Integrating with Word, Excel, Outlook, PDF

for Office Automation

John Chun, PhD PMP
Director, IT
Takeda Pharmaceuticals International Co.

Cheryl Budaj
Sr. Manager, IT Operations
Takeda Pharmaceuticals International Co.

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 We Aspire to Cure Cancer™
• Fully integrated biopharmaceutical company
• Founded in 1993
– Based in Cambridge, MA with approximately 1,400 employees
– Wholly-owned subsidiary of Takeda Pharmaceuticals since May 2008

• Focused exclusively in oncology

• VELCADE® (bortezomib) for Injection
– Treatment for multiple myeloma and relapsed mantle cell lymphoma

• MEPACT® (mifamurtide) powder for infusion

– Treatment for Osteosarcoma in Europe and Switzerland

• http://www.millennium.com

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Agenda

Objective – what were we trying to accomplish?

Motivation – why did we do this?

Solution – how did we do this?

Tips

Top Takeaways

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Objective

Script

Automation

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Motivation

• Deployed ServiceNow in 2012 – 2013

• Validated Incident, Problem, Change, Configuration per FDA regulations
• Lots of documentation: requirements, specifications, test scripts, traceability matrix
• Documentation was labor intensive, time consuming, and error prone
• Had to find a better way…

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Solution – Requirements Tracker

• Built Requirements Tracker in ServiceNow

Multiple apps

State driven

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Solution – Overview of exporting to Word templates

1. Install ServiceNow ODBC driver on PC

2. Connect to ServiceNow database using Word VBA and ADO
– VBA (Visual Basic for Application)
– ADO (ActiveX Data Objects)
3. Query ServiceNow database
4. Format data using HTML + CSS
5. Insert formatted contents in Word
6. Post processing Script
– Update Table of Contents
Automation
– Clean up Document Properties

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Solution – Prepare Word VBA

1. In Word, ensure the Developer menu is visible

2. Go to Developer > Visual Basic
3. Go to Tools > References…
4. Add the following references
– Visual Basic for Application
– Microsoft Office 12.0 Object Library
– Microsoft Word 12.0 Object Library
– Microsoft ActiveX Data Objects 6.0 Library
Versions may vary depending on the version of Office

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Solution – Open ServiceNow Database

• Install ServiceNow ODBC driver (match 32/64-bit to Office)

http://wiki.servicenow.com?title=ODBC_Driver
• Create ODBC connection in Control Panel > Administrative Tools
• Open database connection in VBA
Dim cn As ADODB.Connection
Set cn = New ADODB.Connection
With cn
.ConnectionString = "DSN=ODBC_Name;uid=admin;pwd=admin;"
.Open
End With

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Solution – Query ServiceNow Database

• Query database
Dim rs As New ADODB.Recordset
rs.Open "SELECT COUNT(*) CNT FROM incident", cn
s = "" 'string to build
Do While Not rs.EOF
s = s & rs(0) & vbCrLf 'keep building string
rs.MoveNext
Loop 'iterate over all records
rs.Close
Set rs = Nothing 'clean up

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Solution – Create Word Documents

• Simple insert
Selection.Text = s

• Find & Replace – mimic Mail Merge

Selection.HomeKey Unit:=wdStory 'put cursor at top
If Selection.find.Execute(FindText:=find) Then Selection.Text = s

• Insert HTML
PutHTMLClipboard s 'helper function to put HTML content to clipboard
Selection.PasteSpecial , , , , WdPasteDataType.wdPasteHTML

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Solution – Export to PDF

• Export to PDF
ActiveDocument.ExportAsFixedFormat _
OutputFileName:= strFileName, _
ExportFormat:= wdExportFormatPDF, _
OpenAfterExport:=True, _
OptimizeFor:= wdExportOptimizeForPrint, _
Range:=wdExportAllDocument, _
FROM:=1, To:=1, _
Item:=wdExportDocumentContent, _
IncludeDocProps:=True, _
CreateBookmarks:=wdExportCreateNoBookmarks, _
DocStructureTags:=True, _
BitmapMissingFonts:=True

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Solution – Protect Document

• Protect with a Password

ActiveDocument.SaveAs FileName:=strFileName, _
Password:=strOpenPwd, _ 'password for opening file
WritePassword:=strModPwd 'password for saving file

• Protect with a Digital Signature

ActiveDocument.Signatures.AddNonVisibleSignature
Dim sig As Signature
Set sig = ActiveDocument.Signatures.Add 'open dialog box to add signature
sig.AttachCertificate = True
ActiveDocument.Signatures.Commit

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Solution – Create Excel Spreadsheets

• In Excel, create a table from a record set

– Add reference to “Microsoft ActiveX Data Objects 6.0 Library”
– Use the same code for record set used previously for Word
Set ws = ActiveSheet
'add column headings
For iCol = 1 to rs.Fields.Count
ws.Cells(1, iCol).Value = rs.Fields(iCol - 1).Name
ws.Cells(1, iCol).Font.Bold = True
Next
ws.Range("A2").CopyFromRecordset rs 'paste record set

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Solution – Create PowerPoint from Excel

• Export Excel data range or chart to PowerPoint

– Add reference to “Microsoft PowerPoint 12.0 Object Library”

Set ppt = New PowerPoint.Application

ppt.Activate
Set pres = ppt.Presentations.Add 'add new presentation
Set slide = pres.Slides.Add(1, ppLayoutBlank) 'add new slide
Range(rangeName).CopyPicture xlScreen, xlPicture
ActiveSheet.ChartObjects(chartName).Chart.CopyPicture xlScreen, xlPicture
Set shapes = slide.Shapes
shapes.Paste 'paste data or chart as picture
pres.SaveAs fileName

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Solution – Create Outlook Email

• In Word, compose and send an Outlook email

– Add reference to “Microsoft Outlook 12.0 Object Library”
– Can create mail, contact, task, appointment, note, journal, etc.
Set olook = New Outlook.Application
Set mail = olook.CreateItem(olMailItem)
mail.To = "[email protected]"
mail.Cc = "[email protected]"
mail.Subject = "Hello world"
mail.HTMLBody = htmlString 'composed from dynamic content
mail.Display
mail.Send

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Alternate Solutions

VBA Web Client Web Server

Visual Basic for Application Use JavaScript for Use server-side
Office automation Office component

• Easy to start • JavaScript library can • Requires third-party

be shared commercial Office
• Single user component (Aspose,
• Multi users Syncfusion, etc.)
• Hard to maintain
• Need client ODBC • Alternatively, use
driver XML + XSLT to create
DOCX from
• Use web services ServiceNow server

Improved performance and scalability

Source Information Here

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Tips – ODBC

• Match 32/64-bit ODBC driver to the installed Office

• ODBC driver is from Progress Software; get their manual (some in manual incorrect)
– http://media.datadirect.com/download/docs/openaccess/alloa/sqlref/wwhelp/wwhimpl/js/html/wwhelp.htm

• Use SQL Query tool: Toad Data Point Freeware (renewable 120-day license)
– http://toadworld.com/m/freeware/547.aspx

• Use care when running ODBC queries on PRODUCTION

– They’re read-only, but may impact performance; consider using data warehouse

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Tips – VBA

• To learn VBA, use the Record Macro feature

– Caution: recorded macros may be unwieldy

• VBA code can be stored in document itself or Word application – choose wisely

• Learn Word object model, properties, methods

– Get VBAWD12.chm help file (http://microsoft.com/download/details.aspx?id=22719) and books

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Top Takeaways

Use ServiceNow for ITSM, SRM, BPM, ALM, etc.

Integrate with Microsoft Office automation

Automation

Export ServiceNow contents in popular

Office formats with unlimited possibilities!

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 John Chun, PhD PMP Cheryl Budaj
Director, IT Sr. Manager, IT Operations
Takeda Pharmaceuticals Takeda Pharmaceuticals
International Co. International Co.
[email protected] [email protected]

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