How to update SAP SuccessFactors from Excel

The CData Excel Add-In for SAP SuccessFactors enables you to edit and save SAP SuccessFactors data directly from Excel. This article explains how to transfer data from Excel to SAP SuccessFactors. This technique is useful if you want to work on SAP SuccessFactors data in Excel and update changes, or if you have a whole spreadsheet you want to import into SAP SuccessFactors. In this example, you will use the ExtAddressInfo table; however, the same process will work for any table that can be retrieved by the CData Excel Add-In.

Establish a Connection

If you have not already done so, create a new SAP SuccessFactors connection by clicking From SAP SuccessFactors on the ribbon.

You can authenticate to SAP Success Factors using Basic authentication or OAuth with SAML assertion.

Basic Authentication

You must provide values for the following properties to successfully authenticate to SAP Success Factors. Note that the provider will reuse the session opened by SAP Success Factors using cookies. Which means that your credentials will be used only on the first request to open the session. After that, cookies returned from SAP Success Factors will be used for authentication.

• Url: set this to the URL of the server hosting Success Factors. Some of the servers are listed in the SAP support documentation (external link).
• User: set this to the username of your account.
• Password: set this to the password of your account.
• CompanyId: set this to the unique identifier of your company.

OAuth Authentication

You must provide values for the following properties, which will be used to get the access token.

• Url: set this to the URL of the server hosting Success Factors. Some of the servers are listed in the SAP support documentation (external link).
• User: set this to the username of your account.
• CompanyId: set this to the unique identifier of your company.
• OAuthClientId: set this to the API Key that was generated in API Center.
• OAuthClientSecret: the X.509 private key used to sign SAML assertion. The private key can be found in the certificate you downloaded in Registering your OAuth Client Application.
• InitiateOAuth: set this to GETANDREFRESH.

Retrieve Data from SAP SuccessFactors

To insert data into SAP SuccessFactors, you will first need to retrieve data from the SAP SuccessFactors table you want to add to. This links the Excel spreadsheet to the SAP SuccessFactors table selected: After you retrieve data, any changes you make to the data are highlighted in red.

1. Click the From SAP SuccessFactors button on the CData ribbon. The Data Selection wizard is displayed.
2. In the Table or View menu, select the ExtAddressInfo table.
3. In the Maximum Rows menu, select the number of rows you want to retrieve. If you want to insert rows, you need to retrieve only one row. The Query box will then display the SQL query that corresponds to your request.
4. In the Sheet Name box, enter the name for the sheet that will be populated. By default the add-in will create a new sheet with the name of the table.

Insert Rows to SAP SuccessFactors

After retrieving data, you can add data from an existing spreadsheet in Excel.

1. In a cell after the last row, enter a formula referencing the corresponding cell from the other spreadsheet; for example, . 👁 A local copy of a table. One row will be inserted. (QuickBooks is shown.)
   
2. After using a formula to reference the cells you want to add to SAP SuccessFactors, select the cells that you are inserting data into and drag the formula down as far as needed. The referenced values you want to add will be displayed on the ExtAddressInfo sheet. 👁 The range of changes to update. (QuickBooks is shown.)
   
3. Highlight the rows you want to insert and click the Update Rows button.

As each row is inserted, the Id value will appear in the Id column and the row's text will change to black, indicating that the record has been inserted.