Scheduling reports is a handy way to access regularly updated data and get notifications sent directly to your inbox. Keep up to date on the activity in your program and share insights quickly and easily with teammates and stakeholders.
In this article:
- Create a report
- Create the schedule
- Schedule tab
- Parameters tab
- Output options tab
- Notifications tab
- Saving the schedule
Create a report
Before you can create a schedule, you’ll first need to create a report. Remember that a report is like the final version of an ad hoc view.
If you already have a report created or would like to schedule a stock report, scroll down to Create the Schedule.
1. Find the ad hoc view in your repository folders or by using the search bar.
2. Right-click and select Create Report.
3. Choose Default Report Template and select OK.
4. A preview of your report will show. You can use the zoom and search bar in the report to review it in more detail.
5. If you want to interact with the filters applied to the report, select the Options button on the button bar. A pop-up window will appear with the filters you included in your ad hoc view.
6. After you’ve reviewed the report, select the Save icon on the button bar. Choose Save (or Save As… if you want to rename the report something else).
7. In the pop-up window, select Save. Your report will save into the folders you created for this data set. Now when you’re ready to create the schedule, you’ll have an ad hoc version (editable) and a report version (final).
Create the schedule
1. Find the report in your repository folders or by searching for the report using the search bar.
2. Right-click on the report and select Schedule...
3. This will bring you to the Scheduled Jobs page, where you’ll set your schedule and find previously created schedules for this report.
4. To create a new schedule, select Create Schedule in the top menu bar.
There are four tabs you can use to help create the schedule:
- Schedule
- Parameters
- Output Options
- Notifications
In the following sections, we will go over each tab and the available settings within each tab.
Schedule tab
The Schedule tab will allow you to select whether this report will be run immediately, or if you’d like to set up a run in the future, and the recurrence type of your choice.
There are two recurrence types for schedules: simple and calendar.
- A simple schedule allows you to automatically generate a report on a regular cadence that does not rely on calendar dates. For example, if you want the report to run every 21 days regardless of which date that falls, you would use a simple schedule.
- A calendar schedule allows you to schedule the report to run based on specific calendar dates. For example, if you want the report to run every Monday or every first of the month, you can configure that with the calendar recurrence type. The time is set by a 24-hour clock and reflects the time zone shown above the Recurrence header.
Parameters tab
The Parameters tab will give you an option to change what’s included in the report based on the filters you have included.
Output options tab
The Output Options tab is where you can customize how and where the report is saved.
The default format is PDF, but if you’d like to be able to manipulate the data once it is available, you can also select a workable format such as XLSX.
Add in the file name, and if you’d like you can overwrite your last version or save multiple versions with timestamps that indicate when the report was run.
The Output Destination is the folder in Benevity Reporting where you will save the output of the report. As soon as the report has run at your scheduled time, it will be saved to that folder. Ensure the folder you want to save it in is set up before creating the schedule, as you will not be able to set up folders in this pane.
Notifications tab
The Notifications tab is where you can enter the email addresses for the individuals receiving notice of this output once it is complete. Note, this is a notification only — the report is not included in the email as a measure to keep your data secure. The individuals you add here will need to be able to access Benevity Reporting and the folder where the report is saved. You have the flexibility to set the subject line and include a message for the recipients of this notification.
Saving the schedule
Once all this information has been added, select Save at the bottom left of the schedule builder.
You’ll now be taken back to the Scheduled Jobs page, where you will find your newly created schedule. Now when you navigate to the report, you will see a clock on the left-hand side of the report name, which indicates you have created a schedule for that report.
You have now created your schedule. Your report will run as scheduled.