Is there a way to create a custom report for Sales Analysis using Crystal Reports so that the user can interactively select various criteria when choosing to generate the report? eg I have created a custom report that shows up in the Custom Reports menu in SA for qty sold for each item for each customer for a hard-coded item category code and time period, but I'd like the user to be able to select the category, time period and even the customer when they generate the report. (yes, this is my first attempt at Crystal Reports - not as easy as it may appear at first!)
(another question: does everyone have to invent their own reports or is there a place to find templates that can be modified? - yes, I'm lazy)
Thanks in advance for any advice on this topic.

Hi Ed

Yes, you define Parameters and then use them in your Edit Selection Formula.

The learning curve for Crystal Reports is steep and long. It may take you ten hours to create your report now, and only one hour a year from now once you get experience.

Yes, you have to create your own reports - in general no two companies want reports that are so similar that they can share a template. On the other hand, those of us who have been writing Crystal Reports for years have our own library to draw from.

Before you can even start designing a report, you have to visualize the output. If you want, create a sample output in Excel, including subtotals and sort orders, and email it to me. I could tell you whether it is doable by a beginner or whether you are biting off more than you can chew.

You do realize, I hope, that SalesAnalysis has its own built-in inquiry function, which is much easier to use, and can do what you want, assuming you don't need multiple levels of subtotals or presentation quality output. If you don't realize that, you should watch the webinar on SalesAnalysis at http://www.softrak.com/support/training/webinars.php#top

Steve Schwartz
steve@sschwartzcpa.com

Thanks for your reply Steve. I appreciate your willingness to have a look at the sample output. The built-in inquiry does give basic information, but only from the fields SA stores. CR's linking to certain AR and IC fields makes the report more user-friendly.

Hi Ed

It isn't true that the inquiries only access the SA fields. It can also access customer name, customer zip, customer phone, and item description, and some calculated fields such as profit and margin.

If you are trying to run a report on, for example, salesperson, and the salesperson field you want to use is the customer's current salesperson as opposed to the salesperson at the time of the invoice, then that is a little trickier.

I hope you are using the latest version of SalesAnalysis, which is 8.1B.

Steve