Custom Reports
Buddy comes with several standard reports. However, each company and client have specific requirements.
That's why Buddy allows for custom report building.
If you are creating reports as a bureau (advisor), we recommend using the Report Pack feature: Managing Report Packs for Clients
Adding Custom Report
From the reports page, click on the Add New Report button on the top right.
Once you have created your report, click Save Report Template to permanently save it.
How to Create Custom Columns
Within the Report Columns, you will generally find two sections: Column Name and Column Value.
Column Name
The column name refers to the header for each column. There are no limitations to what users can name their headers.
Column Value
The column value is generally a variable from Buddy's dataset.
To search for possible values, start by typing @ and then search for possible values. After selecting, they show up with a light orange background, as in the screenshot above.
Combining Values
Other than single values, users can customise and combine values in a single column:
- Text fields will automatically concatenate and allow multiple variables, for example:
@Name @Surname - Numeric fields can use arithmetic operators to calculate formulae within the export:
- addition (+)
- subtraction (-)
- multiplication (*)
- division (/)
- Text fields can include direct text without value, which is useful, particularly useful for bank file formats that require fixed text
Value combining can allow for creative fields, such as calculating ratios of deductions and contributions with net or gross pay.
Report Types
There are two primary report types:
-
Employee Data
This will utilise data from the employee profiles -
Payroll Data by Employee
These reports primarily utilise data from payslips, including employee data, pay values and leave balances.
The type you choose determines the column values that you can query.
Report Groups
Report groups refer to the section in the Reports page in which you'd like the report to appear. This can be different than the report type.
Report Output Type
Reports can be exported in three different formats:
- excel (.xlsx)
- csv (.csv)
- Fixed-spacing text file (.txt)
When utilising fixed text files, you'll be able to determine the number of characters for each column.
Advanced Options
Each report comes with additional advanced options:
- Exclude Header from Output File
-
Leave Empty Cells Blank
This will no longer default the dash sign for empty values -
Include Empty Columns
Enable this if you don't want Buddy to hide any columns that have no values. -
Only Output Rows with Net Values
This applies only to payroll breakdown reports, where this option will hide any payslips with €0 net values
Delete or Change Column Order
When adding or editing a report, you can change the order of columns or delete existing ones.
Click on the column lettering (e.g. A, B, etc), as shown in the screenshot below.
Then, click Move Up, Move Down, Move to (select column) or Delete Row, based on your desired action
Editing Existing Reports
You can find existing reports on the Reports page.
Then, click the icon on the right to Edit Report. This will take you to the report builder, where you can edit all settings as if you were creating a new report.