Plan a report

Reports transform data into information that you can analyze and gain insights for trends. If you are new to Sage Intacct reporting, follow these steps for creating reports.

  1. Planning a report.
  2. Understanding report permissions.
  3. Choosing the right report type.
  4. Planning for report setup.
  5. Using report libraries and standard application reports.
  6. Next steps.

Defining the purpose of the report

Defining the purpose of your report is essential before you start building. Each of the following examples requires a specific focus and different type of report.

  • A snapshot of your company's Profit and Loss for the year for your CFO.

  • A report for an auditor to ensure compliance.

  • A report that helps hospital staff track the number of available beds.

Once you are clear on the purpose of the report, you can use filters to show select data to different audiences.

Answer the following questions to clarify the needs for your report.

How to plan a report
Question Considerations
What kind of report should I create?

What's my goal?

Do I want:

  • a financial report?
  • a statistical report?
  • a custom report?
Where do I start?

Is there a standard report to start from?
What about permissions?

Who will be able to see the report?
How do I filter my report?

Filter by account group, dimension, or on the report itself?

  • How do I know?
  • Filter on the report itself?
Should I memorize my report?

Will the report be included in a dashboard?

  • Can the report run on a schedule?
  • Will the report use the same settings each time it's run?
Should my report also be a graph?

Would a graph be a better way to present the information?

Understanding report permissions

You need the correct permissions to create and edit reports. Permissions are set by your company's Sage Intacct administrator for each user or role, and application. In multi-entity companies, you need permissions for the entity on which the report is based.

With the correct permissions, you can specify who can view, edit, and share reports. For more information on Sage Intacct permissions and how they apply to reports, see Learn about permissions.

Choosing the right report type

After defining the purpose of your report, choose the type of report that best meets your requirements. For a complete list of choices, see Choose a report.

After you create a report, you cannot change the report type.

Planning for report setup

Depending on your assigned user role and the report type that suits your needs, report setup tasks may be required. For more information, see the Reporting setup workflow.

Using report libraries and standard application reports

Depending on your company subscriptions, you might have access to preconfigured report libraries. Preconfigured reports are provided for the applications in your company.

Report libraries

The following reporting solutions come with a library of preconfigured reports:

  • Financial Report Writer (FRW)
  • Interactive Custom Report Writer (ICRW)
  • Interactive Visual Explorer (IVE)

You can duplicate a report from the library and then customize it to your needs. For more information, see the Report libraries.

Standard application reports

Preconfigured reports are standard with Sage Intacct core applications. These reports can be run as-is, with minimal input or effort. Some report types are available in more than 1 application, and have application-specific variations in filters and formats.

For more information, see About standard application reports.

Next steps

After planning the purpose and scope for a report, you are ready to begin creating your report.

  • Create financial reports from the Financial report writer, accessed from the Reports center. You're guided step by step through a series of tabs, each designed to build your financial report.
  • Create custom reports from Custom Report Writer, accessed from the Reports center. You're guided step by step through creating a custom report based on your organizational data.
  • Create interactive custom reports from the Reports center. Interactive custom reports are not based on a step-by-step creation method, and after selecting your initial data source you can create your report by adding report features as needed.
  • Interactive Custom Report Writer (ICRW) requires a separate subscription. For more information about using this report type, see the ICRW learning journey.
  • Interactive Visual Explorer (IVE) requires a separate subscription. For more information about using this report type, see the IVE learning journey.
Type of report Quick links for creating reports

Financial

Graph

Custom Report Writer

Interactive Custom Report Writer
Interactive Visual Explorer

Report group