Custom Reports in Volume Licensing Central Reporting and Analytics

Overview of Custom Reports

Custom Reports in the Volume Licensing Central Reporting & Analytics workspace allow users to build tailored reports by combining data from multiple existing report types, all within Volume Licensing Central. This feature provides flexibility and efficiency for users to get exactly the data they need in one place, beyond the standard preset reports. With Custom Reports, users can:

• Mix and match data from different Volume Licensing Central reports (for example, invoices, agreements, orders) into a single view - no more downloading and merging separate files manually
• Choose their own columns and filters – including fields that might not be available as filters in the standard reports – to slice and dice data according to their requirements.
• Save their custom report for future use, or schedule exports just like any other report, increasing productivity and reusability.

Custom Reports ultimately empower users to create bespoke reports that address specific business needs, without needing to download the data from Volume Licensing Central.

Accessing the Custom Reports feature:

To access Custom Reports, navigate to the Reporting & Analytics workspace in Volume Licensing Central. In the left-hand navigation pane, click on Create custom report. This opens Create custom report page where users can begin configuring their report.

Creating a Custom Report – Step by step

Follow these steps to create a custom report in Volume Licensing Central.

1. Click on Create custom report in the left navigation.

2. Choose from one of the following options:

   • New Report: Begin with an empty report.
   • Existing Report Template: Choose a base from the list of existing report types (for example, Agreements, Invoices, Licenses, etc.). The system preloads default columns from that report type.

3. Next, enter a Report Name for the custom view. A meaningful name helps identify the report later. Once a template is selected and a name is provided, click Next to proceed.

   

4. Add and Customize Columns: The Custom Report Builder opens with a preview grid and a list of data entities available for selection.

   If a template was chosen in step 2, some default columns from that template are already selected and shown in the preview with sample data. This selection can be modified by adding or removing columns.

   To add columns, use the Select Columns panel. The user can browse the entities or use the search bar to find a specific field. For example, if the process starts with an Invoice template and Agreement-related data is needed, fields under the Agreement entity like 'Business Agreement Number' or 'Master Agreement Number' can be selected.

   Note: There may be some entities that can't be selected, depending on what is already included in the report. Volume Licensing Central only allows joining data that makes sense together. If a certain entity isn't compatible with the ones already included, it is grayed out or hidden. A message indicates that those columns are 'unavailable because they can't be combined with the current selection.'

   

5. Apply Selection: After choosing the desired columns, click Apply to add them to the report. The data preview updates with the new columns in the results table. The newly added columns become available for filtering and viewing.

6. Filter the Data (Optional): Just like standard reports, filters can be applied on supported columns in the custom report.

7. Review and Save the Custom Report: Once all the desired columns and any filters are set up, click Save Report.

   

Managing and Editing Saved Custom reports

1. View Saved Custom Reports: Navigate to Reporting & Analytics > My Views > Saved Views to see all saved custom reports. Custom reports are marked as 'Custom' under the Type column. To open a saved custom report, simply click on it from the Saved Views list. This displays the report data with all the saved columns and filters.

   

2. When viewing a saved custom report, users can interact with it just like any standard report:

   • Adjust filters or sort the data in the grid.
   • Export the report to Excel if an offline copy is needed.
   • Schedule a download to have the report sent or updated on a regular schedule.

3. Reports can also be edited to add more columns by clicking on the 'Edit report' option.

   

More notes

• Custom Reports allow users to bring in filters and columns from one standard report into another, enabling more flexible and comprehensive views.
• Users can select up to 70 columns in a single custom report for deeper analysis.
• Custom Reports respect existing data access permissions—users can only view and report on data they're authorized to access in Volume Licensing Central.
• Only certain data entities can be combined. If a selected entity isn’t compatible with others already in the report, it is automatically disabled or hidden to ensure valid combinations.