How to use reports in Salesforce
Description: The following guidance will take you through using reports in Salesforce. This is an accompaniment to the Salesforce Reports training sessions.
Reports allow you to filter criteria to obtain results in Salesforce. This can also be done with list views but list views are simpler and you are limited to your source information and the ability to export the results. However list views can also be useful and there is guidance here if you want to create them.
Reports pull information from multiple places so it is often handy to have an example record open in a separate tab so you can refer to the various fields available. It is also useful to have a rough idea of the results you are expecting so when you create a report you know whether it may need adjusting, dependant on if a larger array of results has been returned or a much smaller array than expected.
To use reports go to the reports tab in Salesforce.
The screen shot above displays the report home page. On the left handside you can see the folders where reports are saved. To limit the number of report folders displayed type the name of the folder you want in the search box (circled on the left) then click on the report folder and the available reports will be displayed in the main display to the right. Again you can limit the amount of reports displayed by typing the name in the search box (circled on the right). The search looks for words in the title of the report (displayed in bold blue) and the description (in grey under the title). The title and description can be applied when you save a report.
Edit an existing report
To edit an existing report click on the report name and it will open.
In the report above you can see 'Summarize Information by' this will allow you to group your results by a selected field. To the right of this is 'Show' this give you the option just to view results based on records you have ownership of and other similar options. Further right you have the 'Time Frame' where you can set criteria, for example record 'created by' and then you can set a time range, this will filter the results.
Underneath this you have 'Run Report' which will refresh the report, 'Hide Details' removes the columns and the information and just returns numerical values, 'Customize' this is where you can edit the report and we will look at this below, 'Save' & 'Save As' which allows you to save the report as well as change the title, description and the save destination, 'Printable View' & 'Export Details' are ways of exporting the details to Excel, 'Add to Campaign' allows you to add the people in your report to a saved Campaign and 'Subscribe' we do not use.
Selecting Customize takes you through to the page where you can edit a report.
Above you can see the report name at the top with the report type underneath it (more on this later). Moving further down on the left hand side you have a group named Fields. This displays all the fields that you can bring into you your report and use as filters. By typing the field you want in the 'Quick Find' section it will reduce the options making it easier to find the field you require and the you can drag it into the Preview area and position it where you want, or you can drag it into the filter area and use it as a filter to bring out the desired results.
The image above shows the filters section. Select the field that you want to use then the option (usually, but not confined to, equals) and then the required result, sometimes this will come with a lookup value or you can free type. Hit OK and this will apply the filter to your results. You can then run report to see the full results.
The report is currently a tabular which means it has no groups. If you want to group your results you can change it from Tabular Format to Summary Format by clicking on the drop down option next the report type and then add the groups.
Above is an example of grouping a report, I have pulled in QTS Subject and Organisation Name. If I wanted to pull another layer of grouping I would pull the field into the shaded area where it says 'Drop a field here to create a grouping'.
Create a new report
To create a new report navigate to the report home page as shown at the top of this page, click on 'New Report' and the following page will open where you can select your report type.
I have typed an object/area of Salesforce that I know some of the data I want access is stored in. By typing professional in to the quick find box it has narrowed down the reports that I can use. When you have decided which report type you want select it then hit Create. Be careful to select the correct report type as once you have started to edit it you can't then change the report and you will need to start again.
After hitting Create it will take you to the Customize page that we have looked at in the editing an existing report section. From here you can select the columns you want by dragging them into place and also the filters. Be mindful that as default the report may have a Time Frame automatically put in place so you may need to remove this, and it may also just Show 'My Contacts' you will need to change this to 'All Accounts'.
Every users has a 'My personal custom Reports' folder where you can save your reports. This folder and it's reports are NOT visible to anyone else but yourself so it is a great place to save reports that you are working on but do not want made available to the rest of the organisation.