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Create a report

Updated

Use this procedure to create a custom report in Administrate. Reports allow you to retrieve, filter, organize, and export operational data from the system.

Every report begins with selecting an entity. The entity determines what type of records your report is built from and what related data can be included.

Before you begin

  • Confirm you have permission to access the Reporting Engine.
  • Define the question your report needs to answer.
  • Identify the correct entity that represents the primary record type.

Examples:

  • Events → reporting on scheduled course deliveries
  • Delegates → reporting on learners attending events
  • Invoices → reporting on financial activity

If you are unsure which entity to use, review Reporting Engine entities.

Create a report

  1. Open the Reporting Engine
    Navigate to Reports and select Create Report.
  2. Select an entity
    Choose the entity that represents the primary data you want to analyze.
    This defines what each row in your report represents.
  3. Add filter conditions
    Filters limit the records returned.

    Examples:
    • Events within a date range
    • Delegates on a specific course
    • Invoices within a financial period
  4. Select output columns
    Choose the fields that will appear in the report.

    Examples:
    • Event name
    • Delegate name
    • Course title
    • Invoice amount
    • Start date
  5. Apply grouping (optional)
    Group results into sections to make large datasets easier to interpret.

    Examples:
    • Delegates grouped by Event
    • Invoices grouped by Account
    • Events grouped by Course
  6. Apply ordering (optional)
    Control how results are sorted.

    Examples:
    • Events by start date
    • Delegates alphabetically
    • Invoices by invoice date
  7. Run the report
    Review the results to confirm they match your expectations.
  8. Validate the results
    Check:
    • Row count (does it match expectations?)
    • Duplicates (are they expected based on relationships?)
    • Missing data (caused by entity or filter choice)
  9. Save the report
    Save once the results are correct so it can be reused.

After creating a report

  • Review results for accuracy and completeness
  • Adjust filters or columns if needed
  • Export results for external use

Common mistakes when creating reports

Choosing the wrong entity

The most common issue. If the entity is incorrect, totals may be inflated, duplicated, or missing entirely.

Misinterpreting duplicate rows

Duplicate rows often reflect real one-to-many relationships (for example, one Event with many Delegates), not data errors.

Adding too many output columns

Too many fields make reports difficult to interpret and can introduce unintended joins.

Filtering too late

Always define filters early to limit the dataset and improve clarity.

Mixing identity and participation

Contacts represent people. Delegates/Learners represent participation. Choosing the wrong level leads to incorrect reporting results.

Next steps

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