How do you embed an object into a PowerPoint table?

Hello All –

How do you embed an object into a PowerPoint table so that

• The object is locked to a specific table cell so when the table is moved or additional rows/columns  added to the table, the object stays with its original cell
• The object can be centered with in the table cell
• The color of the object can be changed.

Right now I am using a PowerPoint table to brief the status of multiple in-house programs via a green or yellow or red circle.  Specifically, the first row of the column lists all in-house programs we are tracking and the second row of the column houses a colored circle generated using the “Insert” and “Shapes” menu options.  This works but generates the following problems

• Any change to the table misaligns the original circle/table cell alignment.  I tried grouping the table and circles but PowerPoint won’t permit this action.
• Difficult to center the colored circles within a table’s cell– right now I am just eyeballing it.  As mentioned above, any changes to the chart (e.g. adding a row in the middle of the table) disrupts the whole arrangement.
• Difficult to edit the table.  In the future, I’d like to have program managers change the color of the circles to reflect future program status changes.  I have had some luck addressing the above 2 problems by changing the table/circle arrangement into a picture but this makes it impossible to change the color of the circles.

Since many business use tables and the some sort of “stop light” approach (i.e. green or yellow or red colors to denote status) as part of their business practices, I am hoping someone has a solution to this problem.

Thanks in advance for any information shared.

  C3_SIC