What do you mean that ExcelCube is not an add-in?
There is nothing about ExcelCube that is added to an Excel workbook or worksheet. ExcelCube stands outside of the Excel files and doesn’t require that the files be open in order to work. ExcelCube accesses the workbooks directly, adds the data together, and places the consolidated data into new workbooks.
How does row 10 on one worksheet get added to row 20 on another worksheet?
It doesn’t. Row 10 will remain the same row across all of the corresponding worksheets in all of the workbooks. This uniformity is what enables ExcelCube to add up 100 workbooks without any linking formulas or databases. It also makes available the Cross Section reporting without setting up any additional data structures. And Maintenance is available to change all the files from editing just one of them.
What if some of the entities represented by Excel workbooks use only a few of the rows that are used by other entities?
There is no waste in having a worksheet that is sparsely populated with data. The difference in time that ExcelCube uses between a workbook that is nearly empty of data and a full one makes up a fraction of a second. The uniformity of all of the worksheets across the files is a strength, allowing the consolidation structure to be changed by simply using a mouse. No re-identification of what rows are to go where is necessary.
Without linking formulas to show cells added together, how can I tell if the cells are added correctly?
The same way that the answers are verified with linking formulas. The consolidation structure shows the paths of the input level files added into the consolidated levels. Adding the cells of a few input level worksheets and comparing the answer with the same cells in the consolidated worksheet will confirm the answers. By looking at the consolidation path across workbooks, only one parameter has to be followed and checked, as opposed to all of the links that would be used to tie worksheets across files.
What about adding a record of corrections, such as eliminations, to the original data?
Empty workbooks placed into the consolidation structure can be used to place and keep separate additional data on top of original values. In the case of financial eliminations, credit values can be entered into the blank worksheets. These values will always be added into a consolidation during a calculation.