Report Scheduling and Exports

Learn how to export reports and set up automated report delivery in the Shifts platform to streamline your reporting workflow and ensure timely distribution of critical business insights.

Overview

The Shifts platform offers robust reporting capabilities, allowing you to export reports in various formats and set up automated delivery schedules. This article explains how to generate on-demand exports and configure recurring report deliveries to ensure stakeholders receive timely information without manual intervention.

Report Types Available for Export

The Shifts platform offers several categories of exportable reports:

Workforce Reports

• Employee Directory: Complete list of employees with roles and contact details
• Skills Distribution: Breakdown of skills across your workforce
• Certification Status: Tracking of employee certifications and expiration dates
• Team Composition: Organizational structure and reporting relationships

Scheduling Reports

• Schedule Coverage: Analysis of shift coverage by role and location
• Shift Utilization: Metrics on how effectively shifts are being utilized
• Unfilled Shifts: Reports on open shifts that need staffing
• Schedule Compliance: Compliance with scheduling policies and rules
• Role Coverage: Analysis of coverage by role type across locations

Attendance Reports

• Attendance Summary: Overview of attendance patterns and trends
• Tardiness Tracking: Analysis of late arrivals and early departures
• Absence Patterns: Tracking of absence frequency and patterns
• Check-in/out Compliance: Adherence to check-in/out policies
• Attendance by Location: Location-specific attendance metrics

Financial Reports

• Labor Cost Analysis: Breakdown of labor costs by department and role
• Budget vs. Actual: Comparison of budgeted vs. actual labor costs
• Overtime Report: Analysis of overtime usage and costs
• Cost per Shift Type: Cost efficiency metrics by shift type
• Projected Labor Costs: Forecasted labor expenses based on scheduled shifts

Performance Analytics

• Performance Ratings: Summary of employee performance assessments
• Attendance Rates: Attendance reliability metrics
• Performance Trends: Analysis of performance over time
• Top Performers: Identification of highest-performing employees

Security and Compliance

• User Activity Logs: Record of system access and actions
• Suspicious Activity: Flagged security concerns
• Location Verification: Validation of check-in locations
• IP Address Report: Analysis of system access by IP address

Generating On-Demand Exports

To export a report immediately:

1. Navigate to the Reports section from your dashboard
2. Select the desired report type from the available categories
3. Use the filters to customize the report data (date range, locations, departments)
4. Click the Export button in the top-right corner
5. Select your preferred format (CSV, Excel, or PDF)
6. The system will generate your export in the background
7. Once complete, you’ll receive a notification with a download link
8. Exports remain available for download for 30 days

Export Formats

• CSV: Best for data analysis in spreadsheet applications
• Excel: Includes formatting and multiple tabs for complex reports
• PDF: Ideal for sharing with stakeholders or printing

Setting Up Scheduled Reports

To set up a recurring report delivery:

1. Navigate to the Reports section from your dashboard
2. Select the desired report type
3. Configure the report parameters and filters
4. Click the Schedule button in the top-right corner
5. In the scheduling form:
   • Select frequency (daily, weekly, or monthly)
   • Choose delivery time
   • Specify recipients (email addresses)
   • Select delivery format (CSV, Excel, PDF)
   • Add an optional message to accompany the report
6. Click Save Schedule to activate

Scheduling Options

• Daily: Sent every day at your specified time
• Weekly: Sent on a specific day of the week
• Monthly: Sent on a specific day of the month
• Custom: Advanced scheduling options for specific business needs

Managing Report Schedules

To view and manage your scheduled reports:

1. Navigate to Reports > Scheduled Reports from your dashboard
2. Here you’ll see a list of all your scheduled reports with:
   • Report name
   • Frequency
   • Next delivery date
   • Recipients
   • Status (Active/Paused)
3. Use the action menu to:
   • Edit a schedule
   • Pause/resume delivery
   • Delete a schedule
   • View delivery history

Email Delivery

Scheduled reports are delivered via email with:

• A professional email template with your business branding
• The report attached in your chosen format
• A summary of the report parameters
• Links to view the report online
• Option for recipients to unsubscribe from future deliveries

Best Practices

For optimal results when using Report Scheduling:

1. Schedule strategically: Schedule reports to be delivered shortly before meetings where they’ll be discussed
2. Limit recipients: Only include stakeholders who need the information to avoid email fatigue
3. Format appropriately: Choose PDF for executive summaries and CSV/Excel for analysts who need to work with the data
4. Include context: Add notes or context when scheduling reports to help recipients understand key insights
5. Review regularly: Periodically audit your scheduled reports to ensure they’re still relevant and necessary
6. Use filters effectively: Configure precise filters to include only relevant data in your reports

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues with report scheduling:

• Missing exports: Check your email spam folder or the Exports section in your dashboard
• Incomplete data: Verify that your filters are correctly configured
• Delivery failures: Confirm that recipient email addresses are correct and that your email domain is whitelisted

Related Resources

• Custom Reports
• Schedule Conflicts

This article should be updated when:

1. The export interface changes
2. New export formats are added
3. The scheduled reports feature is enhanced or fully implemented
4. New report types become available
5. Changes to email delivery mechanisms occur