Improvements to Standard and Advanced Reports

Introduction

One of the distinctive features of the Booking Management Module (BMM) is the reports functionality. It allows BMM users to generate reports that display data relating to customers, suppliers, destinations, staff and more.

Dolphin Dynamics learned from a customer survey that this module, whilst powerful and useful, had scope for improved usability. A project was launched to revamp the existing reports module and the enhancements described in this article represent the first stage of this project.

Please note that no changes have been made to the settings that control users' access to the reporting module. Enhancements relate to filtering the list of reports displayed in the reports list and flagging reports as favourites.

Changes to Standard Reports

This is the new layout of the Standard Reports dialog:

These are the changes made to the Standard Reports dialog:

• A new Fav (Favourite) column has been added in the reports list grid next to the Copy column. (More detail below)
• A new Favourites Only checkbox has been added next to the Type dropdown. (More detail below)
• The size of the Standard Reports dialog has been increased to make space for new settings and improve usability.
• The Type dropdown has been moved from the left to the right, above the reports list.
• A new Default/Copied dropdown has been added below the Type dropdown.
• The Copied column has been renamed "Copy".
• The size of the Description box has been increased so that in most cases users can see the report description and the list of columns displayed in the default report output without scrolling down.

Changes to Advanced reports

Advanced Reports dialog

This is the new layout of the Advanced Reports dialog:

These are the changes made to the Advanced Reports dialog:

• A new Fav (Favourite) column has been added in the reports list grid next to the Copy column.
• A new Favourites Only checkbox has been added next to the Type dropdown.
• The size of the Advanced Reports dialog has been increased to make space for new settings and improve usability.
• The Type dropdown has been moved from the left to the right, above the reports list.
• A new Default/Copied dropdown has been added below the Type dropdown.
• The Copied column has been renamed "Copy".
• The size of the Description box has been increased so that in most cases users can see the report description and the list of columns displayed in the default report output without scrolling down.
• The size of the Details Sort Order section has been decreased to make more space for the Description section.

New Constant Where Clauses

Constant values are particularly useful to configure date based where clauses for scheduled reports.

To improve usability, two new constant values have been added to all date based where clauses (Folder Creation Date, Item Creation Date, Financial Transaction Date, etc.) in all reports:

How to Filter the Reports List

Following these enhancements, all BMM users, irrespective of their security settings, can filter the reports list by using the the Type and Default/Copied dropdowns, and the new Favourites Only checkbox.

It is possible to combine these settings as well.

For example, if you wish to display only the copied reports that you flagged as favourite, you would select the below settings:

If you wish to display only the copied reports within statistics reports, you would select the below settings:

How to Flag a Report as Favourite

Each BMM user can now flag one or more reports as their favourite in both standard and advanced reports irrespective of their security settings.

1- select the Fav checkbox related to the report that you wish to flag as your favourite in the Fav column:

Please note:

• Both default and copied reports can be flagged as favourite.
• Each BMM users has their own list of favourite reports.
• If another user deletes a report that you flagged as favourite, you will not see that report anymore in your list of favourite reports.

2- if you wish to display only your favourite reports, select the Favourites Only check box at the top of the reports list: