Using Excel to create an EA dashboard
A simple example of an EA dashboard, to show how you can create your own and show the information in your EA model to your project team
Most EA models contain a heap of really useful information. Not just for the owners of the model, but for lots of other people in your project team who’d like to know what’s going on.
Trouble is, getting information to some of these people can be hard: they may not ‘get’ UML or SysML diagrams. They may be spreadsheet, or even graph people!
But what kinds of information do these ‘other’ people want?
What a lot of people want to know is just ‘how’s it going?’. Or is there anything going on which they need to know about, that will require them do do something? So they need a highly processed form of EA information. Very often, these same people are interested in time-trends. “Do we have any more issues than last week – are they getting fixed? Are we done creating requirements yet , or are they still being discovered?
We can address lots of these requirements with a ‘dashboard’ approach: just collecting some of the key indicators of the project together, and presenting them in a simple way, which lets readers see quickly where they need to concentrate.

The Objective
In creating this dashboard we had three objectives:
- make it really quick to use: if there are 10 steps needed to look at the latest dashboard, then it just won’t get used
- it should be flexible, to allow for any EA data to be presented in almost any style
- it should have a time component: not just a snapshot of where we are now, but information which will let us see time trends.
The Bits
To make this work, you’ll need the following files:
- The Exploring eaDocX.EAP EA repository
- The Reports with Macros spreadsheet. This is available in two flavours: one with the macro code built in (which you might not be allowed to download) and one without (to which you’ll have to add the macro code yourself).
- The ‘Exploring – Advanced Reporting’ Word document
All these are available to download from Exploring eaDocX Downloads
The User Experience
Quick and simple.
Once the example is setup, the user opens the report, hits ‘Generate’ in eaDocX, and the latest report appears, with all data updated. Easy.
The Setup
We’ve tried to make this as simple as possible, but there are still a few bits of EA, eaDocX, Word and Excel which need to work together to deliver the simple user experience we described above.
This example will just look at the time-trend of some Issues in a single package of the repository. It might equally well look at Requirements status, Use Case completeness or test progress, but we chose Issues.
First, download all the files from the website: repository, Word Document and Spreadsheet.
Now, a little bit of adjustment is needed, so that the setup will work on your machine with your file system.

- Open the ‘Exploring eaDocX’ repository
- Open the ‘Exploring – Advanced Reports’ word document in eaDocX.
This will have two eaDocX sections:- ‘Raw_Data’ shows the current set of issues in the Package, so that you can check that the graph matches reality
- ‘Issues Trend’ has the Graph, which is pulled from a spreadsheet.
- The Issues_Trend eaDocX report will point to the location of the spreadsheet which we want to insert. This currently points to a location on my hard drive, so needs to point to yours.
- Double-click on the ‘Trend of Issues over time’ icon to edit the report
- If you were able/allowed to download the Excel file with the macros, then select ‘Dashboard with Macros’, and skip to step 7
- If you were not allowed/able to download the macro spreadsheet, then
- Open the ‘Dashboard without macros’ file, and create a macro called ‘updateSummary’,
- Copy & paste the code in Appendix A of the Word document. As you can see, all the macro does is, when called by the eaDocX Generator, puts a summary of the latest snapshot into a separate worksheet, ready to be graphed.
- That’s it!
Test it by adding a few more Issue elements to those in the Model/Excel Reports/Data for Advanced Reports/Issues folder, or change the status of some others, and re-generate the Word document.
How it Works
Just in case you’re interested in the behind-the-scenes magic…
The eaDocX Word document has this section called ‘Issues_Trend’, which is an Excel Report.
This report defines which Excel spreadsheet to open. The spreadsheet in turn knows that it’s an eaDocX spreadsheet, so knows how to get itself updated from its EA repository.
The spreadsheet has 4 pages:
- “Issues” has the raw data from EA. This wil get refreshed each time the document gets generated, so don’t make any changes to this worksheet – they will get overwritten
- “Processed Data” summarises the ‘Issues’ page, and so also gets updated each time ‘Issues’ is changed, just like any other spreadsheet
- When the macro runs, it just inserts a new line from ‘Processed data’ into ‘Summary‘, which
- “Summary Graph‘ makes into a chart.
When the document is re-generated, eaDocX:
- Finds the Excel Report Section
- Finds the spreadsheet to which it refers
- Updates that spreadsheet with the latest EA data. In this example, we just update one Worksheet, but you could have lots, each with it’s own set of EA data
- Finds that there is a Macro defined for this eaDocX Excel Report (in ‘Options’ tab), and runs that macro
- The macro could do anything you want. Pull data from another system, run a query, but in this case, it just creates a new line of summary data in the ‘Summary’ sheet
- This in turn causes the Summary Graph to update
- Finally, eaDocX pulls the nicely-updated Summary Graph into the word document, and adds scaling and some titles, if required.
All that, to deliver a really simple user experience:
More Insights
Only Connect - Exploring traceability in Sparx EA models
7 October 2021
This webinar explores how our documents can display traceability information captured in EA.
Learn MoreTraceability using Multi-hop Relationships
9 September 2021
Using eaDocX multi-hop relationships you can easily print the end points of 'virtual connectors' showing EA end-to-end traceability.
Learn MoreEnterprise Architect Tables: Using word table styles in EA
25 June 2021
This video shows how to apply Word table styles when you generate eaDocX documents from your Enterprise Architect models.
Learn MoreVideo Masterclass - Adding Detail to EA Matrix Reports with eaDocX
25 June 2021
With eaDocX you can format EA Matrix Reports in Word to include additional details and formatting. Here's how
Learn MoreVideo Masterclass - Creating documents from Model Views
25 June 2021
Use EA Model Views to create simple, flexible documents with eaDocX.
Learn MoreConditional Formatting Tool for Enterprise Architect
25 June 2021
Help readers find the things that need their attention, decisions and actions, with eaDocX conditional formatting.
Learn MoreVideo Masterclass - Attribute mapping with EA, eaDocX and Excel
25 June 2021
With eaDocX and Excel, it's easy to view, edit, create and even delete attribute/attribute links in Sparx EA.
Learn MoreEnterprise Architect Help: Choosing the right document structure
25 June 2021
eaDocX makes it easy to create exactly the document structure your readers need. Here's how...
Learn MoreEnterprise Architect User Guide - quick documents
22 June 2021
Video guides on how to create quick documents with EA's leading add-on, eaDocX.
Learn MoreDocuments in the Enterprise Architect Cloud
6 April 2021
eaDocX in the Cloud: Enterprise Architect document creating for EA SAAS environments
Learn MoreProducing Enterprise Architect RACI reporting
11 March 2021
Producing a RACI report from data held in EA, mapping stakeholders to any project deliverables is straightforward with eaDocX.
Learn MoreWhere to start with Enterprise Architect data modelling
19 October 2020
BPM Tips: Advice for the new modeller #1
Learn MoreProcess based model styles
25 August 2020
How to use BPMN and UML to make models which last.
Learn MoreModels matter - nearly as much as deliverables
25 August 2020
Models matter - nearly as much as model deliverables
Learn MoreImproving model quality using a Sparx EA reference model
25 August 2020
Maintain quality with tools to find and fix mechanical errors in your modelling
Learn MoreFixing your meta-model
25 August 2020
Advice for the new modeller #3 – Fixing your meta-model
Learn MoreHow much domain modelling is enough?
25 August 2020
Advice for the new modeller #2 – (not) Melting the Pan
Learn MoreWhat needs to be included in your EA model content?
25 August 2020
Advice for the new modeller #4 – (not) Modelling The World
Learn MoreKnowing when to give up
25 August 2020
Knowing when to step back makes for better Business Analysts
Learn MoreUsing Enterprise Architect to document decision making
25 August 2020
Make your models more useful for future modellers
Learn MoreBeck’s Map: an EA model abstraction example
25 August 2020
Possibly the best model abstraction in the world
Learn MoreSimplifying ideas in a BPMN Process Diagram
25 August 2020
How to find the right number of ideas to include in your model.
Learn MoreExplaining EA Sparx Systems to non-modellers
25 August 2020
Model driven analysis - the best way to define what we do?
Learn MoreHow to simplify BPMN Data Models
25 August 2020
Why simplifying your diagrams can actually make them more informative.
Learn MoreCreate useful models using the Sparx EA Tool
18 August 2020
Advice for the new modeller #3 - Producing useful outputs with your new EA tool.
Learn MoreBeginners guide to Enterprise Architect software
18 August 2020
Our advice for new EA modellers
Learn MoreUML Business Analyst Solutions
14 August 2020
Using UML to resolve inconsistencies, gaps and overlaps.
Learn MoreCleaning: How to Simplify Enterprise Architecture Models
14 August 2020
Model Curation Techniques # 1 - Cleaning your EA model before you let other people see it
Learn MoreIncluding Sparx EA Model Provenance
14 August 2020
Sparx EA model help to explain to others why your models look the way they do.
Learn MoreWhat to include in your Enterprise Architect documentation
29 July 2020
How to create documents which communicate your ideas efficiently and effectively to stakeholders.
Learn MoreOrganising an Enterprise Architect Model
28 July 2020
Seven ways to organise your EA models so that other people can understand them
Learn MoreChoosing Your UML Subset
27 July 2020
Narrowing down the modelling ideas in your Enterprise Architect model to make consistent, understandable models.
Learn MoreWebinar: Using Interactive Documents to Collate Sparx EA Model Feedback
17 July 2020
A webinar from the EA Global Summit 2020.
Learn MoreWebinar: How to successfully scale up your Enterprise Architect team
30 June 2020
A webinar from the EA Global Summit 2020.
Learn MoreNavigating Models: Enterprise Architect Help and Techniques
16 April 2020
EA Model Curation Techniques #2 - Making models easy to navigate.
Learn MoreValidation: Improving your Enterprise Architecture Model Structure
16 April 2020
EA Model Curation Techniques #3 - Validating your model
Learn MoreModelling techniques for business architecture software to explain general patterns
16 April 2020
Using object diagrams to explain general patterns with specifics.
Learn MoreHow to create personalised documents using Sparx document generation tools
16 November 2018
A guide to creating documents from Sparx EA models so everyone can engage with your work, project or deliverables.
Learn MoreDocument or Enterprise Architect Views?
21 May 2018
Create documents to be used by non-EA users instead of model views.
Learn MoreImprove your enterprise architecture model using colour
25 April 2018
Careful use of colour and shape makes models easier to digest.
Learn MoreModel curation techniques for EA Sparx Systems
6 March 2018
How cleaning, navigating and validating your EA model makes sharing and collaborating much more effective.
Learn MoreThe most re-used model components in Sparx Enterprise Architect.
20 October 2017
Why is the project summary the most read element in an EA model?
Learn MoreCreating a Glossary: Business Analyst Terminology
12 October 2017
Streamline your business understanding with shared definitions.
Learn MoreBusiness Process Analyst Styles
11 October 2017
Find out if you are a 'hard' or 'soft' Business Analyst.
Learn MoreHow to Print Sparx EA Connectors
18 October 2016
Structure your documents using the connectors in your Sparx model.
Learn MoreUsing Multi-hop relationships to display Branch/Merge with EA13
11 August 2016
One of the most common requests we see from new EA users is: "Why can’t I do branch/merge with EA?
Learn More