Optimize Performance for Large Models in OfficeConnect

Speed up OfficeConnect reports that are slow to refresh — reduce formula count, use efficient time contexts, and configure workbook settings for large Adaptive Planning models.
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OfficeConnect reports can slow down significantly when workbooks contain hundreds of formulas pulling from large Adaptive Planning models. Refresh times of 30–60 seconds are common in unoptimized workbooks; the techniques below typically cut that to under 10 seconds for the same data.

What you’ll need:

  • OfficeConnect connected to an Adaptive Planning tenant
  • A workbook that is currently slow to refresh (more than 15 seconds)

1. Reduce the number of OfficeConnect formulas

The single biggest performance factor is formula count. Each OfficeConnect formula is a separate server call during refresh.

  1. Use rollup accounts instead of leaf accounts. If you’re reporting on 50 leaf-level expense accounts when a single “Total Operating Expenses” rollup account would suffice, replace them. One rollup formula = one server call instead of 50.
  2. Delete unused rows and columns. Workbooks accumulate leftover OfficeConnect formulas in hidden rows or off-screen columns. Select unused areas, delete the cells entirely (not just clear contents), and save.
  3. Consolidate time contexts. If every data cell has its own Time element, replace them with a single Time element in the header row that all data cells reference. OfficeConnect reads the shared element rather than re-querying time for each cell.

2. Use summary time periods instead of month-by-month

  1. A report showing 24 monthly columns (2 years of months) makes many more server calls than a report showing 8 quarterly columns covering the same period. If your use case allows quarterly or annual granularity, switch to it — refresh time drops proportionally.
  2. For trend reports that must show months, consider building two separate sheets: a summary sheet with quarterly data (fast refresh, for sharing) and a detail sheet with monthly data (slower, used only when drilling in).

3. Enable background refresh

  1. In the OfficeConnect ribbon, click Workbook Properties. Look for a Refresh section and enable Background Refresh if available in your version. Background refresh lets Excel remain responsive while the data loads, instead of freezing the UI.

4. Avoid volatile Excel functions in the same sheet

  1. Excel functions like NOW(), TODAY(), RAND(), and OFFSET() recalculate on every keystroke, which can trigger OfficeConnect recalculations repeatedly. Move these functions to a separate sheet, or replace them with static values where possible.

5. Limit the Level scope

  1. If your report pulls data for all Levels (all departments) in a large org hierarchy, consider adding a Level filter to scope it to the levels your audience actually needs. A report scoped to a single division refreshes much faster than one showing all 200 cost centers.

Tip: Use the Cell Explorer (OfficeConnect ribbon → Cell Explorer) to inspect any slow-refreshing cell. It shows exactly which elements the formula is querying — account, version, time, level, and dimensions. This is the fastest way to spot an unexpectedly broad query.

6. Check your network and tenant performance

  1. OfficeConnect refresh performance is partly determined by Adaptive Planning server response time. If refresh is slow even on a simple workbook, check:
    • Whether other users are running large reports or processes on the tenant at the same time (peak usage hours are slower)
    • Your network connection to Workday’s servers (VPN can add latency)
    • Whether your Adaptive Planning model has recently been optimized (contact your admin)