How to Use OLE in Exchequer to Pull and Push Data with Excel in 2026

If you already use Excel alongside Exchequer, there’s a good chance you’re familiar with OLE — but you may not be using everything it can do.

OLE can do much more than simply pull figures from Exchequer into a spreadsheet. As well as giving you access to Exchequer data for reporting and analysis, supported OLE functions can also write certain information back into the system, making it particularly useful for repetitive or bulk updates.

You may already be making full use of it, but if your OLE spreadsheets were built several years ago and haven’t been revisited since, it could be worth taking another look at what’s available.

In this guide, we’ll explain how OLE works, how to build your first data query and some of the ways you could use it to reduce manual work between Exchequer and Excel.

What Is OLE in Exchequer?

OLE, or Object Linking and Embedding, creates a link between Exchequer and Microsoft Excel, allowing you to work with Exchequer information from within a familiar spreadsheet environment.

You can use it to retrieve information for reporting and analysis across areas including:

• Sales and Purchase Ledger balances
• General Ledger balances
• Stock
• Locations
• Jobs
• Custom job figures
• Customer information
• Supplier information

But OLE isn’t limited to retrieving information.

Where the appropriate OLE Save functions are available within your setup, certain information can also be written back into Exchequer.

This might include areas such as:

• Stock descriptions
• Stock prices
• Budgets
• Nominal journals
• Address details
• Area codes

That can make OLE particularly useful where you need to make a large number of similar changes that would otherwise need to be entered individually within Exchequer.

 Before You Start: Check You Have the OLE Add-In

To use Exchequer OLE within Excel, the Exchequer OLE client/add-ins must be installed.

Within Excel, you should be able to see:

Add-Ins > Exchequer

If the Exchequer option isn’t available, the OLE client may need to be installed or configured.

You’ll also need:

• Access to the relevant OLE functionality within Exchequer
• A valid Exchequer login
• The appropriate permissions for the information you want to retrieve or update

If you’re not sure whether OLE is installed or whether you have the right access, speak to whoever manages Exchequer within your organisation or contact the HBP Exchequer Support team.

Step 1: Start with Your Company Code

When building an OLE spreadsheet, start by entering your Exchequer company code in cell A1.

This is the company code you see within the Multi Company Manager when logging into Exchequer.

Using one dedicated cell for the company code makes it much easier to build formulas that consistently reference the correct company.

You can then lock that reference within your formulas so it remains unchanged as formulas are copied through the spreadsheet.

Step 2: Use the Data Query Wizard

One of the easiest ways to start bringing Exchequer information into Excel is through the Data Query Wizard.

In Excel:

1. Go to Add-Ins
2. Select Exchequer
3. Choose the type of data you want to retrieve

Depending on your setup, you can retrieve information relating to areas such as:

• Cost Centres
• Customers
• Departments
• General Ledger Codes
• Jobs
• Locations
• Stock
• Suppliers

For example, if you select Customers, the Data Query Wizard will ask which Exchequer company you want to work with and prompt you to log in.

You can then choose whether to apply filters or retrieve the full list.

Once the query has run, Excel will populate the relevant customer account codes.

Step 3: Use OLE Functions to Pull Additional Fields

• Customer codes on their own are useful, but usually you’ll want to bring additional information into the spreadsheet too.

  This is where Exchequer’s OLE functions come in.

  In Excel:

  1. Select Insert Function (fx)
  2. Choose User Defined
  3. Select the relevant Exchequer OLE function

  Depending on what you’re working with, you may be able to retrieve information such as:

  • Customer name
  • Address
  • Account balance
  • Telephone number
  • Default Cost Centre

  The function will ask for the information it needs to identify the correct record.

  That might include:

  • Company Code
  • Customer Code
  • Line Number, where applicable

  Once the formula is built, you can copy it down through the spreadsheet to retrieve the relevant information for each record.
  
  

Tip: Lock Your Cell References

When building your formulas, make use of Excel’s fixed cell references.

For example, you might want to:

• Lock the company code to cell A1
• Lock the column containing your customer or supplier codes
• Leave the row number free to change as you copy formulas down

Using F4 within Excel can help you switch between relative and absolute cell references.

Getting this right at the beginning makes larger OLE spreadsheets much easier to maintain.

Where Do You Find the Right OLE Function? 

Exchequer includes an OLE Help library containing details of the functions available.

Within Exchequer:

1. Go to Help
2. Select Help Contents
3. Open Exchequer OLE Help
4. Navigate to OLE Functions
5. Select Categorical Reference

Functions are grouped into areas such as:

• Customer Gets
• Supplier Gets
• General Ledger Gets
• Job Cost Gets
• Stock & Location Gets
• Saves

Each function explains what information it needs, what it returns and any additional parameters that need to be supplied.

If you want to build more advanced or tailored OLE spreadsheets, this library is a useful place to start.

Writing Data Back into Exchequer with OLE Saves

One of the more powerful areas of OLE is the ability to use supported Save functions to write certain information back into Exchequer.

For example, you might want to make a large number of changes to customer address information.

The basic process is similar to retrieving data:

1. Insert a new User Defined function
2. Select the appropriate OLE Save function
3. Supply the information required by the function

Depending on the function, this may include:

• Company Code
• Customer Code
• Line Number
• The cell containing the new value

When the Save function executes, the information is written back into the relevant Exchequer record.

This can make large updates significantly quicker than opening and editing records individually.

Important: Take Care When Using OLE Saves 

OLE Save functions can be extremely useful, but they should be used carefully because they can make changes to your live Exchequer data.

They can also run again when the spreadsheet recalculates.

That means an old spreadsheet containing active Save formulas could potentially repeat an update when it is reopened or recalculated.

Before carrying out a large or business-critical update, it’s therefore good practice to:

• Double-check the Exchequer company you’re working with
• Check the records and values being updated
• Test the process on a small number of records first
• Make sure you understand exactly what the selected Save function will change
• Check the results in Exchequer after your test
• Remove or disable the Save formulas once the update has been completed and checked

For more advanced spreadsheets, it’s also possible to use Excel logic such as IF statements to give you greater control over when a Save function is allowed to run.

If you’re unsure about carrying out a large update through OLE, speak to the HBP Exchequer team first.

Real-World Example: Bulk Price Increases 

Imagine you have hundreds of stock records that all need their selling prices updating.

You could open each stock item individually in Exchequer and manually enter the new price.

Or, where your OLE setup supports the appropriate Save functions, you could:

1. Pull the existing stock information into Excel
2. Use an Excel formula to calculate the new prices
3. Review and approve the values
4. Use the appropriate OLE Save function to write the changes back into Exchequer
5. Check the results before removing or disabling the Save formulas

For example, if prices need to increase by 10%, Excel can calculate the new values across the entire list before anything is written back.

For a large number of records, this can turn a repetitive data-entry exercise into a much more manageable process.

Are You Only Using OLE to Pull Data?

Reporting is one of the most obvious uses for OLE, but that isn’t necessarily where its usefulness ends.

If your team already uses OLE to bring Exchequer information into Excel, it may be worth reviewing whether there are other repetitive processes it could help with too.

Depending on the functionality available within your setup, that might include:

• Updating stock information
• Maintaining budgets
• Creating Nominal Ledger journals
• Updating customer information
• Carrying out larger data-maintenance exercises
• Producing recurring Excel-based reports using Exchequer information

You may already be making full use of OLE.

But if the spreadsheets your team relies on were created a long time ago, or your processes have changed since they were originally built, it’s worth asking whether they still make the best use of the functionality available.

Is OLE the Right Tool for Every Exchequer Report?

Not necessarily.

OLE is particularly useful when you want to work with Exchequer information inside Excel, carry out further analysis using Excel functionality or, where supported, write certain information back into the system.

If your main requirement is to create or customise a formatted report from Exchequer data, Exchequer Visual Report Writer may be a better fit.

Visual Report Writer allows users to create and adapt reports around the information they need without necessarily building everything within Excel.

Read our guide to using Exchequer Visual Report Writer >

The right option ultimately depends on what you’re trying to achieve.

Why Use Exchequer OLE?

OLE can be particularly useful for businesses looking to:

• Build more flexible Excel-based reporting
• Work with Exchequer data in a familiar spreadsheet environment
• Carry out bulk data updates more efficiently
• Reduce repetitive manual data entry
• Perform more detailed analysis using Excel formulas and logic

The real value comes from combining Exchequer data with the flexibility of Excel.

And even if you’ve been using OLE for years, it can be worth periodically reviewing how you use it to see whether there are other processes it could help simplify.

Need Help Getting More from Exchequer OLE?

OLE is a powerful tool, but getting the most from it often comes down to how the spreadsheets and functions have been set up.

At The HBP Group, we can help with areas including:

• Installing and configuring the Exchequer OLE client
• Building and improving OLE reports
• Training users on OLE functionality
• Supporting bulk-update processes
• Creating more advanced Excel formulas and workflows

If there’s a report or repetitive process you think OLE could help with, speak to your Account Manager or the HBP Exchequer team and we can help you understand what’s possible within your existing setup.