The Report Builder is a live query builder that runs a search for data and presents a table of results for every query you enter. As it presents live data, it can sometimes take a little time to run your searches. This guide provides insight and best practice into structuring your searches to reduce the time taken.
Understanding the Report Builder
Think of the Report Builder as a library:
- You are the librarian.
- Events or Tasks are books.
- Forms and workflows make up the chapters and pages within.
Imagine you are asked to find every book containing a certain term. Without further parameters, you would have to open every book on every shelf and read every page to find the relevant books. To make your search easier and more specific, you could:
- Look for books published in the last 6 months.
- Focus on a certain genre.
- Identify the author.
With this knowledge, your search becomes much faster, as you can focus on the most relevant range of books.
Structuring Your Searches
When using the Report Builder, consider the following steps to streamline your search:
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Narrow the Dates
- Keep your search within 12 months to reduce search time.
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Specify the Location
- If you are only looking at a range of locations or regions, select these to reduce search times.
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Select the Event Type
- If the search is only relevant to specific types of events, select accordingly to reduce your search.
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Consider Further Criteria
- Identify any additional criteria that can help reduce/specify your search.
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Add Workflow and Form Criteria
- Ensure these are the last part of your search. These are the most complex searches as they require a detailed search of the event workflows and forms. By narrowing your search criteria before these fields we can increase efficiency.
Tips for Efficient Searches
- Limit the Number of Columns
- Pulling out and displaying data from forms is an additional search task each time. Reducing the number of columns helps maintain the efficiency of the search.
By following these steps and tips, you can make your searches in the Report Builder more efficient and effective.