Create a new custom report template

Xavier Novella

21 July 2020 14:49

This article explains in detail how to create a new custom report template. This is a part of the custom reports functionality of the Platform.

Introduction
Template vs. configuration vs. report
Configuration
Available custom report blocks
Editing a custom report template

Introduction

Custom reports are a powerful tool to keep key stakeholders automatically informed on tailored KPI's, depending on concrete needs.

This feature permits any given user to create its own custom reports, enabling an outstanding mechanism to communicate with stakeholders at all levels in a corporation.

Template vs. configuration vs. report

A custom report template is a global entity containing a set of blocks selected/created from the Analysis section screens, as well as content blocks created directly in the template itself.

This entity is used to create configurations, that is, a specification -or an "order"- to create one or several custom reports.

The report is the final (and single) outcome, sent to a given user or a set of users.

In order to have your users/stakeholders informed effortless, you can program a report on-demand or an automatically triggered report, with a specified periodicity, automatically sent to them. The "template" is the first step to program the report. The second step is the "configuration". A given "report" is the final outcome sent to one or more users.

A template can have one or many configurations, and a configuration can generate one or many reports

The template keeps the information about the blocks, and the access to the template itself (WHAT will be in a given report, and WHO will be able to configure reports from the template), while the configuration keeps the information about the data time frames, the triggering periodicity, and the users automatically informed.

Configuration

You have 2 different ways to create a new custom report template:

In the reports section.
With the "Add to report" button in most Analysis section screens.

Creating a new template in the Reports section

In this case, you have to go to the Reports section and then click on the "+" button next to the "OWN TEMPLATES" left menu text, as shown in the following image, and follow the next steps:

custom report template and is the one that will appear in the header of each of your reports.

Set the proper visibility you want to give to your new template (either "Private" or "Public"). Nobody but you will be able to see a private template. A Public template will be visible by all user of that given account with privileges to create new custom reports.

Finally, click "Save" to store your new template.

Creating a new template with the "Add to report" button

You can also create a new custom report template, when navigating and analysing information across the Analysis section screens. It's a straightforward way to create a new custom report template on-the-fly.

For instance, you can go to the Consumption screen of the Analysis section, and then click on the button icon "Add to report" at the lower right part of the graph or summary table, as seen in the following figure.

By clicking on the icon button, a new pop-up window shows up, where you will be prompted to assign the selected block to an existing custom report template, or create a new custom report template (selecting "Create a new report template").

In the case of creating a new custom report template, you will have to give a name to the new template, as well as the name of the new block that you're going to create.

When clicking on "Save", a new custom report template is generated, with the given name, the visibility seat to "private", and including already the new block added in the same action.

Available custom report blocks

The following entities can be added as a block in a custom report template (each entity can be added several times as different blocks in the same template):

Content block.
Consumption screen - graph
Consumption screen - summary table
Cost screen - graph
Cost screen - summary table
Comparison screen - graph
Comparison screen - summary table
Comfort screen - graph
M&V Projects and Groups screens - graphs
M&V Projects Groups screens - summary tables
Advanced Analytics queries

To learn more about how to add all type of blocks in a custom report template please read the article Custom reports in the Platform

Editing a custom report template

To edit a custom report template, go to the Reports section and select the desired template, by clicking on the template name listed under the "OWN TEMPLATES" subsection (below the "NEW REPORTS" and the "EXISTING TEMPLATES" subsection).

Then click on the the "Edit template" button.

You can see now the edit form of the template.

In this screen you can perform the following actions:

Add new content blocks.
Delete existing blocks.
Order/distribute blocks dragging them into their new position.
Resize blocks dynamically.
Edit content blocks.
Change the title of the template
Change the visibility of the template

Content Blocks

This type of block allows you to create custom content to reach a professional custom report finishing.

Thanks to this type of blocks you can add pictures and enriched text to clarify/comment all data presented in the custom reports. They have multiple editing options as in a Word document.

As well as the other types of blocks, you can move and resize content blocks to obtain the desired formatting.