Compare to Previous Version

Answer “what changed since the last cut?” without hunting for the right file. Point the active workbook at an earlier version — ModelXcel Pro finds versioned and backup copies sitting next to it, or you browse to a baseline — and review every change, then attribute the moves in your key outputs with Material Change Intelligence.

What it does

This command compares the active workbook (the “current” side) against an earlier version of it (the “baseline”). It runs the same engine as Compare Workbooks, but the workflow is built around finding the right prior file for you, and it is the entry point the ribbon ties to Material Change Intelligence.

Where to find it

ModelXcel Pro tab → Compare group → dropdown → Compare to Previous Version.

Step by step

  1. Make sure the workbook is saved. If it has never been saved the command stops and asks you to save it first (locally or to OneDrive/SharePoint).
  2. Run the command. ModelXcel Pro resolves the active file to a real folder location — for a OneDrive/SharePoint file it uses the synced local copy, or snapshots a temporary copy if none is synced — so it can look for earlier versions beside it.
  3. The Select Version dialog opens, listing the previous versions it discovered (see below). Pick one, or Browse to any earlier file you want as the baseline.
  4. A “Comparing Versions” progress window runs (cancellable), opening the baseline and diffing it against the active workbook.
  5. The results window opens — baseline on one side, the active workbook on the other — ready for triage and Material Change Intelligence.

How earlier versions are discovered

The Select Version dialog scans the active workbook’s folder for sibling files that look like earlier versions — names carrying a version marker (e.g. _v2, _v10) or a _backup tag — and lists them as candidates. If the file you want isn’t there (a different folder, a dated copy, an emailed baseline), use Browse to choose it explicitly. There is no dependency on Excel’s own version history; discovery is based on the files present next to your workbook.

Material Change Intelligence

Once the results are open, this version-aware flow is where Material Change Intelligence earns its name: pick a key output (an IRR, an NPV, an EBITDA line) and it explains how much it moved between the two versions and which specific changes drove that move, ranked by contribution. As with any comparison, changes that fall inside a signed block are recorded as block-broken events in the Proof & Trust ledger.

This command uses default comparison settings

Compare to Previous Version runs with the built-in default settings, not the ones you saved under Compare → Settings. If you need a specific tolerance or scope for a version diff, run it through Compare Workbooks (which uses the settings from its own dialog) with the earlier file as the second workbook.

Example: pre-distribution review

Before sending this week’s model out, run Compare to Previous Version against last week’s file. Triage the change list, then open Material Change Intelligence on your headline metrics to confirm that each moved for a reason you can explain — and export the explanation as a .pdf for the cover note.

Caveats

  • The workbook must be saved. An unsaved workbook has no folder to search and is rejected with a prompt to save.
  • Discovery is filename-based. Only versioned/backup-named siblings are auto-listed; anything else needs Browse.
  • Default settings apply (see the callout above).
  • Cloud files are compared via their synced local copy or a temporary snapshot; a cloud file with no synced copy still lets you Browse to a baseline.

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