As you collect data about your Information Supply Chains into LINQ, there are many reasons why you might want to export that data:

  • For analysis in other applications
  • To allow a broader range of visualisations in other applications
  • To provide specific data for other IT or business modelling applications

LINQ provides an export to the Microsoft Excel XLSX format using this button:

Clicking this button leads to two choices of Export:

Important Notes:  

  • Either export option will export potentially sensitive information such as employee hourly rates, other cost information and any custom properties.  Care should be taken to share exported data appropriately.
  • Once data has been exported from LINQ, it cannot be re-imported.  LINQ should always be regarded as the system of record for Information Flow Modelling data.


Basic Export versus Full Export

The Export function creates a .XLSX file in your download folder.  The following worksheets and fields are exported (those only in the Full Export are italicised:

  • LINQset Summary:  This summarises the LINQsets (areas of like value) in the exported sketch.  The following fields are exported:
    • LINQset UUID: a universally unique identifier for the LINQset which will allow the LINQ graph to be reassembled in external applications
    • LINQset Description:  The description that creates the LINQset Label
    • LINQset URL:  If the LINQset has a URL property
    • LINQset Value:  The Business Value Index for the LINQset
    • LINQset Cost: The aggregate cost of the LINQset (the sum of all Action costs)
    • Information Nodes: the number of Information nodes in the LINQset
    • Action Nodes: the number of Action nodes in the LINQset
    • People Nodes: the number of People nodes in the LINQset
    • System Nodes: the number of System nodes in the LINQset
    • Tags: any Tags that have been entered against the LINQset
    • Annual Hours: the total number of annual hours recorded in the LINQset (the sum of all Frequencies x Durations)
    • Annual People Hours:  the total number of annual people hours recorded in the LINQset (the sum of Frequencies and Durations associated with People performing an Action)
    • Annual System Hours: the total number of annual system hours recorded in the LINQset (the sum of Frequencies and Durations associated with Systems automating an Action and Systems being Used By a Person)
    • Any Custom Properties that have been added to the LINQset
  • LINQ Node List: This lists all nodes contained in the sketch along with their properties
    • LINQset UUID: a universally unique identifier for the LINQset which contains the node.  This will allow the LINQ graph to be reassembled in external applications
    • LINQset Description: the description of the LINQset which contains the node.
    • UUID:  a universally unique identifier for the Node which will allow the LINQ graph to be reassembled in external applications
    • Node Description: The description that creates the Node Label
    • Super-type:  The top category of Action, Information, People or System
    • Type: the sub-category of Node (e.g. Capture, Outcome, File Paper etc)
    • Node Value: the Business Value Index of the Node
    • LINQset Cost:  the annual aggregate cost recorded against the LINQset which contains the Node
    • Action Cost: the annual cost of the Action node
    • Duration (hours):  the duration of the Action in hours
    • Frequency (times per year): the frequency of the Action in times per year
    • Hourly Rate: the hourly rate of the Person
    • URL:  If the node references a URL
    • Tags:  Any tags that have been entered against the node
    • Contract Hours:  May be used to represent the annual contract hours of a Person
    • Annual Hours:  The total annual hours of an Action (the frequency multiplied by duration)
    • Annual People Hours:  The total annual hours of an Action which is performed by a person
    • Annual System Hours:  The total annual hours of an Action which is either automated by a System or where a System is used by a Person to perform an Action
    • Any Custom Properties that have been added to the Nodes
  • LINQ Edge List:  This lists all edges (connectors) contained in the sketch and is only exported as part of a Full Export
    • Edge UUID: A universally unique identifier for the Edge
    • Source Node UUID:  The universally unique identifier for the Node where the edge originates - used to reassemble the graph in external applications
    • Source Node Type: The type of source Node
    • Source Node Description: The description of the source Node
    • Target Node UUID: The universally unique identifier for the Node where the edge terminates - used to reassemble the graph in external applications
    • Target Node Type:  The type of target Node
    • Target Node Description: The description of the target Node
    • Edge Type:  The type of Edge (represents the 'verbs' of the LINQ Language)
  • Supported Outcomes and Orgs:   This lists the Business Outcomes and/or External Organisations that are supported by the Sketch.
    • LINQset / Node Description:  This is the LINQset or Action node (unusual) that is supporting the Business Outcome or external Organisation
    • Outcome / Org Supported:  This is the description of the Business Outcome or Organisation which is supported
    • Type:  This specifies whether it is a Business Outcome or Organisation
  • Supported Info Outputs:  This lists the Information Outputs in the Sketch
    • LINQset / Node Description: This is the description (label) of the LINQset or Action node (unusual) that is supporting the Information Output
    • Information Output Description: This is the description (label) of the Information Output
    • Value:  This is the Business Value Index that has been assigned to the Information Output


Export Possibilities

Once exported, there are a number of possibilities to exploit the exported data:

  • Within Excel, the data can be pivoted to show different groupings of information and the statistics pertinent to those groups.
  • The XSLX tables may be imported into a wide range of business intelligence tools where advanced analyses can be performed to gain new insights from the LINQ data
  • The Full Export can be imported into a node-edge graph editor (examples are yEd from yWorks GmbH and Gephi an open source graph package) for advanced analysis