We use Excel 2010 and we do not have a SharePoint site.

I have a company wide budget that I would like to have all my dept managers share. I would like them to update their department but NOT be able to get to or see the other department's since it has salary info on it. I have used shared workbooks but all the users could see all the pages. How is the best way to get each dept head's sheets updated so that I don't have to copy all the new data into the compilation workbook?

I appreciate any advice.



Thanks
RR

Hi
I would suggest you create one workbook for each department.
The create a Master Workbook which you only have access to. You could then have a separate Worksheet for each department where all the data you want to see for each department is linked for each department.

For example:
You have a separate workbook for Dept 1.
You open the relevant worksheet in the Workbook for Dept 1 and select Ctrl+A to select all of the data on that worksheet.
Then select Ctrl+C to copy the data.
Go to you Master Workbook and select the worksheet you have earmarked for Dept 1 and right click in Cell A1 and select Paste Special.
Then Select Paste Link.
This will link the data from Dept 1's workbook to your master.
Any changes in the worksheet for Dept 1 are automatically updated in the Master without the master being open (as long as they are on the same network).
You can do this for each department.
Hope this helps.
Good luck.
Tony

Thanks Tony,

When I try that I get an error the reads "Excel cannot complet this task with available resources. Choose less data or close other applications.

I'm not on a server yet, still just on one PC until I see how this fits my co's situation. I have a pretty big and robust PC and using Excel 2010. I really need to have all the data captured. My spreadsheet goes to AJ750 with only about a third of the cells containing formulae so I don't consider that extraordinarily large.How do I get around this?

Thanks again for your advice.
RR

As a follow-up I reduced the size of the Dept worksheet to only about 10 cells and tried to Paste in the link and got the very same error.

RR

That suggests a problem with your Office installation. Try repairing it (via Help|Detect & Repair in any Office app).

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]