The Excel Add-In allows users to use formulas to pull Beacon values directly into Excel spreadsheets.


If you are updating the excel Add-in to the latest version you will need to uninstall the older version of the Add-In. To do this please see this Microsoft help guide on how to uninstall programs from your PC: 

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/uninstall-or-remove-apps-and-programs-in-windows-4b55f974-2cc6-2d2b-d092-5905080eaf98

After uninstalling the older version of the Add-in you can then follow the below steps.


To download the Excel Add-In on your computer for the first time, follow these steps:



1) Check your Excel Version


a) Open a new blank Excel file

b) From the tab bar, click File



c) From the left side menu options, select Account

d) Select About Excel



e) In the pop up the bold title will identify the version of Excel you have. Look for if your version is 32-bit or 64-bit. In the screenshot below, we see this is a 64-bit version. We will use this information when choosing what version of the Excel add-in to download.


2) Download Excel Add-In from the Beacon website


  •  Save and Close all open Excel files
  •  Login to Beacon Finance (Replace the ***** in this URL with your ICs acronym. For example, NIAID or NCI) 

            https://*****.netcomm.net/Beacon/Finance/AccountStructure.aspx

  • From the top tab menu, click Admin --> My Stuff

  •  Based on the version of Excel you have on your computer (see step 1) select from downloading the 32-bit or 64 bit. Based on the results from the example above, we would select the 64-bit version.
  •  After selecting from the 32-bit or 64-bit options, a zip folder will download onto your browser. Click Open



  •  From the pop-up screen, select Allow


  • Depending on your local security settings, you may get an additional security prompt. In this case, select More Info and Run Anyway.
  • On the subsequent screen click Next

  • When you see the "Installation Complete" message, you can press the close button and you are done!

3) Authentication and Use

  • When installation is complete, the NetComm Beacon Addin sub-menu will appear under Excel’s ADD-INS menu.

  • In a blank cell enter =Fy() and click enter
  • At that point, you will first be prompted for your PIV pin number before you can see data in your spreadsheet.
  • After authenticating, you will see a return value in the =fy() cell telling you which FY you have selected to see by default (you can make this and other selections on the Beacon Finance website). Initially, you will see #NA while the system loads.
  • To use NetComm spreadsheet functions in Excel at home, you must be on the NIH VPN and must be able to authenticate using your NIH PIV card. Please contact NetComm for more information.