[GIS] Excel sheet in Layout View

Question

We frequently have to update excel sheets that contain reports as number, images, and pie charts and import it in our data view in ArcMap (sometimes 13 times a day). We do it by copying the row/column from excel and paste in in ArcMap Layout view . We want to automate this task by linking excel to Layout view, using Insert–> Object and grab that excel file, you can save so much time and and step this way. The problem is when we do this, the excel file gets messed up. The alignment of the texts changes and some texts don't show up and so many other problems.

Is there any other way to do this and not lose the format from excel?

We have ArcMap 10.1.

Answer 1

Yes, you may do this by joining it based on a common ID column between excel and dbf or geodatabase feature class table.

1. Import/convert excel table to geodatabase and remove all fields except for joining field
2. Open up ArcMap and add geodatabase table to map
3. Right click on table in TOC>Properties>Joins and Relates>Joins and join table to excel table
4. Open attribute table of geodatabase table, select Options drop down and select Add table to Layout option

You may set alias names on joined table for excel columns. Updates in excel should reflect in map layout table.

Seems like the layout table width may shifts slightly and if you are adding new records to excel you will have to add those records and joining attributes too to the GIS table.