Daily Sales Report Summary
This "all-in-one" report was designed to provide a number of quick summaries in one place for various business activity. This "report" is actually a combination of distinct sub-reports each with their own code and independent characteristics. This report is based on a report available in the RockSolid software, another ECi Software Solutions product; however, there are some differences. Most of the data included on the report is updated by application services based on a polling interval and not immediately when transactions are processed, so there can be slight delays between processing and the updating of certain totals.
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Note! Although this report allows for date selection; the dates you supply are not used for all the figures on the report. Some totals are current values only regardless of your date choices. Differences are noted where applicable in this topic. |
When figures on this report correspond with other reports and inquiries, we indicate that in this topic.
Headings
This report is different from many reports in that it provides summary sections rather than a listing of data in rows and columns. Each section is distinct as described below:
This sub-report lists totals for sales and returns (cash and receivables charge combined for each) with additional totals for reversals. Reversals are not an "undo," but an easy way to create a new transaction to offset the original. Reversals of sales are recorded by the software under "returns." Reversals of credit sales (returns) are recorded in application totals as "sales." This report provides a distinction between a reversal and a regular transaction. The data used for this section are the branch totals ([dbo].[BranchMonthYearTotals]). Branch totals categorize sales and returns differently based on whether they are considered "cash" types (cash, check, bankcard, etc.) or receivables charge. To accurately report the figures on this sub-report, we have to back out the reversals from the "sales" and "returns" figures. Due to this, there will be differences if you compare the sales and returns figures to either the Totals Inquiry or Totals Report; however, the gross sales figures (totals) will match (for the same date(s)).
Gross sales is the sum of the Sales, Sales Reversals, Returns, and Return Reversals figures.
Below is a comparison between the Totals Inquiry for the same branch and date and this report.
The "taxes" sub-report lists a summary for tax activity for the selected date(s). Two (2) columns of figures are listed. One column displays the tax amount (if any), the second shows the sales amount (less any tax). Please note: this documentation reflects changes made for releases 12.1.12 and later. Earlier versions differ.
Tax is divided into three (3) categories: non-taxable, tax exempt, and net taxable. Non-taxable sales are sales of products (items) that are not taxable by nature (food, possibly clothing, etc.). Tax exempt usually refers to the status of the customer purchasing the goods (charities, resellers, government entities, etc.). Net taxable refers to sales with taxable items made to customers who are not tax exempt (although, the sales tax rate may be zero). Net taxable doesn't include either exempt or non-taxable sales.
The non-taxable and tax exempt totals for the "tax" column (left) will always be zero. Net taxable will include sales of taxable items to taxable locations as well as sales of "always" taxable items to exempt customers. "Always" taxable items (candy, etc.) are considered taxable regardless of the exempt status of the customer.
Totals are provided for the "tax" and "sales" columns. The "Totals Sales Incl Sales Tax" is the sum of the two (2) totals (gross sales including sales tax). This should normally match the "Gross Sales" reported in the Sales section for the same period. Some non-sale activity can affect sales tax, and not sales totals, such as "use" tax. The total amount in the "Taxes" section is not printed on the Sales Tax Report, but is the sum of the four (4) columns: exempt taxable, net taxable, non-taxable, and tax charged on that report.
Sales Tax Report
Tax totals may not always match the "sales" totals exactly. This can be due to the taxable status of adjustments, credit SKU (coupon items), taxable vs. non-taxable coupons, taxable store-use adjustments, and other reasons. The data used for this section comes from the sales tax totals table ([dbo].[TaxCodeTotals]) which are maintained by day and year-month. The Sales Tax Inquiry and Sales Tax report can be used for comparing to these figures or for additional details.
This section of the report lists the journal entries created for the date(s) selected for the report. Journal entries aren't generated until the end of the business day usually, so you shouldn't expect to see any results for the current date. The source for the data is the table named "[dbo].[GLJournalDtl]." Journal details are populated regardless of whether any mapping is done and no additional processing is required (other than application services which generate the entries between business days). Please note: this documentation reflects changes made for releases 12.1.12 and later. Earlier versions differ.
If a single branch is selected, the descriptions of the entries list the journal type first ("PS" for Point of Sale, for example) and either the account description (if mapped) or mapping default description (which would provide less detail). Auto-generated entries sometimes include an automatic prefix such as "POS-" or "INVENTORY-." Due to the lack of space available, we replace these with a 2-character prefix indicating the journal type (PS = Point of Sale, AR = Receivables, etc.).
If you run the report with more than one branch selected, the branch ID ("1000," for example) is listed first followed by the journal type prefix ("1000-PS-Account Description," for example).
Journal entries can cause the report output to span additional pages due to the number of details. Longer date periods will generally produce a longer section.
This section summarizes receivables activity that occurred during the date(s) selected. Debits are reflected as positive figures (these increase your overall receivables total) and credits are reflected as negative figures (these reduce your overall receivables total). Please note: this documentation reflects changes made for releases 12.1.12 and later. Earlier versions differ.
•POS A/R Charges (+)
The "POS A/R Charges" figure is the total where receivables charge was a payment method for the selected period and branch(es). This does not include debit adjustments, finance charges assessed, or any other activity. The data source is the same as the Cashiers Report ([dbo].[vw_CashierDocs]) which combines data retrieved from invoice, payments, and other data sources. The source of this data is the branch totals ([dbo].[BranchMonthYearTotals]) .
•POS A/R Returns (-)
This is the sum of credit memos (return sales) where the payment method was receivables charge during the period. The data source is the same as the Cashiers Report ([dbo].[vw_CashierDocs]) which combines data retrieved from invoice, payments, and other data sources. The "credits" figure will only include returns (credit memos) if they were posted on the date in question. Unposted payments, adjustments, and credit memos (returns) are not included. The "Miscellaneous" section does provide a list of any ROA (Received on Account) payments for the date(s) in question. The source of this data is the posting details for the date in question (the database table named, "[dbo].[ARPostingDtl]").
•Credit Adjustments (-)
Credit adjustments made to accounts during the period. These reduce your overall receivables balance. The source is adjustments data ([dbo].[AdjustmentsHdr]).
•Debit Adjustments (+)
Debit adjustments made to accounts during the period. These increase your overall receivables balance. The source is adjustments data ([dbo].[AdjustmentsHdr]).
•Discounts Given (Applied) (-)
The total of any discounts applied during the period. These reduce your overall receivables balance. The source is open credits data ([dbo].[OpenCredits]).
•ROAs (Received on Account) (-)
The total dollar amount of received on account (ROA) processed for the selected date(s). The source of this data is the table named, "[dbo].[MiscPaymentsHdr]," located in the application's database. The Payments transaction found in the Point of Sale area would be the source of this type of transaction.
•Pmts from Payment Entry (-)
This figure (credit) reflects the sum of any payments entered from the Payments Entry or Posting transactions in the Receivables area. The source of this data is the Payments (header) table ([dbo].[PaymentsHdr]).
•AR (Charge) Order Deposits
The total of any customer order deposits paid by receivables charge during the period. Deposits paid by receivables charge create debit adjustments for the account. This figure does not include any cash-type deposits. The source of this data is Miscellaneous Payments, "[dbo].[MiscPaymentsHdr]." The Payments and Customer Orders transactions found in the Point of Sale area would be the source of this type of transaction.
•AR (Charge) Order Deposit Refunds
The total of any customer order deposits paid by receivables charge and subsequently refunded during the period. This does not include any cash-type deposits that were refunded. The Payouts transaction found in the Point of Sale area would be the source of this type of transaction.
•AR (Charge) Direct Order Deposits
The total of any direct ship order deposits paid by receivables charge during the period. This does not include any cash-type deposits. The source of this data is Miscellaneous Payments, "[dbo].[MiscPaymentsHdr]." The Payments and Direct Ship transactions found in the Point of Sale area would be the source of this type of transaction.
•AR (Charge) Direct Order Deposit Refunds
The total of any direct ship order deposits paid by receivables charge and subsequently refunded during the period. This does not include any cash-type deposits that were refunded. The Payouts transaction found in the Point of Sale area would be the source of this type of transaction.
•Installed Sale Payments
This figure is the total of payments linked to an installed sale contract. These payments may have been entered from the Payments transaction in Point of Sale as well as the Payment Entry or Posting transactions in the Receivables area.
•Finance Charges Assessed
The total "new finance charges" from the statement documents for the period in question. Finance charges are only assessed once per month and statement documents are only generated once per billing period. If your report's date range does not include the date that statements were generated, this figure will be zero. New finance charges may be assessed (calculated) on a different date from the statement date; however, the date charges were assessed (calculated) is not used.
•Net Accounts Receivable
This is the sum of the prior figures, debits (+) increase the net and credits (-) decrease the net. This is not the same as the overall receivables balance for the same period which would include prior activity.
This section presents a variety of figures for quick reference. Some figures in this section are not based on the date selections.
•Total AR Value
The total current value of AR (Receivables). This is always the current figure and will not change based on date selection. The source of the data is the table named "[dbo].[CustomerMaster]" in the application's database. The calculation is the sum of each customer's outstanding balance plus (+) finance charges and less (-) any credit balance. System type accounts, which normally would not have receivable balances are excluded. If customers are assigned an AR Branch, the assigned branch will be considered based on the branch selections made for the report. This total should match the Total Due from the "Aged Balance" report found in the Receivables area (the report should be run for all accounts (cash and charge), include closed and disabled accounts, and use a filter of "none." Most multi-branch companies combine their receivables; however, there may be differences if your company does not, and runs the report with different branch selections).
•Inventory Value at Cost
The average cost value of inventory for the year-month period of the starting date selected for the report. If the starting month is a prior month, this would be the inventory value at the end of that period. For the current month, it is a month-to-date figure. The data used is provided by the table named "[dbo].[StockValue]" located in the application's database. Items with both positive and negative on-hand are considered. Only items with stock value records for the year-month in question would be included. If the starting date's month matches the current month, this figure should match the "WAVG Value" from the Stock Valuation report available from the Inventory area (the report should be run for ALL groups and sections, filter of "none," including both "SO/Resale" and "Stocked" items, and the branch selections should be the same). For prior months, you would need to have a saved copy of the Stock Valuation at that time.
•Number of Transactions
The number (count) of charge and cash sale transactions processed for the selected date(s). The source of this data is the table named, "[dbo].[BranchMonthYearTotals]," located in the application's database. This matches the information you would see on the Totals Inquiry for the same period.
•Deposits Refunded
The total dollar amount of deposit refunds processed for the selected date(s). The source of this data is the table named, "[dbo].[MiscPaymentsHdr]," located in the application's database. The Payouts transaction found in the Point of Sale area would be the source of this type of transaction.
•Petty Cash
The total dollar amount of petty cash processed for the selected date(s). The source of this data is the table named, "[dbo].[MiscPaymentsHdr]," located in the application's database. The Payouts transaction found in the Point of Sale area would be the source of this type of transaction.
•Check Cashing
The total dollar amount of check cashing processed for the selected date(s). The source of this data is the table named, "[dbo].[MiscPaymentsHdr]," located in the application's database. The Payouts transaction found in the Point of Sale area would be the source of this type of transaction.
•Misc Payments
The total dollar amount of miscellaneous payments processed for the selected date(s). The source of this data is the table named, "[dbo].[MiscPaymentsHdr]," located in the application's database. The Payments transaction found in the Point of Sale area would be the source of this type of transaction.
•Order Deposits (non-AR)*
The total dollar amount of order deposits processed for the selected date(s). The source of this data is the table named, "[dbo].[MiscPaymentsHdr]," located in the application's database. The Payments transaction found in the Point of Sale area would be one source of this type of transaction. Order deposits can also be associated with an order directly at time of processing from the Orders transaction on the Point of Sale menu.
•Order Deposit Refunds (non-AR)*
The total dollar amount of order deposit refunds processed for the selected date(s). The source of this data is the table named, "[dbo].[MiscPaymentsHdr]," located in the application's database. The Payouts transaction found in the Point of Sale area would be one source of this type of transaction. Order deposits can also be associated with an order directly at time of processing from the Orders transaction on the Point of Sale menu.
•Direct Ship Order Deposits (non-AR)*
The total dollar amount of direct order deposits processed for the selected date(s). The source of this data is the table named, "[dbo].[MiscPaymentsHdr]," located in the application's database. The Payments transaction found in the Point of Sale area would be one source of this type of transaction. Order deposits can also be associated with an order directly at time of processing from the Direct Ship transaction on the Point of Sale menu.
•Direct Ship Order Deposit Refunds (non-AR)*
The total dollar amount of direct order deposit refunds processed for the selected date(s). The source of this data is the table named, "[dbo].[MiscPaymentsHdr]," located in the application's database. The Payments transaction found in the Point of Sale area would be one source of this type of transaction. Order deposits can also be associated with an order directly at time of processing from the Direct Ship transaction on the Point of Sale menu.
•Rebates Received
The total dollar amount of rebate payments processed for the selected date(s). The source of this data is the table named, "[dbo].[MiscPaymentsHdr]," located in the application's database. The Payments transaction found in the Point of Sale area would be one source of this type of transaction.
*Order Deposits and Order Deposit Refunds involving a payment method of receivables charge are listed in the Receivables section and are not included in the totals shown in the Miscellaneous section. Deposits paid by a receivables charge result in a debit adjustment to the customer's account. Deposits applied as payment are listed as totals in the Tenders section below.
The "tenders" section summarizes the methods of payments for activity in the selected date period. Some totals listed in this section use the same data view as the Cashiers Report ([dbo].[vw_CashierDocs] which combines data from a variety of sources) as well as the invoice bankcard data ([dbo].[InvoicesBankcard]). Bankcard types and names will vary based on your company's setup. Order deposits
•Cash Tendered
This is the total cash tendered for sales and payments during the period specified (the data source is the same as the Cashiers Report).
•Checks Tendered
This is the total checks tendered for sales and payments during the period specified (the data source is the same as the Cashiers Report).
•Gift Cards
The total for gift cards tendered as payment during the period specified (the data source is the same as the Cashiers Report).
•Order Deposits Used
The total for order deposits used as payment during invoicing (this uses invoice data for the period, not the Cashiers Report).
•Direct Order Deposits Used
The total for direct order deposits used as payment during invoicing (this uses invoice data for the period, not the Cashiers Report).
•COD (Cash on Delivery)
The total where COD (Cash on Delivery) was indicated as payment during invoicing (this uses invoice data for the period, not the Cashiers Report).
•Totals by Card Type
For each card type enabled for use, totals will be shown (VISA, MasterCard, etc.).
•Capital One Trade Credit (formerly BlueTarp)
An amount is only shown if Capital One Trade Credit (formerly BlueTarp) was used as a payment method during the selected period; otherwise, no Capital One Trade Credit (formerly BlueTarp) amount is shown. Capital One Trade Credit (formerly BlueTarp Financial) provides receivables-credit services management. The data source is the same as the Cashiers Report for any Capital One Trade Credit (formerly BlueTarp) payments.
Bankcard details are provided by invoice bankcard records. Card types and names may vary from our example. Your company may choose to not accept certain card types.
Selection
This report offers basic date selection only. The context menu associated with the check mark icon (
) offers access preset date selections.
Branch
Some reports offer branch selection and you can apply branch selection in a number of different ways. For example, invoices can have several branches associated with them. A given invoice might have an entry branch, sales branch, and materials branch that are each different locations. Reports each use branch selections differently based on the type of data being referenced, and for some businesses, branch selection may not apply.
Branch Selection (Enabled) |
Branch Selection (Disabled) |
Selected branches are indicated by the checked status of the check box controls next to the branch ID. The Context Marker 
provides the ability to select the current branch, or select/clear all branch selections. In addition, this can be used to perform branch selection based on a Branch List. Branch lists can be created from the Maintenance area's Database menu. If you choose a branch list, the branches belonging to that list will be selected.
Once a branch list has bee selected, the list name is listed (in parentheses) and the list of branches is disabled. To allow changes, deselect the same list from the Context Marker menu 
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Additional Options
A few reports offer additional options for use along with branch selection. These either alter the report format based on how you want branch records presented (consolidation) or allow selection when more than one branch may be indicated within the data being reported (quantity vs. sales branch, for example). For additional information about these "extra" options, click here.
ConsolidationA few reports offer "consolidation" options for use when multiple branch locations are selected. These additional choices, when offered, include: summarized, detailed, or none. "Consolidation" options are not listed or available for all reports. 
Consolidation
In some cases, "sort by" and totals options may provide similar types of results when the sort by selections include "branch." Branch Type (Entry, Quantity, or Sales)Some reports include data that may reference more than one "type" of branch (store location). For example, customer orders and invoices can have up to three (3) different branches associated: entry, quantity (Qty), and sale. 
Branch Selection with Types
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Filter On
There are no filters available for this report.
Sort By
Some reports offer sorting options that may be used in addition to, or in place of, the report's default sorting. Sorting determines the order that information appears on the report, but also can determine how subtotals (when enabled) are done. Typically, subtotals are provided for any sort by selections when subtotals are indicated in the "Totals" panel. If sorting is not available for a report, the panel will be disabled and neither offer nor allow selection.
Sort By (Enabled) |
Sort By (Disabled) |
Two (2) sorting selections may be available; however, both are not always provided. When both are enabled for a report, the top selection is considered the "primary" sort and the bottom is considered a "secondary" sort. Usually, all sort selections are optional. Options for sorting vary by report.
Sort Direction
The menu marker 
can be used to select the sorting direction, either ascending (the default) or descending. Almost always, data is sorted alphanumerically. This may even be done in some cases when the data being sorted appears to be numeric in value. Date values and some truly numeric values are sorted based on value rather than alphanumerically in certain cases. When alphanumeric data is sorted in ascending order, it is sorted from the left-most character to the right-most character based on the ASCII value. The length in characters typically has no effect on sorting in these cases. Most (not all) symbols and special characters are listed before numerals, numerals typically appear before letters, and upper-case letters are listed before lower-case. When sorted (alphanumerically) in descending order, this ordering is reversed. Sometimes, particularly in the case of items, a "report" or "sorting" key is used in place of item numbers. This allows a company to control sorting while not having to alter their item SKUs. The sorting (report) key isn't always shown (listed) on the report or in other areas where it affects sorting.
Below is a table listing item numbers in ascending vs. descending order. In most cases, items are sorted using their "report sequence" not the item number. Report sequence allows grouping of items in a logical order vs. the alpha-numeric order of the SKU and are commonly used when item numbers represent dimensions or other attributes. For example, you might have two item SKUs of "248" and "2410." The "248" represents an 8 foot (8') length and the "2410" a ten foot (10') length. If these two (2) items were sorted by item SKU, the longer length would appear before the shorter length due to alpha-numeric sorting; however, if you assigned a "report key" to the items of "020408" and "020410" respectively, they would instead be sorted by length. Note the use of leading zeros for each dimension (height, width, and length in this case).
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Ascending |
Descending |
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020408SYP |
ZITEM |
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248 |
BRICK |
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808957 |
808957 |
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BRICK |
248 |
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ZITEM |
020408SYP |
Totals Selections
Some reports provide the ability to produce totals, and sometimes, this includes subtotals as well. The "Totals" panel, used with reporting, allows users to select the types of totals they want (when applicable). When totals are offered, the term "grand totals" refers to an overall total appearing at the end of the report. Subtotals are sometimes available, but are usually done based upon your selections in the "Sort By" panel. Subtotals may not be done in cases where no "Sort By" selections have been made; however, this can depend on the report. The totals panel is disabled (appears grayed out) whenever totals are not an option or when the use of totals require additional selections prior to use (such as a "sort by" selection). Totals do not apply to all reports; furthermore, some reports provide totals regardless of selections and do not allow overrides using the "totals" panel.
Totals (Enabled) |
Totals (Disabled) |
You are allowed to select one of the following three (3) options when applicable: subtotals, grand total, and none. The "print totals only" check box is available with the first two (2) choices only.
Subtotals
Subtotals indicate that the report should include totals based on the change of certain data. Typically, this "break" for totals is determined by your selections in the "Sort By" panel. Some reports may automatically provide a subtotal level. When the "subtotals" selection is chosen, the report will also include a grand total.
Grand Total
Grand total indicates that the report should include a grand total (ending total) printed on the last page below the last details (when "print totals only" is not checked). Subtotals would not be included when this option is selected.
None
This selection indicates that no totals are to be included when the report is viewed, printed, or processed as a file. If you choose "none," the "print totals only" check box is disabled and the check (if any) is cleared.
Print Totals Only
This check box indicates whether all details should be suppressed when the report is viewed, printed, or processed as a file. In this case, only the grand totals and/or subtotals would be included.
Print and Output Options
Most reports share the same common print control. This allows the report to be either printed or saved as a file. When printing, a user can select either 1 or 2 printers and can also set the number of copies for each. When saving as a file, you can select from a number of different types (PDF, Microsoft Excel®, HTML, and TIFF). Neither printing nor saving as a file are required. These would only be done if you wanted to save a copy of the report and data for a given point in time. Certain types of activity and changes can affect data, including what is commonly viewed as "history," so anytime a "snapshot" at a particular point in time is desired, having a saved or printed copy is suggested. Reports are often also used for inquiry purposes. In many of these cases, viewing a report is sufficient. Printing and saving are optional unless you have a reason to do them.
The Process (F12) function is used to either print the report or generate a report file. We suggest using the Preview (F8) function prior to printing or saving to ensure that the report results match what you want to print or save. You can also use the Viewer to print a report and allows you to choose to print only selected pages from a report.
Reporting: Print Options
1st Printer and # Copies
The drop down control next to the label "1st Printer" provides a listing of available printers. An available printer is a printer that is either installed on your local machine or a server accessible printer if you are connected via Remote Desktop services (aka. Terminal Services). The default selection is the backroom printer assigned to the current station (if any). The listing of printers may contain devices that are specialty types, such as label printers, etc. that are not suitable for printing reports. This printer is only used if the "Print Report" check box is checked and the number of copies is greater than zero (> 0). The application does not print the report until you choose Process (F12).
2nd Printer and # Copies
The drop down control next to the label "2nd Printer" also provides a listing of available printers (see above). This allows you to print a report at two (2) separate locations if desired. Even if a selection is made, the second printer is only used if the "Print Report" check box is checked and the number of copies is greater than zero (> 0). The application does not print the report until you choose Process (F12).
Print Report
This check box determines whether printing is to be done if the user chooses Process (F12). The default selection is checked (true).
Save In
This is a text area with a Browse button 
that allows you to select a location where a report is to be saved as a file. Choose the Browse button to select an accessible file location. This might be on a local machine or a shared network location of some sort.
The application does not save your report as a file until you choose the Process (F12) function and only if you select the Output to File check box. Directory and file permissions can prevent you from saving files in some locations. It's best to choose a location you'll remember such as your "Documents" or "Desktop" locations.
Filename
This area allows you to set the file name you want to save the file with. The extension will automatically be set based on your selection from the "Type" drop down control. Saving (as a file) is not done until the user chooses Process (F12) and is only done if the "Output to File" is checked.
Output to File
This check box determines whether the report will be saved as a file when the user chooses Process (F12). The default selection is not checked (false).
Type
This determines the output format of the report when saved as a file. Choices currently include: PDF (Portable Document Format, .PDF), Microsoft Excel (Spreadsheet, .XLS), Hypertext Markup Language (Web Page, .HTM), or Tagged Image File Format (Fax, .TIF). The 97-2003 version of Microsoft Excel is used since it is forward compatible with newer versions. Free Adobe Acrobat Reader® software is required to access PDF format files. Any browser can be used to open HTML (HTM) files. TIF files is an older image format commonly used with faxing.
Functions
A number of functions are available with reports.
Preview (F8), allows you to preview the report before printing or saving it to a file.
Process (F12), allows you to print, save the report to a file, or transmit it, based on the report settings. These options are available with all reports.
Others, such as those related to saving and scheduling, are available with many but not all reports.
Select (F5)
Use the Select (F5) function to choose and load previously saved report settings. You can save report settings using the Save (F6) function, when applicable (report saving and selection is not provided for all reports).
The "Select Report Settings" dialog box offers a drop down control for report selection. Only public and the user's own private saved reports will be included in the listing. After selection, the report's associated description is displayed below. Click or choose "Accept" to continue and load the selected settings.
Select Report Settings
Deleting Saved Reports
To delete a saved report, choose the Menu Marker to display a context menu and choose the Delete option to delete the previously saved report settings. The Menu Marker only appears after report selection and if you have permission to delete the report. You can only delete a private report that you created or a public report. User security can restrict the ability to view or access Menu Marker functions. In addition, deletion may be restricted if the report settings are currently used with report scheduling.
Save (F6)
This function is provided for saving the current report settings (selection, filter on, totals, branch, etc.) for future use or scheduling. The ability to save report settings is not provided for all reports. Additionally, users may have to make a change in the report form before this function becomes available (since there is usually no need to save the default or initial settings).
Once all desired settings have been made and you have previewed the report to make sure it's what you need, choose Save (F6) to save your settings for future use or scheduling. Saved reports can be deleted (with certain restrictions) using the Menu Marker found on the Select Report Settings form (accessed by the Select (F5) function). See the "Deleting Saved Reports" section for more details.
Save Report Settings
Report Name
This defaults to the name of the current report, but can be modified. The "name" will be used for selection in the future.
Description
The description also defaults to the current report's name, but can be modified. This might be used for longer or more descriptive information about the report.
Save As
The "private" and "public" options determine whether your report settings will be available for use by others in your company.
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Private : Private report settings are only visible to the user who created them.
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Public : Public report settings can be accessed by any user with permission to use the current report.
Schedule (F7)
The Schedule (F7) function is used to process a saved report (using previously saved "settings") as a file based upon a defined schedule (once, daily, weekly, etc.). Reports must be saved prior to scheduling so that settings for selection, totals, sort by, etc. are determined in advance. Scheduled reports are processed by application services and are saved as files on the server, not the user's local machine. A built in delay between reports of two (2) minutes (120 seconds) is used by services for processing scheduled reports. So if multiple reports are scheduled for the exact same time of day, it would be normal for there to be a difference in process times. Files with the same name and save location (directory) will be overwritten. The default directories (on the server) for scheduled reports and scheduled user reports are determined by parameters.
Note: this function will only be available (enabled) AFTER and IF a report has been saved and the saved settings have been selected. Some reports do not support saving and scheduling.
Frequency
It's possible to schedule a report to run once or on a more regular basis. Options include the following: once, daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly. The daily and weekly options change the file names used to prevent overwriting report files (continue reading for more information). For additional details regard frequency selections, click here
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The following is a list of the different date based options for scheduling reports with examples of each form: OnceReports that are scheduled once, only generate one (1) time for the date and time specified. 
Schedule Task (Once) DailyReports scheduled for daily processing, involve specifying a time as well as a starting date for the recurring schedule to begin on. In addition, there are three (3) choices for daily report processing: every day, weekdays, and weekdays plus Saturday. The day of the week is appended to the file name of the report to indicate the weekday (0=Sunday, 6=Saturday). For reports with date selections, only dates that involved a "preset" date selection will automatically refresh (update) the date selected; otherwise, the dates are assumed to be literal and are not updated based on the current date. For example, if you wanted to run a report daily and use the data on the date that the report runs, you'd need to choose a date preset of "Today" when saving the report settings used for scheduling. Instead, if you chose a specific date (not using the presets), the report would always run for that date instead. 
Schedule Task (Daily) WeeklyWeekly reports can be scheduled to run on a particular weekday and time. In addition, the report may be set to run every week or using an increment of weeks (every 2 weeks or 3 weeks, for example). The base date (first occurrence) determines when the weekly schedule starts from. 
Schedule Task (Weekly) MonthlyMonthly reports can be scheduled in one of two (2) ways. One option is to schedule the report to run the same day each month (the 10th, for example). Instead of a specific date each month, users can choose a particular weekday occurrence such as the first Monday or third Thursday, for example. Because months don't all contain the same number of days, a "Select Month" function is available that allows users to schedule a report for specific months. One possible use for this would be in cases where you wanted to schedule a report to always run the last day of the month. In this case, you could create three (3) different schedules. One for months with 31 days, another for months with 30 days, and a final one for February scheduling the report to run for the 28th (or 29th if a leap year).
YearlyThe yearly option involves just a date and time selection. Users specify the start date and time and if scheduled, the report will run at the designated time and date. 
Schedule Task (Yearly) |
Start Time
The time of day (Eastern Standard Time) that the scheduler should process this report.
First Occurrence
The current or future date that the scheduled report should begin on. This might be a one time occurrence or it may repeat based on your "timing" selections in this form.
Save Filename
This is the file name that will be used. In certain cases, such as daily processing, the file name is used to indicate a day of the week.
Daily and Weekly Files and Naming Conventions
If a report is scheduled for daily or weekly processing and is being saved as a PDF format, the file name of the report will be automatically adjusted to reflect the day the file is created for. For example, if the report's file name is normally saved as mydailyreport.pdf, is scheduled daily, and run on a Monday, the file name is going to be mydailyreport(1).pdf. This prevents overwriting that would occur should the same file names be used daily. Weekdays are assigned numbers representing the day of the week. Sunday is day zero (0) and Saturday is day 6 (six).
myreport[0].PDF (Sunday's Report)
myreport[1].PDF (Monday's Report)
myreport[2].PDF (Tuesday's Report)
myreport[3].PDF (Wednesday's Report)
myreport[4].PDF (Thursday's Report)
myreport[5].PDF (Friday's Report)
myreport[6].PDF (Saturday's Report)
Copy Pathname
The "Copy Pathname" is optional and allows you to designate a secondary save location for the report. This allows two (2) copies to be retained. The same file name logic as described above is applied.
Type
This determines the output format of the report when saved as a file. Choices currently include: PDF (Portable Document Format, .PDF), Microsoft Excel (Spreadsheet, .XLS), Hypertext Markup Language (Web Page, .HTM), or Tagged Image File Format (Fax, .TIF). The 97-2003 version of Microsoft Excel is used since it is forward compatible with newer versions. Free Adobe Acrobat Reader® software is required to access PDF format files. Any browser can be used to open HTML (HTM) files. TIF files is an older image format commonly used with faxing.
Add Time-Stamp to File Name
This feature basically makes the report file name unique and prevents any overwriting of the file by a future schedule run (such as in cases where you want to save a monthly copy but not overwrite each month).
Save for User
If a user is selected, the report will be saved in the "users" report directory within a folder matching the user's name.
Notify User
If checked, the user will be notified each time the scheduler processes this report.
How are reports saved and where do I find them?
The path names entered determine the primary, and optional copy, save location(s) of the file on the server within either (1) the report or (2) user report directories specified in Parameters.
"User" reports are created under a folder matching the user's name in the designated "User Reports" directory. For example, if your user name is BOBG and you schedule a report using the "Save for User" option and the "user report" directory in parameters is "C:\SavedReports\Users\," the following path would be used for BOBG's reports:
C:\SavedReports\Users\BOBG\
This directory could then be shared with the user's Client machine either as a shared network location or drive. It is not possible to specify a drive or network location as the path name. Doing so will simply create a directory on the server matching the name you entered.
The client must have any necessary software installed in order to open the file format you specify. For example, a PDF (Portable Document File) file requires Adobe Acrobat Reader software and an Excel (XLS or XLSX) spreadsheet requires Microsoft Office Excel or other software capable of opening the file.
Preview (F8)
The Preview (F8) function can be used to display a report in the Viewer form. Viewing a report is strongly suggested before choosing to either print or process a report as a file since this can be used to both see the printed length in pages and also to check the report format based on the options you have selected. In addition, reports can be printed directly from the viewer itself which also allows for the added benefit of printing only selected page or pages and well as additional options your printer may offer.
Each time preview is selected, the report will be generated which requires a retrieval of data. In some cases, and based on the criteria selected, you may be warned about the quantity of data being retrieved. Often, receiving a message such as this indicates that your report's selection criteria are too broad.
When should I save or print a copy of a report?
Despite the fact that most reports can be run at any time and usually for any period, the data used for reporting is rarely static. Anytime you want or need to retain a "snap shot" at a particular point in time, the only reliable way to do so is by saving the report as a file (PDF, etc.) or printing a hard copy for your records. Later changes such as merging, renaming or renumbering, deletions, and other changes can all affect whether data appears on reports or where it appears in some cases. For example, if you ran a sales analysis for inventory group 11 at the end of the year, and then modified one item in that group to now belong to 62, future reports would no longer show the same total for group 11 or 62. For the most part, changes such as those described here only affect data when viewed in parts rather than as a whole. Using our previous example, viewing total entire sales for all inventory wouldn't be affected by a change to one item's group at a later time.
Using the Viewer
The same viewer is used for both reports and documents. The primary different between viewing a document and a report is that reports don't have document links. Some reports offer dynamic links to documents (within the report) which indirectly provide access to links for those documents. The same viewer window is shared by reports and documents. When more than one report and/or document is viewed (without closing the viewer in between), the prior reports (or documents) can still be viewed by toggling the current document using the "PrevDoc" and "NextDoc" buttons. This is not true when viewing more than one version of the same report or document, however. Although you can change the page size and quantity of pages visible in the viewer (side by side or tiled, for example), you cannot view different documents (or reports) at the same time or side-by-side. The only way to do this would be to open a second viewer from another application session or to save one or more reports/documents prior to viewing and open them as PDF (Portable Document Format) or some other type of file.
Viewer with EOD Cashier Report
For additional information about tools available in the viewer, please click here.
Document Viewer ToolbarThe following table lists icons and options used on the Document Viewer toolbar and explains what they do:
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Print
Find
Single Page
Multiple Page
Continuous Scroll
Zoom Out
Zoom In
Previous Page
Next Page
Page Number
Previous Document
Next Document
Cancel (F9)
The Cancel (F9) function reloads the current form, clearing any changes.
Process (F12)
The Process (F12) function prints and/or saves the report as a file based on your selections in the Print Options panel.