Reports FAQ

Once a custom report is created, it cannot be edited, renamed, or have its permissions changed. This is a known limitation of the reporting system.

Workaround: Create a New Version

1Open the original custom report you want to modify.

2Make your desired changes (filters, columns, groupings, date range).

3Click Create Custom Report and give it a new name.

4Save the new version.

5Delete the old custom report from the Custom Reports tab if no longer needed.

Reports in Pulse Commerce are transactional, not flat snapshots. When you run a report for "Last Month" based on Order Date, it shows orders placed during that month. However, if orders are edited or cancelled after month-end, the report reflects those changes.

Why This Happens

• Customer service modifies an order placed last month
• Orders are cancelled after the fact
• Quantities or pricing are adjusted post-order

Solutions

Use Order Ship Date instead of Order Date:

• Filter by Order Status = "Shipped"
• Group or filter by Ship Date for monthly reconciliation
• Shipped orders are less likely to be modified

Establish an order modification policy:

• Prevent editing orders after month-end closes
• Cancel old orders and create new ones instead of editing

Advanced reports update once every 24 hours (typically early morning). Check the "as of" timestamp in the top-right corner to see when the report was last updated.

Solutions

For current data:

• Use a Simple report if one is available for your needs (e.g., Current Inventory Status)
• Simple reports show real-time data

For yesterday's complete data:

• Run the Advanced report the morning after the period ends
• For monthly reports, run on the 1st of the following month

Example: If the timestamp shows "as of January 5, 2025 2:00 AM," the report includes all data through January 4, 2025 at 11:59 PM.

Your Pulse Commerce contract may specify a transaction limit per billing cycle.

Billable transactions = Sales Orders (minus cancelled) + Purchase Orders (minus cancelled) + Returns (minus cancelled)

Calculate Sales Orders

1Go to Sales Orders > Search.

2Select your billing cycle date range.

3Note the total order count.

4Filter Order Status = "Cancelled" and note the count.

5Subtract cancelled from total.

Calculate Returns

1Go to Orders > Search Customer Returns.

2Select billing cycle date range.

3Note total count, then filter for cancelled returns and subtract.

Calculate Purchase Orders

1Go to Vendors > Search Purchase Orders.

2Select billing cycle date range.

3Note total count, then filter for cancelled POs and subtract.

Total Billable Transactions: Sum all three categories (minus cancelled).

Use the Shipping & Sales Tax Analysis report:

1Go to Reports > Shipping & Sales Tax Analysis.

2Enter your Begin Date and End Date.

3Click Submit.

4Optional: Add a filter for Order Status = "Shipped" to exclude partially shipped orders.

Alternative: The Sales Order Analysis report also includes ship date data. Use whichever report has the default columns closest to your needs.

Choose based on your intended use:

Excel (.xlsx)

• Best for: Creating pivot tables, charts, formulas, and calculations
• Use when: You need to analyze or manipulate data

CSV (Comma-Separated Values)

• Best for: Importing into accounting software, databases, or other systems
• Use when: You need raw data for system integration
• Available for: Advanced reports only

PDF

• Best for: Presentations, printing, archival, or sharing with stakeholders
• Use when: You need a polished, permanent format
• Available for: Advanced reports only

Word (.docx)

• Best for: Adding commentary, notes, or combining with written analysis
• Use when: You need to document findings alongside data
• Available for: Advanced reports only

Export with flat data structure for best results:

1Open your report in Pulse Commerce.

2Remove all groupings - Click the X on each grouped column tab at the top.

3Export to Excel or CSV.

4Open the file in Excel.

5Select any cell in the data range.

6Go to Insert > PivotTable.

7Create your custom groupings and calculations in the pivot table.

Why Ungroup First?

Grouped data in Pulse Commerce includes subtotals that interfere with Excel pivot tables. Flat data gives you more flexibility to create your own groupings and calculations in Excel.

Example: Export Sales by Item Summary (ungrouped), then create a pivot table grouped by Manufacturer with sum of Gross Sales.

Check these common causes:

1. Date Range Too Narrow

• Verify Begin Date and End Date include your expected data
• Check if using "This Month" when you meant "Last Month"

2. Filters Are Too Restrictive

• Right-click column headers to check for active filters
• Look for filter icons below column headers
• Clear all filters and try again

3. Advanced Report Not Yet Updated

• Check the "as of" timestamp in the top-right corner
• If you need today's data, use a Simple report instead

4. Wrong Report Type

• Returns reports only show returns, not regular orders
• Verify you're in the correct report category

5. Permission Restrictions

• Some reports may be role-restricted
• Contact your admin if you can't access expected reports

Report customizations (columns, filters, groupings, sorting) are temporary and reset when you leave the report unless you save them as a custom report.

What Resets When You Leave

• Column selections (show/hide)
• Column order (drag-and-drop positions)
• Filters
• Groupings
• Sorting
• Aggregations

To Preserve Your Settings

1Make all your desired changes to the report.

2Click Create Custom Report.

3Name it descriptively (e.g., "Monthly Sales by State").

4Select which user roles can access it.

5Click Save.

Your custom report appears under Reports > Custom Reports and in the "Load Custom Report" dropdown within the base report.

These filter options find blank or populated fields:

Is Null = field is empty or blank

Is Not Null = field has any value (not blank)

Common Uses

"Manufacturer Name" Is Null:

• Shows only products with no manufacturer assigned
• Useful for finding incomplete product data

"Sales Rep" Is Not Null:

• Shows only orders assigned to a sales rep
• Excludes unassigned orders

"UPC Code" Is Null:

• Finds products missing UPC codes
• Helps identify data quality issues

Method 1: Click the X

At the top of the report, grouped columns appear as tabs with an X button.

Click the X on each tab to ungroup that column.

Method 2: Right-Click and Ungroup

1Right-click the grouped column header.

2Select Ungroup.

To Remove All Groupings

Click the X on each grouped column tab until none remain.

Use the Payments Analysis report to compare transaction volumes by card type:

1Go to Reports > Payments Analysis.

2Set date range (e.g., Previous Month).

3Filter Sales Channel = "Webstore" (if comparing online transactions only).

4Filter Receivable Type = "Visa" and note the total at the bottom.

5Change the filter to "Discover" and note the total.

6Repeat for "Amex" and other card types.

7Compare totals to assess transaction fee impact.

Why This Matters

American Express and Discover often have higher processing fees than Visa/Mastercard. Use this data to negotiate rates with your payment processor or determine if certain card types justify their costs.

Alternative: Export all data to Excel and create a pivot table grouped by Receivable Type with sum of Amount.

Use the Zero Sales Item Summary report:

1Go to Reports > Zero Sales Item Summary.

2Set date range (e.g., Current Calendar Year or Last 12 Months).

3Review products with Qty Sold = 0.

4Check Qty On Hand to see inventory investment.

5Review Preferred Vendor for return or discontinuation planning.

Actions to Consider

• Markdown candidates for clearance sales
• Discontinue products to reduce inventory carrying costs
• Return to vendor if possible
• Re-evaluate product descriptions, photos, or pricing

Use the Sales by Customer Summary report:

1Go to Reports > Sales by Customer Summary.

2Set date range (e.g., Current Calendar Year).

3Right-click Gross Sales > Sort > Descending.

4Export to Excel.

5In Excel, calculate cumulative percentage:

• Create column: Cumulative Sales = SUM($E$2:E2) and drag down
• Create column: % of Total = Cumulative Sales / Total Sales
• Identify where cumulative % reaches 80%

Use This Data For

• VIP customer programs and exclusive offers
• Targeted marketing campaigns
• White-glove service allocation
• Customer retention strategies

Look at the URL when viewing the custom report.

Example URL

admin.pulsecommerce.com/reports/shipping-tax-analysis?custom_report_id=123

The URL path shows the base report: shipping-tax-analysis

Why This Matters

• You need to start from the same base report to create a new version
• Understanding the base report helps you know what data is available
• Some reports have similar names but different underlying data

Also visible in: The breadcrumb path at the top of the page shows Reports > [Base Report Name] > Custom Report Name.