Consolidating embedded PowerPoint data in to a single chart

[RBaskie]

I am creating a report in PowerPoint 2010 with charts on separate slides. The chart is the same layout each time, and the data refers to a different subset of team members. (If it helps, they show forecast project hours versus actual project hours for our developers, split by our technologies.)

I created the chart for one sub-team, then when I was happy with it, copied the slide and updated the data for the next sub-team. As a result, each slide has its own embedded data, so when I choose the "Edit Data" option, Excel opens with a single worksheet with the relevant data. I have to close one before I can open another.

Now it occurs to me that I need a consolidated slide for the whole team, and I would like it to pick up the data from the sub-team charts rather than enter it all manually.

I really need to know how to get all the data in to a single embedded workbook - either merging (or even cutting and pasting) the workbooks I already have, or starting again and somehow each time I create a chart it adds it to the existing embedded workbook.

I'm not too worried if I have to start from scratch with a new PowerPoint file altogether - the hard work was getting the charts as I wanted, but it is now easy to reproduce. But I would like my end result to be that the master slide updates when I update the data in any other slide.

Thanks!