How to Connect to & Open SAP SuccessFactors LMS Data in Microsoft Excel

Jerod Johnson
Jerod Johnson
Director, Technology Evangelism
This article uses the CData ODBC driver for SAP SuccessFactors LMS to import data in Excel with Microsoft Query. This article also demonstrates how to use parameters with Microsoft Query.

The CData ODBC driver for SAP SuccessFactors LMS uses the standard ODBC interface to link SAP SuccessFactors LMS data with applications like Microsoft Access and Excel. Follow the steps below to use Microsoft Query to import SAP SuccessFactors LMS data into a spreadsheet and provide values to a parameterized query from cells in a spreadsheet.

If you have not already, first specify connection properties in an ODBC DSN (data source name). This is the last step of the driver installation. You can use the Microsoft ODBC Data Source Administrator to create and configure ODBC DSNs.

SAP SuccessFactors LMS uses OAuth authentication. Before connecting, you must configure an OAuth application tied to your SAP SuccessFactors LMS account.

To establish a connection, set the following properties:

  • User: Your SAP SuccessFactors LMS username.
  • CompanyId: Your SAP SuccessFactors company identifier.
  • Url: The SAP SuccessFactors API URL (e.g., https://api4.successfactors.com).
  • OAuthClientId: The client Id assigned when you registered your custom OAuth application.
  • OAuthClientSecret: The client secret assigned when you registered your custom OAuth application.

See the Getting Started chapter of the help documentation for a guide to creating a custom OAuth app and using OAuth.

You can then work with live SAP SuccessFactors LMS data in Excel.

NOTE: In recent versions of Excel, Microsoft Query is not visible by default. To enable visibility, Navigate to Options > Data and check From Microsoft Query (Legacy) under the Show legacy data import wizards section.

  1. In Excel, open the Data tab and choose Get Data -> Legacy Wizards -> From Microsoft Query (Legacy).
  2. Choose the SAPSuccessFactorsLMS DSN. Select the option to use Query Wizard to create/edit queries.
  3. In the Query Wizard, expand the node for the table you would like to import into your spreadsheet. Select the columns you want to import and click the arrow to add them to your query. Alternatively, select the table name to add all columns for that table.
  4. The Filter Data page allows you to specify criteria. For example, you can limit results by setting a date range.
  5. If you want to use parameters in your query, select the option to edit the query in Microsoft Query.
  6. To set a parameter in the query, you will need to modify the SQL statement directly. To do this, click the SQL button in the Query Editor. If you set filter criteria earlier, you should have a WHERE clause already in the query.

    To use a parameter, use a "?" character as the wildcard character for a field's value in the WHERE clause. For example, if you are importing the Items, you can set "Active=?".

  7. Close the SQL dialog when you are finished editing the SQL statement. You will be prompted to enter a parameter value. In the next step, you will select a cell to provide this value. So, leave the box in the dialog blank.
  8. Click File -> Return Data to Microsoft Excel. The Import Data dialog is displayed. Enter a cell where results should be imported.

  9. Close the Import Data dialog. You will be prompted to enter a parameter value. Click the button next to the parameter box to select a cell. Select the option to automatically refresh the spreadsheet when the value changes.
The data is now imported into Excel. When you change the value in cell B1, the data will be filtered by the specified search criteria.

Ready to get started?

Download a free trial of the SAP SuccessFactors LMS ODBC Driver to get started:

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SAP SuccessFactors LMS Icon SAP SuccessFactors LMS ODBC Driver

The SAP SuccessFactors LMS ODBC Driver is a powerful tool that allows you to connect with live data from SAP SuccessFactors LMS, directly from any applications that support ODBC connectivity.

Access SAP SuccessFactors LMS data like you would a database - read, write, and update SAP SuccessFactors LMS 0, etc. through a standard ODBC Driver interface.