Report design

A report is a tool that turns data into useful information. Careful design can greatly improve the utility of the reports you create. Keep the following guidelines in mind when creating reports.

Purpose

Before you begin creating a report, clearly state what the purpose of the report is. State who will use the report and what they will use the report for. This will help you determine what information is needed for the report, and which tables the information will come from. This process can also provide an early indication that a report is becoming too complex, or is trying to meet several needs that would be better met by separate reports.

Name

The report’s name is the primary way that users will be able to find the report. Be sure the name is descriptive, and that the report is assigned to a an appropriate series in the accounting system.

Layout and organization

Before opening the Report Layout window, it’s often useful to sketch the layout of a report on paper. You will be able to see the sections of the report, what information should appear in the headers, what summary information you want to include in the footers, and so on. You can also determine what calculations need to be performed with calculated fields. This can save a lot of time when actually creating the layout. It can also prevent cluttering the report with unnecessary fields.

Remember some basics when creating the layout for a report:

• Include page numbers and the current date on your report.
• Determine whether the report should be printed in portrait or landscape mode, and be consistent with the layout.
• If your report contains columns of information, be sure the data is properly aligned under the column headings.
• Consider leaving enough room in the margin so the report can be bound.

Fonts and graphics

A report is a printed document, so the principles of good page design apply to reports as well:

• Limit the number of fonts used for the report. Though you can use any fonts installed on the current workstation, it’s best to limit the number of fonts used to two.
• Use common fonts. If you will be distributing reports to other users, remember that they may not have the same set of fonts installed that you did when you created the report. If a font isn’t available, one will be substituted, but the report may not have the appearance you intended.
• Graphic elements, such as lines and boxes, can help group the items in a report and make it easier to read.
• If you will be including company logos or other graphics in your reports, be sure they look good and don’t detract from the appearance of the report. Refer to Guidelines for using logos for information about enhancing the appearance of graphics in your reports.

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