Processes

• The Allocations module is displayed if you have Role 71 Allocation Maintenance

• The Budgets module is displayed if you have Role 12 Budget and Forecast Maintenance and Processes

Select the module you want to work in.

Qbyte Exchange Excel Tips

Copying Rows

1. When duplicating an existing row by selecting the entire row (by selecting the row number) and pasting it to the next available row, Qbyte Exchange will ignore subsequent rows. Since the number of columns being copied extends past the number or columns in the table, copying this way will result in the table NOT expanding to include the new row.

2. To correct this, manually expand the table by clicking on the arrow, visible on the last column, and dragging the table to include the copied rows:

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       3. Alternatively, copy the row within the columns and paste to the next available row. Excel functionality tracks the rows inside the Excel Table on a spreadsheet and will recognize these cells being copied.

Default Theme for First Row Titles

1. When upgrading Microsoft office to a newer version, you may find the first title row is defaulting to a new color.

2. To change default title row colors back to the standard blue, in excel navigate to Page Layout > Themes

   1. Choose: Office 2013 – 2022 Theme

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