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13.1.1 Basic Report Example

In this chapter, we will create a report using data from a single module, applying filters and aggregations to the displayed information.

Prerequisites
Before creating a report, it is essential to have a good understanding of the available data structure. Otherwise, you risk designing a report without knowing whether a specific piece of information is actually stored in the CRM. It is also very important to know the exact field names and the modules in which the information is stored, as these elements are crucial when defining filters, aggregations, and data processing logic.

For example, it is important to know whether a filter is applied to a free-text field or a picklist field, since the methods used to search, group, and aggregate data may differ significantly.

A solid understanding of the data structure enables you to design more accurate reports and helps avoid subsequent revisions caused by missing information or incorrect interpretations of the available

Report Requirements

The example report will be based on the Accounts module. Its purpose is to analyze the companies created during the current year, limiting the results to companies located in Italy and Poland, and belonging to the Engineering and Healthcare sectors.

This report is useful for the Sales department to monitor business performance in these two countries and within these specific industries.

The data will be aggregated using the following fields:

  • Assigned To (the user responsible for the account record)
  • Country (the country where the account is located)
  • Type (to analyze the types of companies created)

    Let's Get Started!


Report Creation

Step 1 - Report Details

Create the report by entering a name that clearly and concisely describes its purpose or content.

Next, select the folder where you want to save the report in order to maintain proper organization of the reports available in the system.

In the Description field, it is recommended to provide a brief explanation of the logic used in the report, including information such as:

  • the filters applied;
  • the aggregations used;
  • any specific conditions or calculation criteria.

Documenting this information makes the report easier to understand over time and allows other users to quickly grasp its purpose, logic, and functionality.

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Step 2 - Report Type

This topic will be covered in greater detail in Step 6 - Select Columns and later during the report analysis phase.

The goal is to better understand the differences between the two main report types:

  • Tabular Report, which displays the details of individual records;
  • Summary Report, which aggregates data based on the selected fields and provides summaries, counts, and statistics (available in the Summary tab).

Step 3 - Date Filter

In this step, we configure the first filter condition based on a date field.

In our example, we select the Creation Date field and set its value to the dynamic filter Current Fiscal Year.

Using dynamic values is particularly important because it allows the report to update automatically over time.

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Step 4 - Advanced Filters

Next, we will filter the data by creating two separate groups of conditions:

  • Italian companies belonging to the Healthcare sector;

  • Polish companies belonging to the Engineering sector.

To achieve this, create two distinct filter groups:

Group 1

  • Country = Italy

  • Industry = Healthcare

Group 2

  • Country = Poland

  • Industry = Engineering

The two groups must then be connected using the OR logical operator, since we want to include companies that meet either of the two conditions.

In other words, the report will display:

  • all Italian companies in the Healthcare sector;

  • all Polish companies in the Engineering sector.

Using condition groups makes it possible to create more advanced filters and correctly combine different criteria within the same report.

It is important to carefully choose the logical operator and filter condition based on the type of field being queried.

For text fields, where the same value may be entered in slightly different ways, it is generally recommended to use the Contains operator. This approach makes the filter more flexible and increases the likelihood of capturing all relevant records.

In contrast, for picklist fields, it is recommended to use the Equals operator, since the available values are predefined and stored consistently. In this case, using Equals provides more accurate and efficient results.

Choosing the appropriate filter operator is essential to obtain reliable results and avoid unintentionally excluding relevant data or including records that do not match the intended criteria.

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Step 5 - Top-Down Segmentation

For this report, it is not necessary to create any clusters, so this step can be skipped.

The cluster functionality will be explored in greater detail in the Advanced Reports section, where it becomes particularly useful for segmenting and classifying data according to more complex criteria.

Step 6 - Select Columns

In this step, we select the columns that we want to display in the report.

For this example, all columns will be selected from the Accounts module using the drop-down menu available in Step 6.

Once you have selected the desired fields, it is important to click the Add Selected button to include them in the list of report columns displayed in the lower section of the page.

The selected columns will determine which information is available for display, grouping, sorting, and aggregation within the report.

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It is at this stage that one of the main differences between a Summary Report and a Tabular Report becomes apparent.

With a Summary Report, you can:

  • aggregate data based on the selected fields;

  • decide whether to include fields in the Summary tab;

  • generate counts, totals, and grouped data views.

With a Tabular Report, these capabilities are not available.

A tabular report simply displays a list of records that match the defined criteria, without performing any data aggregation. In practice, the result is very similar to an export of filtered data, where each record is displayed individually.

For this reason, when the goal is to analyze trends, counts, or grouped information, a Summary Report is generally the preferred option. Conversely, when you need to view the complete details of individual records, a Tabular Report is the more appropriate choice.

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