Ctrl-z undo functionality inside a sheet

Description

Ctrl-Z undo functionality in CPM software refers to the ability to quickly reverse an immediate prior action or series of actions within a sheet. This globally recognized shortcut facilitates error correction and increases the efficiency and usability of the system.

Example Use Case

Scenario: A financial analyst is working in the planning software to compile a quarterly budget to actuals variance report. While entering and adjusting the data, an unintentional deletion or erroneous modification of a significant set of entries occurs.

Solution: The Ctrl-Z functionality enables the analyst to reverse the erroneous deletion or modification, restoring the sheet to its previous state. This eliminates the need to manually reinput or repair the data, to dig through audit trails or to restore from backup.

Considerations

This requirement is specific to a sheet that the user is working with at a moment in time. In Excel, this is similar to the undo command operating with the context of a workbook while it is open. The same applies to this requirement. If changes are made to a data entry view on a sheet the user should be able to undo those changes.

There should not be an expectation in this requirement that a user can make changes all over a model, save them, logout for a day, and return to hit ctrl-z. This functionality does not exist to our knowledge. There is functionality that allows users to analyze and audit trail and undo items that do not have other dependencies, or to restore from a backup from a point in time.

Questions to Ask a Vendor

• Undo Steps: How many undo steps does your software provide, and can this limit be easily adjusted?
• Usage: How far does the undo functionality apply? Does it cover just a sheet, a collection of sheets, reporting, etc?
• Inclusive of:: Does the undo functionality cover all changes made in a sheet - not just data entries, but also formatting and formula changes?