Salesforce is not merely a CRM system; it is an effective decision-making system. However, it is the potential to convert raw data into actionable information that makes Salesforce as valuable as it is.
That’s where creating a report in Salesforce comes into play. Are you a sales manager and want to know how the pipeline is performing, a marketer and want to know how successful a campaign is, or an admin and want to know how users are using Salesforce? For all of this, you must create report Salesforce that will help you understand the real operations of the business, and you can track them as well.
You are not alone when you feel swamped by Salesforce reporting features or when you are not sure what to do. Reports may seem difficult to look at initially, but as soon as you get the structure and rationale of the reports, they are one of the most helpful tools in your Salesforce toolkit.
In this blog, we are going to take you through the process of “How to Create a Report in Salesforce” in this Salesforce reporting guide. In addition to that, you will not only learn how reports work, but you will also learn how to make meaningful and accurate reports that help in making better business decisions.
What Is a Salesforce Report?
A Salesforce report is a form of presentation and analysis used to present data in your Salesforce org, often enhanced through robust Salesforce application development Services that enable advanced reporting, automation, and custom objects. It retrieves data of either standard or custom objects- Leads, Accounts, Opportunities or Cases and displays it in a structured format such as rows and columns.
Reports allow you to:
- Track performance metrics
- Monitor sales activities
- Identify trends and gaps
- Make contributions to the stakeholders.
Reports provide drill-down data compared to dashboards, where the visuals presented are summarized. They serve as the basis of dashboards and are a must in data-driven teams.
Steps to Create a Report in Salesforce
And now we may get to the practical. The section provides a clear step-by-step format of How to Create a Report in Salesforce that will be very useful to both beginners and intermediate users. Although it may seem that you have never dealt with Salesforce reports previously, these steps will make you quickly construct your first report and not feel overwhelmed about it.
Step 1: Navigate to the Reports Tab
The first step is to log in to your Salesforce account. The next step is to get on the home screen, and then in the topmost bar of navigation, you will see the Reports tab, which you will want to click. All your current reports are found here and controlled.
In case you do not see the Reports tab at once, there is nothing to worry about. It can be found by clicking the App Launcher (the grid icon at the top left corner), searching for it in the search bar, and choosing it in the results. Salesforce tends to conceal tabs based on user permissions and app layouts; thus, this technique never fails.
This page will serve as your reporting dashboard, where you can see reports that have been created recently, your folders, and even begin creating new ones.
Step 2: Click on “New Report”
When you have reached the Reports part, you need to press the Salesforce new report, which is often in the upper-right part of the screen. This move triggers the process of creating reports.
At this point Salesforce is not requesting data, but it is just setting up the framework on which you will create your report. The step is referred to as instructing Salesforce to create a new report instead of modifying an existing one.
Step 3: Choose a Report Type
The selection of the correct report type is one of the most significant in the whole process. This is because the type of report will dictate the objects and fields that will be included in your report.
A list of standard and custom report types will be shown in Salesforce. Choose the object that is most suited to your reporting objective. For example:
- Opportunities – Can be used to monitor sales performance, deal stages, and revenue.
- Leads – Leads are helpful in the analysis of lead sources, conversions, and follow-ups.
- Cases – Best on the metrics of customer support, such as resolution time and case status.
After choosing the right type of report, Continue. Salesforce has just opened the report builder, and you will begin to create the report itself.
The ability to select the right type of report is the assurance that your report will be precise and reproducible even at the first instance.
Step 4: Customize Report Columns
Once you have chosen the type of report, Salesforce will still add a list of default fields (columns) to your report. These areas are the information that will be provided in every row.
This section can be personalized by:
- Eliminating fields that are not necessary.
- The addition of the applicable fields on the left-side panel.
- Dragging and dropping of columns.
As an example, when making an Opportunities report, you may have such fields as Opportunity Name, Stage, Close Date, and Amount. It is more readable and actionable to have only necessary columns in your report.
Properly organized columns allow the users to learn the information easily without having to scroll past and past.
Step 5: Apply Filters
The filters enable you to filter the records displayed in your report. Without filters, you could probably have too much data on your report, and this can be hard to analyze.
Salesforce also offers various filtering, such as
- Date ranges (Date Close or Date Created)
- Record owner (individual and teams)
- Status or stage (e.g. Open Opportunities or Closed Cases)
You can also add your own field filters in order to further reduce the records. As an example, you can filter opportunities whose amount is above a given value.
The use of the correct filters will assure that you have reflected the correct set of data in your report, which will result in increased reliability of the insights.
Step 6: Group the Data
When you are using a Summary or Matrix report, you can break the records into a set according to the following fields:
- Close Date (to examine monthly or quarterly performance)
- Owner (to monitor individual or team results)
- Status or Stage (to realize progress of workflow)
The grouping will convert raw data into put structures and simplify reports in terms of being easier to interpret at a glance.
Step 7: Save and Run the Report
Your report layout should be ready, so when you are ready, choose Save and Run. Salesforce will effectively induce you to:
- Enter a report name
- Include a description (not obligatory but better to have)
- Choose a report folder
It is also important to choose the right folder, as it determines the people authorized to access the report. Salesforce saves the report and displays the final output immediately.
It is now possible to view, share, add to dashboards, or export your report to be analyzed further.
Along with that, you can follow this Salesforce report tutorial to create a report in Salesforce and make your decision-making even stronger.
Benefits of Creating Reports in Salesforce
In Salesforce, reports aren’t only used to show data; they also help you convert that information into insights. When reports are created in the right way, they have the potential to greatly change how people within different departments operate together. Which helps in increasing the speed of decision-making and boosting the amount of collaboration and communication within your organization.
The following is a list of the various advantages of developing and maintaining report functionality in Salesforce:
Make Data-Driven Decisions
Salesforce Reports allow users to access up-to-the-minute and verified data whenever they need it. This provides a manager or lead with a consistent basis for making decisions regarding their departments without relying on guesswork or projections.
For example, sales managers use this data to analyze which opportunities have a high probability of converting into customers, as well as which leads will receive priority in terms of how they will deploy their resources.
Monitor Performance Metrics
Create report Salesforce helps businesses measure the performance of their employees or departments individually. You can easily identify which employees or departments perform well based upon factors such as sales revenue, time taken to resolve a case, lead conversion rates, etc., and provide those employees or departments that need help or additional support.
Save Time and Increase Productivity
Salesforce’s reporting system allows for the extraction of information from several different types of records and organizes it into a single view instead of having to sort through these records manually. Utilizing filters, groups, and graphs will allow you to devote your resources towards completing projects rather than determining what to do next based on previous work.
Identify Trends and Opportunities
The identification of trends in reports such as increases in sales during certain seasons, frequent complaints from customers, and a higher conversion rate for potential customers is valuable to the strategic planning and growth of your business. Identifying these trends early on allows you to develop strategies to capitalize on these trends and improve your business’s growth.
Improve Collaboration Across Teams
It’s easy to share Salesforce reports throughout your organization. Since everyone is using the same data, there will be less miscommunication between teams and departments. Further, you can schedule report distribution to your team members automatically.
Support Advanced Analytics
If your business is interested in advanced reporting functions beyond what Salesforce provides in a general sense. The company offers several options, including custom report types, formulas, and cross filtering—features commonly delivered through enterprise-grade salesforce customization services —features commonly delivered through enterprise-grade salesforce customization services. These options can help you uncover complex data relationships and provide the necessary information to assist you in making informed decisions.
Track and Meet Business Goals
Teams can monitor KPIs and objectives in real time by producing targeted reports. Reports give visibility on the progress being made towards achieving business goals and will allow for timely adjustments to be made to stay on track.
Conclusion
Having control over the reporting capability of Salesforce has been a huge advantage for all businesses utilizing data to drive their decision-making. Being able to navigate the Reports Tab and applying Filters, Grouping Data together, to then Add Formulas, having total comprehension of how each step makes the reporting process brighter, making the content more informative.
By reviewing the step-by-step process described in this guide of “How to Create a Report in Salesforce.” You can build reports that suit your business and use them repeatedly. This whole process allows you to create Reports within Salesforce, which are the ones that Business Teams should rely on for up-to-date knowledge and information on what is happening to all Business Services.
Salesforce Reporting ultimately enables you to identify trends, improve future performance, and remain competitive in today’s fast-paced world. By starting from your first Report and working towards Advanced Analytics this knowledge will help ensure the reliability and usefulness of your Reports to your Business.
