Reporting (Beta)

Custom Reporting (beta) in Help Desk allows districts to create flexible, self-service custom reports for Help Desk data. Users can build private reports with a drag-and-drop report builder, apply filters, organize data into rows, columns, and values, and preview results in grid or chart views. This beta release is designed for technicians, administrators, and other users who need more control over reporting, analytics, and Help Desk data analysis without relying on prebuilt reports or vendor support.

Custom Reporting (beta) supports more targeted analysis for district workflows, including technician workload reporting, service group trends, ticket volume analysis, and site-based issue tracking. This first beta release focuses on report creation, customization, and private report management. Additional features continue to be developed.

Why “Beta”?

The beta label indicates that this feature is available now while additional improvements are still in progress.

• Gather real-world feedback on usability and performance
• Finish features such as report sharing, name editing, and field limitations
• Tune load times on very large datasets

Known Limitations in Beta

Custom Reporting (beta) includes the following current limitations:

• Private reports only – Reports are visible only to the user who created them. Sharing is not yet supported.
• 15-field limit – A maximum of 15 total fields can be used across all four quadrants: "Filters," "Columns," "Rows," and "Values."
• One quadrant per field – A field can only appear in one quadrant at a time. For example, "Resolved On" cannot be used in both "Filters" and "Columns" at the same time.
• Report names are permanent – Report names cannot be edited after the report is saved. Use Save As to create a copy with a new name.
• No delete or archive – Saved reports cannot be deleted or archived in this beta release.
• Limited field availability – Some fields are not currently available in beta, including attachments, private notes, and detailed time tracking. See the “Fields Not Yet Available in Beta” section for details.
• No report sharing or scheduling – Sharing, scheduled delivery, and report deletion are planned for future updates.
• Limited browser support – Custom Reporting (beta) is supported in Google Chrome, Safari, and Microsoft Edge. Firefox is not supported at this time.
• If a district has only one custom field, the "Custom Fields" grouping does not appear in the field selector. Instead, the single custom field appears at the bottom of the available fields list outside of a grouped category.

Fields Not Yet Available in Beta

The following fields and areas are not currently supported in the Custom Reporting (beta) release:

• Dashboard data or visualizations
• Public Comments
• Private Notes
• Ticket History
• Attachments
• Time Tracked (Detailed Entries) – You cannot report on individual time entries per technician.
• Parts Usage or Management
• “Site Type” field under device details

User Permissions

In this release, the “Analytics Permissions” section in Roles Management has been renamed “Reporting.” Under “Reporting,” users now have two permissions: "View Analytics Page" and "Create Custom Reports."

Before a user accesses the “Custom Reporting” screen, confirm that the user’s role includes the correct reporting permission.

Reporting Permissions

Default Behavior for Service Admin

Service Admin users automatically have access to both "View Analytics" and "Create Custom Reports." This access cannot be edited or removed for the Service Admin role.

Default Behavior for Technicians

The default Service Technician role includes both reporting permissions by default. This means technicians can access the analytics page and build custom reports unless custom roles or modified permissions are already in use.

Custom Roles (Admin Action Required)

If your district uses custom roles or modified permissions, the new custom reporting permissions are not enabled automatically. If both permissions are disabled, the "Reporting" top navigation is hidden. If one permission is disabled, only that option is hidden from the drop-down menu.

To enable access to Custom Reporting for Service Technicians:

1. Go to Admin > User Management > Roles.
2. Click Edit for the user role that needs access.
3. Scroll to the “Reporting” section.
4. Select Create Custom Reports.
5. Click Save.

Reporting Top Navigation

In version 9.1, the top navigation label “Analytics” was renamed “Reporting” to reflect expanded reporting capabilities. The Reporting menu includes two options: Analytics and Custom Reporting.

• Analytics – Opens the existing list of prebuilt dashboards and reports. Existing editing and saving behavior remains the same.

  

• Custom Reporting – Opens the "Custom Reporting" saved reports grid where users can access, create, and manage private custom reports.

  

Custom Reporting Saved Reports Grid

Select Custom Reporting from the Reporting menu to open the “Custom Reporting" saved reports grid. This grid is the user’s personal space for accessing saved custom reports.

• If no reports have been saved, the grid displays "No records available."
• Saved reports appear in alphabetical order.

Grid Features

You can sort and filter reports by using the column headers in the saved reports grid:

• Name
• Date Created
• Last Modified

Things to Know About Saved Reports

• Reports are private: Saved reports are tied to the user who created them and cannot be shared in this beta release.
• Report names are permanent: To rename a report, open it, make any needed changes, and use Save As to save a new copy with a different name.
• No deletion or archiving: Saved reports cannot currently be deleted or archived.

Create New Report

Custom Reporting (beta) allows users to create reports using a drag-and-drop report builder. The report builder supports:

• Field selection: Choose from Asset Management fields, district custom fields, and ticket fields.
• Dynamic configuration: Configure filters, columns, rows, and values in a responsive interface with lazy loading.
• Field limit: A maximum of 15 total fields can be used in a single report.
• Timeframe default: New reports default to data from the previous seven days unless a different date range is selected.

To start building a report, select Custom Reporting and then click Create New Report.

The report builder is divided into four quadrants: "Filters," "Columns," "Rows," and "Values."

• Click Cancel to return to the “Custom Reporting” screen.
• Click Apply to preview results. Changes are not saved until you click Save or Save As.

Understanding Fields

The report builder includes Asset Management fields, custom fields, and ticket fields that can be added to your custom report.

Asset Management Fields

• Manufacturer
• Model
• Product Name
• Product Type
• Serial Number
• Tag Location
• Tag Number
• Tag Site
• Tag Status

Custom Fields

All district custom fields that are available for reporting appear in alphabetical order and can be selected in the report builder.

Ticket Fields

• Assigned Technician
• Followers
• Last Edited
• Last Edited By
• Last Routing Rule
• Priority
• Problem Type
• Resolution Notes
• Resolved By
• Resolved On
• Room
• SLA Target Date
• Service Groups
• Site
• Source
• Status
• Summary
• Submitted By
• Submitted On
• Ticket Active
• Ticket Number
• Time Tracked (In Hours)
• Time Tracked (In Minutes)

Searching for Fields

To quickly find a field while building a report, click the search (magnifying glass) icon at the top of the "Fields" panel.

Begin typing the field name. The list filters in real time to show matching fields only. When the field appears, select its checkbox or drag it into a quadrant.

To clear the search and return to the full field list, click the delete (X) icon in the search box.

All Fields: Expand All and Collapse All

Use Expand All and Collapse All in the "Fields" panel to manage field visibility when working with long field lists.

• Expand All: Shows all available fields in every category

  

• Collapse All: Hides fields and shows category headers only

  

These controls improve navigation and reduce visual clutter when configuring a custom report.

Report Filters

Report filters determine which records are included in the report. Use filters to narrow your report based on the specific data you need to analyze.

Selected fields are marked with a checkmark in the "All Fields" side panel.

Default Setup

All new reports default to a "Submitted On" filter for the previous seven days. You can change this date range in the report preview using the Date Range options or by editing the Submitted On filter.

How to Use

• Drag one or more fields into the “Report Filters” quadrant.
• Define filtering criteria by clicking the gear or filter icon next to the filter name in the report grid.
• Submitted By is a required backend filter. It does not appear in the report filters until after the report is run for the first time.
• Adding a visible field to the “Report Filters” quadrant is not required because "Submitted By" is already included in the backend.
• Drag fields within the quadrant to reorder them.
• Double-click a field to remove it from the quadrant.

Useful Report Filter Fields

• Assigned Technician
• Custom fields such as "Department" or "Location Type"
• Priority or Status
• Site, Room, or Service Group
• Submitted On or Resolved On

Columns

Columns group data into vertical categories based on a field’s unique values. Use columns for side-by-side comparisons.

When to Use Columns

Use columns when you want to compare data across a category such as site, status, or source.

How to Use Columns

• Drag a field into the “Columns” quadrant. The report creates one column for each unique value in that field.
• This quadrant is optional.
• Drag fields within the quadrant to reorder them.
• Double-click a field to remove it from the quadrant.

Useful Column Fields

• Site
• Status

Rows

The “Rows” quadrant groups data down the left side of the report. Use rows to organize data into categories and subgroups.

When to Use Rows

Use rows when you want to group data hierarchically, such as by site, then by technician, or by technician, then by problem type.

How to Use Rows

• Drag one or more fields into Rows. Each field groups the report by unique values in the order the fields are listed.
• Drag fields within the quadrant to reorder them.
• Double-click a field to remove it from the quadrant.
• Multiple nested row levels are allowed as long as the report remains within the 15-field maximum.

Useful Rows Fields

• Assigned Technician
• Problem Type

Values

The “Values” quadrant controls what is calculated or summarized in the report, such as totals, counts, averages, or percentages.

When to Use Values

Use the “Values” quadrant when you need the report to measure or summarize records. This is commonly used to count tickets.

How to Use Values

• Drag a field such as "Ticket Number" into the “Values” quadrant.
• Click the equation symbol next to the field name to select an aggregation type such as "Count" or "Distinct Count."
• Drag fields within the quadrant to reorder them.
• Double-click a field to remove it from the quadrant.
• Multiple value fields are allowed as long as the report remains within the 15-field maximum.

Pro Tip: There is no default field in the “Values” quadrant. Add fields manually to define the report calculation.

Aggregation Options

Basic Aggregates

• Count: Counts all records, including duplicates
• Distinct Count: Counts unique values only
• Sum: Adds all numeric values in the selected field
• Average: Calculates the mean of a numeric field
• Min: Shows the lowest value in the field
• Max: Shows the highest value in the field

Percentage-Based Aggregates

• % of Grand Total: Shows each value as a percentage of the overall total
• % of Column: Shows each value as a percentage of its column total
• % of Row: Shows each value as a percentage of its row total
• % of Parent Column Total: Shows each value as a percentage of its grouped parent column

Change and Trend Aggregates

• Index: Generates a relative ranking or score for comparison
• Difference of Column: Shows the change between the current and previous column value
• Difference of Row: Shows the change between the current and previous row value
• % of Difference of Column: Shows percentage change between adjacent column values
• % of Difference of Row: Shows percentage change between adjacent row values
• Running Totals of Column: Adds values cumulatively across columns
• Running Totals of Row: Adds values cumulatively down rows

Useful Values Fields

• Ticket Number (Count): Displays the number of tickets for each row and column grouping.

Add Calculated Value

The Calculated Value feature allows you to create custom metrics by applying mathematical and logical operations to existing fields. Calculated values support deeper analysis by helping users combine, compare, or transform data into more meaningful reporting measures.

Recap: Key Rules to Remember

• A field can appear in only one quadrant at a time.
• The 15-field maximum includes all four quadrants.
• Click Apply to preview the report. Click Save or Save As to keep changes.

Preview and Customize

After you click "Apply," Custom Reporting generates a live preview so you can review the layout, formatting, and visualizations before saving the report.

Date Range (top of page)

The Date Range selector controls the time period displayed in the report preview. It supports both preset time frames and custom dates.

At the top of the report preview, you can choose:

• Custom Range: Select exact start and end dates.
• Default Setup: All new reports default to a "Submitted On" filter for the previous seven days.
• Preset Time Frames: Select a common reporting period, such as "This Week" or "Last Month."

Custom Range Entry

1. Click the radio button next to the date fields.
2. Enter or select a start date and end date.
3. Click Run to refresh the report preview.

Preset Time Frame Options

The Time Frame drop-down includes:

• Today
• Yesterday
• This Week
• Last Week
• This Month
• Last Month
• This Quarter
• Last Quarter
• This Year
• All Time

1. Click the radio button next to the time frame option.
2. Select the time frame from the drop-down list.
3. Click Run to refresh the report preview.

Grid (top left of report preview)

The Grid view displays report data in a structured table and is the default layout for new reports.

Report Filter

Filters appear above the table. Click a filter name such as "Submitted On" to open the filter menu and make changes.

Sort by Any Column

Click any column header to sort the report in ascending or descending order.

Expand/Collapse Hierarchies

If a report includes nested rows or columns, use the + and – icons to expand or collapse grouped sections.

Right-Click Options

Depending on report configuration, right-clicking a cell may provide options such as:

• Filter by value
• Drill down
• Exclude value

Use Grid Calculations

In grid view, highlight one or more cells to automatically display quick calculations such as sums, averages, and counts in the bar at the bottom of the grid.

Charts (top left of report preview)

Click Charts to switch from grid view to chart view. Available chart types include:

• Column
• Bar
• Line
• Scatter
• Pie
• Stacked Column
• Column Line
• Multiple Values

Format (top left of report preview)

Click Format to open cell formatting and conditional formatting options.

• Set text alignment, decimal formatting, and currency symbols.
• Choose how null, negative, or percentage values appear.
• Apply rules-based cell formatting.

Format Cells

• Align text left, right, or center.
• Set the number of decimal places.
• Add thousands or decimal separators.
• Apply currency or percent formatting.

Conditional Formatting

Use conditional formatting to highlight cells that meet specific criteria, such as high values, low values, or threshold-based targets.

Export (top left of report preview)

Export or print the report using one of the available output formats:

• Print
• Export to CSV
• Export to Excel
• Export to PDF
• Export to Image

Options (gear icon, top right of report preview)

Use the Options menu to control how totals, subtotals, and layout display in the report grid.

Grand Totals

• Do Not Show Grand Totals
• Show Grand Totals (default)
• Show for Rows Only
• Show for Columns Only

Layout

• Compact Form (default)
• Classic Form
• Flat Form

Subtotals

• Do Not Show Subtotals
• Show Subtotals (default)
• Show for Rows Only
• Show for Columns Only

Click Cancel to return to the report preview without applying changes. Click Apply to preview changes.

Fullscreen (top right of report preview)

Use Fullscreen to expand the report preview to the full browser window. Press Esc or click Minimize to exit fullscreen mode.

Saving a Report

After configuring your custom report, save it before exiting the report builder. There is currently no limit to the number of saved reports per user.

Saving a Report for the First Time

• Clicking Save for the first time acts as Save As.
• You are prompted to enter a report name.

Editing a Saved Report

Open a saved report to edit its fields and configuration. Click Save to overwrite the existing report, or click Save As to create a new copy. If you click Done before saving, all unsaved edits are lost.

Naming Restrictions

The following special characters cannot be used in report names: < > / \ & % # { } [ ] | ^ ~ ` " ' ; : ? * +

If any of these characters are included, the system prompts you to remove them before saving.

Using “Save As” After Saving

After a report has been saved, clicking Save As creates a new report copy under a different name. This is useful when you want to preserve the original version while creating a variation.

Best Practices and Tips

• Use clear report names: Use a naming convention that reflects the report purpose or filters.
• Limit field count thoughtfully: Use only the fields needed for the report to stay within the 15-field limit and maintain performance.
• Update timeframes as needed: Change the default date range when a different time period is needed.
• Leverage familiarity: The report builder is designed to feel similar to other Help Desk views such as the “All Tickets” grid.
• Check permissions: Confirm that users who need to build or edit reports have the correct reporting permissions.

Example Reports

Report Title: Summary of All Open and Recently Resolved High Priority Tickets Submitted by Technicians in the Past 30 Days by Site and Problem Type with Time Tracked Totals

Purpose: Monitor urgent technician-submitted issues that are still open or were recently resolved. Use this report to assess workload and identify trends by site and problem type.

Suggested Report Setup

• Rows: Site, Problem Type
• Columns: Status, Submitted By
• Filters: Priority = High or Critical, Submitted On = Last 30 Days, Submitted By = Technicians only (if roles are distinguishable)
• Values: Count(Ticket Number), Sum(Time Tracked)

Report Title: Device Failure Trends

Purpose: Identify recurring issues tied to specific manufacturers or product models to support purchasing, vendor, or warranty decisions.

Suggested Report Setup

• Rows: Manufacturer, Product Name, Model
• Columns: Problem Type
• Values: Count(Ticket Number), Average(Time Tracked)
• Filters: Tag Status, Tag Site

Report Title: Location-Based Issue Analysis

Purpose: Identify sites or rooms with frequent issues or unreliable assets to support preventative maintenance and replacement planning.

Suggested Report Setup

• Rows: Site, Room, Product Name
• Columns: Problem Type
• Values: Count(Ticket Number)
• Filters: Tag Status = Active, Submitted On

Report Title: Technician Workload Distribution

Purpose: Evaluate technician ticket load and workload distribution to support staffing and assignment decisions.

Suggested Report Setup

• Rows: Assigned Technician
• Columns: Status, Priority
• Values: Count(Ticket Number), Sum(Time Tracked)
• Filters: Service Groups, Submitted On (Last 30 Days)

Report Title: Ticket Volume Over Time

Purpose: Visualize ticket trends, volume spikes, and seasonal changes to support planning and staffing decisions.

Suggested Report Setup

• Rows: Submitted On (group by week or month)
• Columns: Status or Source
• Values: Count(Ticket Number)
• Filters: Service Groups, Problem Type, Site

What’s Coming Next

Custom Reporting (beta) is part of a multiphase rollout. Planned future enhancements include:

• Report Sharing
• Asynchronous Report Generation
• Scheduled Report Delivery via Email

These planned enhancements are intended to expand reporting flexibility and usability across teams and districts.