Search

Can we customize the default reports and search results used in our workspaces?

Environment

Oracle B2C Service Workspaces

Resolution

Within the default workspaces, reports are included in specific relationship items or are associated with specific fields or functions. For example, in a contact workspace, the Incident View relationship item includes a report that is customizable.

Relationship items use reports in one of three primary ways:

• The report is embedded on a tab. For example, from a contact record, when you click the Incidents tab, the display of incidents is controlled by a report.  Similarly, from an opportunity workspace, the Tasks and Quotes tabs use a report to display records.
   
• The report is used with specific search fields.  When added to a workspace, certain fields include a magnifying glass next to them which indicates that you can search the database for a specific record of that type.
  
  For example, when creating a new incident or opportunity, the Contact and Organization fields include the magnifying glass. When you click the magnifying glass, the search pop-up uses a report.
   
• The report is used with a specific button and function in the workspace.  Some relationship items include buttons that allow searching. These buttons use a report for the search.
  
  For example, on the Incident Thread relationship item, the Search Knowledgebase button is associated to a report.  With the Contacts relationship item, the Add button is associated to a report.

You can customize the reports used in a workspace. The report used with a field or item in the workspace is configured as part of the properties for that item.  When the tab, field, or relationship item is selected, the properties below indicate which report to use for specific functionality:

• Report property:  Specifies the report used to display records on a tab.
   
• Search Report property:  Specifies the report used to search for records associated with that item.   
   
• Secondary Search Report property: Specifies a second search report that can be included in the search pop-up window. This report is included beneath the primary search report that is listed in the Search Report property. This allows you to define an additional list of records to view when searching for the record of interest or reviewing records listed on a tab.

For more information on editing workspace properties, refer to Answer ID 2518: Setting Properties in Workspaces.

Some features in the workspace may have only one of these properties, while other items may have all three properties.

For example, the Contacts relationship item has all three properties:

• The Report property defines the columns displayed for contacts listed on the tab.
   
• The Contacts item also has a Search Report property that is used when a staff member clicks the Add button and selects Add Existing.
   
• The Secondary Search Report property is null by default, but you can edit this property to include a separate report for searching when the staff member selects Add > Add Existing.

To modify a report used in a workspace: You must determine which report is used by the workspace. Then, you can copy that report and customize it. Then, update the workspace to use the customized report. Note: Not all relationship items can have their report modified.

If you are using a default, standard workspace, you must copy the workspace, edit the copy, and then update appropriate staff profiles to use the edited (copied) workspace.

Step 1: Determine which report is used by the workspace

1. Open the workspace for editing or copy a default workspace and open the copy for editing.
2. Click on the field or feature that uses the report that you want to edit. This may be a field that has a magnifying glass next to it. 
   This may also be a report used on a tab. Click the tab and then click the body of the tab to highlight the relationship item. 
3. From the Design tab, click the Report button on the ribbon or Search Report button on the ribbon to determine which report is used. The report specified includes a filter for the ID of the record type used in the workspace. 

Step 2: Create a custom report to use in the workspace

1. Click the Analytics navigation button and open the Reports Explorer. 
2. From the Reports Explorer, click Find and search for the report used in the workspace. 
3. Copy the report. Note where you save the report within the Public reports. 
4. Open the copied report and edit the report to add or remove run-time filters or output columns.
    
   Important! Be sure to leave the filter that uses the ID field for the record type (such as Contact ID or Incident ID). The ID field is what allows the records to be filtered within the workspace.

Step 3: Update the workspace to use your custom report 

1. Return to the workspace and click on the relationship item or field. 
2. Click the property that you wish to edit.   
3. In the pop-up window, select your new report from where you saved it and click OK. 
4. Save the workspace. 
5. If you created a new workspace from a default workspace, modify appropriate staff profiles to use your new workspace.  

Repeat these steps for other workspaces as necessary.

Now that your workspace is configured to use a customized report, if you need to edit the report within the workspace, you can simply edit the report itself without having to edit the workspace again.

Report properties: Additional properties can be set for reports used in a workspace.  Specific reports may have all the properties listed below while others may only have one or two properties, depending on the specific report and relationship item it is associated with.

• Hide Report Commands:  Hides or displays the report commands on the workspace. This includes the bar that has the New, Edit, Copy, Delete, Print, Forward, Assign, and Propose features associated with the record type.
   
• Show Row Count:  Displays the number of records in a report next to the tab title.
   
• Delay Report Execution:  Specifies whether the report runs when the workspace opens or if the report runs when the user clicks the tab associated with the report. By delaying the report execution, less data needs to load when the record is opened, which improves performance for records with large amounts of data associated to the various tabs of your workspace. 
   
  If the report is on the top tab, it will always run as soon as the workspace  is opened, regardless of this property setting. 
   
• Filter on Primary Key Only:  Restricts filtering to the primary key or allows filtering on related objects. For example, with True selected, an incident report uses only the incident ID  filter; when False, the report also uses contact ID and organization ID.
     
• Refresh Report When Data Changes:  Indicates whether the report runs again and refreshes when data is changed.  
   
• Execute for New Records:  Permits the report to run when you open the workspace to create a new record. By default, this option is disabled to prevent reports that rely on data from the record from attempting to run and timing out. We recommend that you enable this option only when the report you select does not query data from the record being created.