Please note that this article assumes that the reader has read our article on the Differences Between Reports, which explains how the Spektrix database works and why different types of reports exist.
Reports in Spektrix work by finding data in the Spektrix database based on a criteria set, and then outputting this information into a spreadsheet or a PDF template. Each report type has different options for putting together a criteria set, and for what information can be sourced from the database to be output in the resulting spreadsheet or PDF report.
The options for the information that can be sourced from the database are called the Outputs (or Output Fields). This article looks at how Outputs work, and what kinds of fields can be output in each of the main report types.
Outputs
Outputs are based on Metrics, which are ‘bits of information’ from the system – they tell the system what to output in the data when the report is run. You can see the output options of custom reports by expanding the report in question, clicking on Edit report and then navigating to the Outputs tab on the window that appears (note that this is not possible on Spektrix’s standard reports, as these are not editable). Each metric selected here will output a new column onto the report when it is run in one of the spreadsheet formats.
Note that adding new outputs for a report has no effect when running it using a pre-existing PDF template - changes to these templates must be undertaken by the Spektrix Support team.
Similar to the sorting of criteria in criteria sets or segments in a Customer List or Auto Tag, each metric is housed inside a wrapper depending what kind of object it is a property of.
For example:
Date Transaction Confirmed is a property of all order items so sits in Order Items:
Ticket Type is a property of a ticket (not a seat) so sits within Tickets/Reservations:
Area is a property of a seat so sits in Seats:
There are two types of metrics:
Normal Metrics are the most common type. These metrics represent data that is stored in the system by default when things are created or sold. For example, when a ticket is sold we stamp the date of the sale into the line of the database that represents that ticket. This means that using the Date Transaction Confirmed metric will refer to that bit of information.
Other Normal metrics include: Event Name, Seat Number, Customer Name etc.
Calculated Metrics work slightly differently. They provide information which wouldn’t normally be available in a single metric, by performing calculations in advance so that you don’t have to. These are things such as First Visit which scans through all the customer’s tickets and flags the tickets for the customer’s first attendance to the theatre. Without this metric you would have to pull in all the customer history (impossible in some reports) to work out what their first attendance was.
NOTE: these calculate overnight, which means they won’t include transactions which happened on that day.
The Metrics in Each Report Type
There are five main types of report in Spektrix, and the type you select varies the available data to output.
Customers
The customer table in the Database only contains data about the customer themselves (i.e. not their purchasing history), hence this data usually forms the basis of Customer report outputs. We do also add some calculations to the record (such as average spend) to make it easier to report on.
Example metrics include:
- Address and contact data
- Tags
- Contact preference answers
- Calculated metrics such as Never booked
Sales/Seats
Sales reports can also be thought of as seat reports - they output information regarding seats for your events. They therefore do not record sales for merchandise, gift vouchers etc. (see Analysis reports below). However, they are the only report that can report on seats that haven’t been sold such as Available or Locked seats.
Example metrics include:
- Seat Statuses
- Seating plan areas
- Event and Instance information
- Order ID (for Sold or Reserved seats)
Analysis
Analysis reports find information relating to any item sold or returned through the system - tickets, donations, memberships etc. They are therefore versatile, in that they can report on more than just event sales, but, unlike Sales reports, they can only report on items that have been sold or returned.
Example metrics include:
- Date of transaction
- Order ID
- Item delivery method
Accounting
Accounting reports can find detailed information on items sold in the system as well, and are used to display information based on audits of all actions undertaken in a transaction (such as payments and delivery methods). They can output payment metrics, such as detailed card information.
Example metrics include:
- Payment type
- Custom payment name
- Total charged (the price that an item has been sold/returned for)
- Total received (the total money that has changed hands in a transaction)
Memberships
Membership reports contain metrics relating to memberships that are not available in Analysis reports because they exist only in the Memberships table in the database.
Examples include:
- Purchase/Start/Expiry Date
- Is Renewal
- Lapsed and then Repurchased
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For further information regarding reports in Spektrix, have a read of the following articles:
Reports in Spektrix
The Differences Between Report Types
Criteria Sets
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If you have any further questions about report outputs, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the Spektrix Support team.