31:[{"id":"94ceaa2a919773e19804d9d6537464b45c7f407402d2fd7f55aabf84fc8cfdaa1473af114741ee9405e6686d99ec6f444ac9b9b2f3a34db85e7f3216a7ebaeb2","href":"https://static.observableusercontent.com/files/94ceaa2a919773e19804d9d6537464b45c7f407402d2fd7f55aabf84fc8cfdaa1473af114741ee9405e6686d99ec6f444ac9b9b2f3a34db85e7f3216a7ebaeb2","name":"excel.jpg","type":"image/jpeg","lastModified":1637017969759.59,"size":240127},{"id":"7136b4e239c10689fac962f250d8bd5f333fb226887fcc508f52a0013ef08d8f7b5100b6786281c8a4c497d4b2c8d2945441fa26cbfd6fcf749813de8eec53ea","href":"https://static.observableusercontent.com/files/7136b4e239c10689fac962f250d8bd5f333fb226887fcc508f52a0013ef08d8f7b5100b6786281c8a4c497d4b2c8d2945441fa26cbfd6fcf749813de8eec53ea","name":"Google cloud files.mp4","type":"video/mp4","lastModified":1637017969759.59,"size":512566},{"id":"f9dd123764a3303f30883d20fcccff45f3cb23357251e4d8d4f99dcb0b0ab9ee5efa09be3512d9a6b83f136c1b490d810240fefa0ed8e47b0b81ede056ed70c2","href":"https://static.observableusercontent.com/files/f9dd123764a3303f30883d20fcccff45f3cb23357251e4d8d4f99dcb0b0ab9ee5efa09be3512d9a6b83f136c1b490d810240fefa0ed8e47b0b81ede056ed70c2","name":"multiplayer_fluid_dataviz.mp4","type":"video/mp4","lastModified":1637017969759.59,"size":37393157}] 2f:{"title":"Spreadsheet-based data collaboration gets supercharged with Observable","cells":[{"id":0,"value":"# Spreadsheet-based data collaboration gets supercharged with Observable","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"md"},{"id":196,"value":"
\n

\n \n\n","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"html"},{"id":38,"value":"md `---`","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":33,"value":"Spreadsheets are awesome! They have been [around for decades](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spreadsheet), and with [~750M to 2B users](https://askwonder.com/research/number-google-sheets-users-worldwide-eoskdoxav) globally, nothing has been able to replace the simple yet powerful spreadsheet for *thinking with data*. \n\n\nThe data-based decision making journey nearly always involves a spreadsheet — where data is generated, or is brought in from other sources (databases, sales and CRM systems, etc.) and managed — for exploration, analysis and visualization.","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"md"},{"id":113,"value":"Spreadsheets are traditionally most effective for use cases involving primarily a single user and a single data source. However, working with them becomes increasingly tedious and complex when there are multiple people with different levels of expertise that need to work on data from multiple sources in real time. \nThey are also not as effective when more complex visualizations are needed to explain the insights. ","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"md"},{"id":257,"value":"In addition, charts from spreadsheet apps are either copied into reports as static screenshots, or you have to ETL (extract-transform-load) the data into other visualization apps to create interactive dashboards, all of which makes collaboration and fast iteration for decision-making extremely difficult.\n
","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"md"},{"id":121,"value":"[Observable](https://observablehq.com/product) aims to make the end-to-end data-insights journey collaborative and efficient for cross-functional teams working with different types of data. We've recently added two new features to ***specifically address and streamline the end-to-end spreadsheet-based workflows***: [***Cloud Files***](https://observablehq.com/@observablehq/cloud-files) and [***xlsx parser***](https://observablehq.com/@observablehq/xlsx). \n","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"md"},{"id":5,"value":"With these new features, you can quickly pull data in from **different spreadsheets** with different sources — cloud-connected, or uploaded from your local filesystem — into **one data canvas** to seamlessly analyze and visualize that data, **together with your teammates**, **in real-time**. \n\n
","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"md"},{"id":192,"value":"

Connecting a Google Sheet to a notebook.

\n\n\n
","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"html"},{"id":321,"value":"You can easily collaborate with data scientists, business analysts, developers, and other cross-functional stakeholders on your team because *sharing is a simple button click* on Observable - no installation or configuration is needed. \n","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"md"},{"id":269,"value":"Because Observable allows [multiplayer editing](https://observablehq.com/@observablehq/multiplayer-editing), you can be refining the data accompanying the spreadsheet, while other teammates are creating a bar chart or scatterplot, or adding prose to the report, at the same time, all in the *same data canvas*.","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"md"},{"id":285,"value":"With Observable's built-in [dataflow](https://observablehq.com/d/ce081706bb60257b?collection=@observablehq/visual-dataflow) functionality, your charts and graphs will *automatically* update when the data (from the live-connected spreadsheet) is refreshed. \n\n
","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"md"},{"id":347,"value":"

Real-time questions asked with iterative data viz.

\n\n
","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"html"},{"id":298,"value":"### More about Cloud Files and the xlsx Parser","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"md"},{"id":124,"value":"\n[***Cloud Files***](https://observablehq.com/@observablehq/cloud-files) make it possible for your Observable data canvas to have a *live connection* to a spreadsheet stored in a public (or private) cloud provider, so you can access your data directly and conveniently from an Observable data canvas. With the live reference, there is no ETL process to get the data into the canvas, and you always have the latest data available for analysis.\n","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"md"},{"id":148,"value":"The [***xlsx parser***](https://observablehq.com/@observablehq/xlsx), allows you to attach a file in the `.xlsx` open format directly into an Observable canvas to begin exploring, analyzing and visualizing it, without the need for tedious parsing. For example, when you attach a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet to a canvas, it will automatically be parsed correctly so you can seamlessly use your workbook data to start or continue your data analysis and visualization journey. \n\n","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"md"},{"id":152,"value":"\nThese new features are in addition to existing data access options including [File Attachments](https://observablehq.com/@observablehq/file-attachments), [Database Connectors](https://observablehq.com/@observablehq/databases), as well as [Secrets](https://observablehq.com/@observablehq/secrets) for securely accessing data via private APIs.\n
","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"md"},{"id":273,"value":"We're excited to *super-charge the power of spreadsheets* with *real-time collaboration* and *interactive dataviz*, so teams can stop worrying about wrangling with tools, and make better data-driven business decisions, faster and collaboratively, in one place, on Observable. \n\n
","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"md"},{"id":265,"value":"If you’re interested in following along with the latest updates on the community, you can subscribe [here](https://observablehq.com/@observablehq/blog-subscribe), and join us at one of our upcoming [Meetups](https://www.meetup.com/observablehq).","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"md"},{"id":81,"value":"md `
\n\n---\n`","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":74,"value":"banner(\"Interested in learning more about collaborating with data?\", \"Sign up for free\", \"https://observablehq.com/product\")","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":76,"value":"md `
\n\n---\n`","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"},{"id":78,"value":"import {banner} from \"@observablehq/brand-assets\"","pinned":false,"hidden":false,"mode":"ojs"}],"files":"$W31","stdlib":"1","titling":"auto"}