With the help of powerful data-driven insights, companies can adapt their strategies. Analytical information’s importance has created a fluctuation of data that companies can’t simply collect into a single spreadsheet.  A company needs an analytical report to help them filter important data and create a comprehensive management report.  By empowering all employees with self-service BI tools that expand their knowledge, analytical reports can become one of the most valuable reporting tools that directly impact operating costs and use a modern interface.  In the next section of this article, we’ll go into more detail about analytical reporting, its value, and how to write an analytics report with the help of professional online reporting software.



Analytics report
Analytics reports


Overview of analytics report



Definition

Analytics report analyzes and evaluates a business strategy or process using qualitative and quantitative company data. As a result, it can empower employees to make data-driven decisions based on evidence and analysis. In addition, it can provide a predictive analysis of a specific issue based on statistics and historical data. Still, it is also widely used to analyze current data in various industries. For instance, a hospital found that specific actions can reduce the average waiting time in their management report.



Benefits of analytics report

The key to business intelligence (BI) is in the analytical reports. With a better-informed company, you’ll have an advantage over your rivals. When you work with an analytical report, you gain the ability to make well-informed decisions and respond to change with precision. Modern business analysis reports provide a wealth of useful key performance indicators (KPIs) in one convenient location. A dashboard creator can also help you create dynamic data visualizations. As a result, it can help you gain a deeper understanding of your business’s most important functions or processes. Thanks to the management report analysis, you will be able to identify weaknesses, capitalize on trends, uncover insights or patterns you never knew existed, and make accurate predictions. 



Finance KPI analytics report
Finance KPI analytics report

To thrive in today’s competitive environment, it’s critical to adapt to the rapid pace of change. When you use report analysis, you have access to historical data and real-time data because of reporting automation and predictive features. These will give you the flexibility to adapt your business models and processes to the ever-changing landscape. In addition, interactive data analysis reports that are interactive and customizable are a great way to stay on the cutting edge of your industry as it evolves.



How to create an analytics report?



5 tipis making your analytics report more effective



Analytics report development should be people-oriented

In fact, making statements is similar to making products; our goal is to make users (businesses, leaders) happy by encouraging them to see and use them. As a result, when developing statements, we must consider the needs and desires of the users (what he wants to see). Therefore, make every effort to obtain directly user-specific statements and even make every effort to capture the direct needs of report users firsthand.



Mining business requirements for your analytics report

Many report developers blame poor reporting on operational failure. There are two types of demand: one is a requirement from the leader to complete the task, and the other is a one-sided demand. The proposed requirements may not be consistent with what the operational staff wants, which may cause the disqualification of the request. As a result, rather than simply confirming requirements, report developers should have the initiative to explore operation needs, guide them with professional knowledge, and assist operational staff in improving demands.



Operation analytics report
Operation analytics report


Simplify the complex, and concentrate on report management

There is a lot of content that is repetitive. For example, retail reporting requirements are all about these topics: sales, inventory, purchasing, logistics, member, commodities, but with different latitude to see one of the indicators. There are three classification latitudes in the face of never-ending report requirements: one based on target user latitude, one based on business topics such as sales and finance, and another based on report functional latitude. Many requirements will not attack and break because of such compression, which is convenient for business personnel to view and convenient for report management and reducing tabulation pressure.



Understand data and operation

Many report developers may struggle to improve their skills. They have mastered the fundamentals of the report and system and are unsure of how much further progress they can make. At this time, mastery of business knowledge is frequently used as a litmus test for reporting people’s abilities. The formulation of business processes is frequently the result of the cumulative efforts of several generations of business personnel. Only a few business personnel fully comprehend it, but it is recorded in the system. As a report developer, you should inherit this knowledge to create a report that outperforms the results of business personnel.



Choose an efficient development tool for analytics report

In addition to reporting content to business appetite, demand completion efficiency is one factor used to evaluate report development quality. As a result, selecting efficient report development tools is critical to the report development process.

One method is using Excel built-in charts to do some conventional statistical charts and some advanced dynamic charts. For example, you can achieve parameter linkage screening by writing VBA. But Excel could hardly support the increasing data over time. Therefore, using R, Python, and other data analysis languages, referred to as the chart function package, present visual data and analysis. In addition, E-charts, HighCharts, D3.js, and other open-source visualization plug-ins, embedded codes developed into plug-in packages, visualization engineers, and front-end development are commonly used.

Excel-like analytics report chart
The excel-like analytics report chart

Another simple method is to use commercial report tools, such as Crystal Report or FineReport. I personally recommend FineReport because the report design process is simple and supports a wide range of data source links. The three report modes include detailed/group/cross/pagination/column tree report, visual dashboard, large screen, complex Chinese-style large aggregate report, and so on, and can meet most report requirements. In addition, the individual version is free and exchanges insights with others.

FIneReport for analytics report
FineReport for analytics report

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8 steps to create an analytics report



1. Create a new file in the Reporting tool and name it.

Go to the “file menu” and click the shortcut button. A new report will use the designer’s default theme. In report creation, choose “Follow theme” to reuse the theme’s styles.

Create your analytics report using FineReport
Create your analytics report using FineReport

FR categorizes reports into three broad categories and creates functionality to meet various style requirements: general reports, aggregation reports, and decision reports. As a result, users can select the most appropriate model based on the application scenario to speed up report design and production while achieving the desired report effect perfectly.

General reports use Excel design mode, which allows unlimited column and column expansion, multi-sheet and cross-sheet calculations, etc. Detailed tables, group reports, cross reports, master sub-reports, column reports, query reports, fill in reports of class production are all possible depending on the cell extension and father-son relationship. Its distinguishing feature is its ability to generate all types of traditional grid reports efficiently.

Typical Report generating from FineReport
Typical Report generating from FineReport

An aggregated report comprises several modules, each of which is like a separate report or chart. The modules are self-contained and do not interact. Separated blocks of cells do not affect each other, specifically solving the problem of irregular large reports.

Aggregation report generating from Finereport
Aggregation report generating from Finereport

FineReport’s decision-making reports use a canvas-type interface, allowing users to build a strong and comprehensive “cockpit” management, with multiple enterprise data integration on the same page, perfect for showing enterprise all kinds of business indicators dimensional analysis data.

Decision-making report generating from FIneReport
Decision-making report generating from FIneReport


2. Set the title

At the time of report design, data sets are the primary data source. According to scope, there are two types of data sets: server and template data sets. See the data sets to learn more about the differences.

After creating a new data set, you can view the retrieved data in the Data set Management panel. At this point, the report’s data preparation is complete, and the report’s style is designed.

3. Create the report body part and add required content 

Create the report’s body and fill it with the necessary data, parameters, charts, and other components. Assemble your data, create formulas for your controls, and so forth. In the report’s toolbar, you’ll find these options. The visual design interface allows you to adjust components to your heart’s content using a simple drag-and-drop method.

Create analytics report body part using FineReport
Create analytics report body part using FineReport


4. Adjust the format

Adjust the entire report so that each section is in the proper place. The colour, border, and other formats are consistent, and the overall aesthetic improves. You can easily apply and customise your own preferences using the built-in colour matching styles in FineReport designer.

Design your analytics report using FineReport
Design your analytics report using FineReport


5. Creating a Data Connection

The new data connection allows the FineReport designer to connect to the database and read, write, or modify data.

Click on the top menu bar of the “server > define data connection” dialogue to open the designer. The default connection is to the FRDemo built-in database. Click on the “links” to open the “connection is successful” pop-up prompt box. The FRDemo database was able to connect to the designer without any problems. You can then use the numbers from this database to create the report.

Data connection of FineReport
Data connection of FineReport


6. Preview to check the layout

To see how the report will look on the computer, save the report and select “page preview.” You can see Report Preview on a Mobile device for more information on accessing a report on a mobile device.

Preview your report using FineReport
Preview your report using FineReport


7. Save the report and publish it to the report server

Save your report on FineReport
Save your report on FineReport


8. Manage your analytics report through management system

Once the report has been saved, users can use the management platform to manage report files, set permissions, define security, create shares, set up subscriptions, send E-mail reports, and perform various other tasks.

Report management system by FineReport
Report management system by FineReport


Conclusion

An in-depth look at the definition of an analytical report, real-world reports, and details on how to create a report analysis show that dynamic, interactive, and highly visual dashboards have a huge impact on a company.  In the analytical report examples, you can see how these reports can provide actionable insights across industries that cover a wide range of departments, activities, and internal processes. As one data-driven initiative builds on the previous one, BI dashboard tools will help you stay on top of today’s market while cutting operational costs and propelling yourself ahead of the competition. 



Your company’s performance can be tracked and improved with the help of an online data visualization tool and analytical reports examples.  For a free trial of FineReport, you can get started right away by extracting insights and value from your data.



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