Introduction to the Ad

Hoc Report Builder

Creating, Running, and Sharing
Reports
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About this
Administrator’s Guide
Using this guide, you will be able to describe
SuccessFactors Ad Hoc Reports and their usage,
describe and grant the various Ad Hoc Reporting
privileges, create basic Ad Hoc Reports, manage
existing Ad Hoc Reports, manage Ad Hoc Reports
sharing, and export and upload report definitions.

Objectives:
• Describe Ad Hoc Reports and their usage
• Describe and grant the various Ad Hoc Reporting
privileges
• Create basic Ad Hoc Reports
• Copy, edit, and delete existing Ad Hoc Reports
• Share and unshare Ad Hoc Reports with other users
• Export and upload report definitions
Table of Contents

Table of Contents
Best Practice

What’s New! Refer to the Best Practice sections (for new admins), Pro (for returning admins) if you
are looking to customize your processes, or review New in the latest release.
Pro

About this Administrator’s Guide 3

Table of Contents 4
Ad Hoc Report Builder Overview and Permissions 5
Overview 6
Permissions 10
The Ad Hoc Report Builder List 14
Decisions Checklist 17
Recap 18
Create Ad Hoc Reports 19
Report Definition Types and General Information 20
Selecting People 24
Selecting Data Sets 33
Selecting Columns 36
Selecting Filters 41
Viewing Report Results 44
Recap 46
Ad Hoc Report Actions 47
Running Reports 48
Sharing Report Definitions 51
Additional Report Actions 54
Recap 60
Appendix 61
Exercises 62
Course Summary 76
Additional Resources 77

4
Ad Hoc Report Builder Overview and
Permissions
Ad Hoc Report Builder Overview and Permissions > Overview

Ad Hoc Report Builder Overview

This section introduces you to the Ad Hoc Report Builder. You will
learn how to describe the various permissions associated with Ad
Hoc Report Builder access and data visibility, and how to set these
permissions accordingly. You will also navigate to the Ad Hoc Report
List and describe the columns displayed.

Objectives:
• Describe Ad Hoc Reports and their usage
• Describe and grant the various Ad Hoc reporting privileges
• Navigate to, sort, and describe the Ad Hoc Reports list in
SuccessFactors

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Ad Hoc Report Builder Overview and Permissions > Overview

What is the Ad Hoc Report Builder

SuccessFactors Ad Hoc Report Builder provides a flexible, intuitive platform for users to easily create
custom list reports and share them across the organization.

Uses of Ad Hoc Reports

Ad Hoc Reports are able to be created using data from the following SuccessFactors’ Modules:
• Performance (Performance Management and 360)
• Goals / Objectives
• Development
• Learning
• Compensation
• Succession
• Recruiting
• Employee Central
• Employee Profile
• Calibration
• Role Based-Permissions

Note: For a full list of Report Types by name, please see the Appendix.

Note: The modules that you may report on depend on your current configuration and contract. Please
confirm with Customer Success before assuming any of these reports should be available to you.

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Ad Hoc Report Builder Overview and Permissions > Overview

What is the Ad Hoc Report Builder

Ad Hoc Report Results

Decision The results of an Ad Hoc Report are presented in list format and may
What types of reports would be exported or downloaded for use in various other applications.
you like to create with The Ad • Export/Download options include CSV, PDF, Excel, PPT
Hoc Report Builder?
The information presented in the results of an Ad Hoc Report may
Do you intend to use the results be used as-is, analyzed using the Online Report Builder or BIRT
as-is or import the data into a or imported into a 3rd party reporting tool for further analysis and
3rd party reporting tool? design.

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Ad Hoc Report Builder Overview and Permissions > Overview

Report Designer Column Display

1. see pg 245 release_readiness

Rating Fields in the ORD can be configured by the report designer user to display either processed
value or database value. Example: “-1972” or “Unrated” and “-1971” or “Too new to rate.”

Configurable Fields
Competency specific rating field Performance rating fields
1. Overall Competency Rating 14. Overall Performance Rating
2. Calculated Overall Competency Rating 15. Calculated Overall Performance Rating
3. Competency Other Rating 16. Unadjusted Calculated Overall Performance
4. Competency Self Rating Rating
5. Competency Official Rating
6. Behavior Other Rating Potential rating fields
7. Behavior Self Rating 17. Overall Potential Rating
8. Behavior Official Rating
Section rating fields
Objective rating fields 18. Section Rating
9. Overall Objective Rating
10. Calculated Overall Objective Rating
11. Objective Other Rating
12. Objective Self Rating
13. Objective Official Rating

9
Ad Hoc Report Builder Overview and Permissions > Permissions

Ad Hoc Report Builder Permissions

This section introduces you to the various roles people take in

SuccessFactors when using Ad Hoc Reports. This section also
introduces you to the permissions associated with each role and
demonstrates how to set these permissions.

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Ad Hoc Report Builder Overview and Permissions > Permissions

Report Builder Roles

As a user, you may take on the role of Report Creator and/or Report Viewer.
• As a Report Creator you may create, view, modify, delete, and share reports across the organization.
• As a Report Viewer you may run reports that have been shared with you and export shared report
data that has been tailored for your line of sight. Viewers cannot edit, share, or delete reports.

Each of these roles must be granted by an administrator using permissions.

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Ad Hoc Report Builder Overview and Permissions > Permissions

Report Builder Permissions (Standard Permissions)

Before a Report Creator can create or a Report Viewer can run an Ad

Best Practice Hoc Report, permission to do so must be granted by an administrator.
The Create Report permission is separate from the Run Report
Assign permissions at the most
permission. Additionally, Ad Hoc Report permissions may be granted
general level first (by group).
by type of report. The type of report is similar to the module. For
Then assign the more specific
example, you may allow a user to view and create Goal type reports,
permissions at the individual
but only allow that same user to view Succession type reports or not
level to those who need more
allow access to Succession reports at all.
than what the group provides.

If a user has permission to create a report, they are automatically

able to view/run the reports that they create.

How you develop your permission model will depend on your

business rules. It’s typical that only certain groups of individuals in
your company will have Ad Hoc Report Access, i.e. Managers (view
only), HR (create and view), and Administrators (create and view).

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Ad Hoc Report Builder Overview and Permissions > Permissions

Detailed Reporting Privileges

In addition to allowing user access to create and run reports, you

Decision may also administratively control whose data a user may see. There
are several Lines of Sight which are available in the system. Most of
Who in your organization needs
these are based on the reporting relationships established in the User
to be able to create (and share)
Data File such as Manager, HR, Matrix Manager, etc.
Ad Hoc Reports?

However, it is possible to grant additional access to user data when

Who in your organization
necessary. For example, an administrator may need access to the
needs to be able to run Ad Hoc
entire user population for the purposes of maintaining the system.
reports that have been created
It would be wise to assign Detailed Reporting Privileges to the
by others?
administrator in order to allow this. This is done using the Detailed
Reporting Privileges link in Administration Tools.

Note: Detailed Reporting Privileges are only applicable when using

the Standard SuccessFactors permission model. For Role Based
Permissions, this is referred to as a Target Population and is set
during the permissioning of a role.

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Ad Hoc Report Builder Overview and Permissions > The Ad Hoc Report Builder List

Overview and Permissions The Ad Hoc Report Builder List

In this section, you will learn how to access the Ad Hoc Report
Builder in SuccessFactors and describe the columns in the list.

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Ad Hoc Report Builder Overview and Permissions > The Ad Hoc Report Builder List

Navigate to the Ad Hoc Report Builder

The Ad Hoc Report Builder is located within the Reports/Analytics area of your SuccessFactors
instance. The term, Reports, is interchangeable with Analytics. During implementation, your instance
was configured to display either Reports or Analytics as the high level link to the reports area.

For the purposes of this training, we will refer to this as Analytics.

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Ad Hoc Report Builder Overview and Permissions > The Ad Hoc Report Builder List

The Ad Hoc Report List View

The Ad Hoc Report List displays all of the reports that have either been created by you or shared with
you by other users. From this view, all Ad Hoc Report Builder actions can be initiated.

The columns of the list view are:

• Report Name – Displays the name of the report as defined during report creation.
• Report type – Displays whether this is a single, multiple, or cross domain report.
• Domain – Displays the module or the source data for the report
• Owner – Displays the report creator. For shared reports, this is the username of the person who
shared the report with you. For reports you create, this is “self”.
• Creation Date
• Last Modified [Date]

All columns are sortable by clicking on the column heading. By default, reports are sorted by Owner then
Creation Date.

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Ad Hoc Report Builder Overview and Permissions > Decisions Checklist

Decision Checklist
(Refer to the list of Decisions you made in this section)

͆͆What types of reports would you like to create with The Ad Hoc Report Builder?

͆͆Do you intend to use the results as-is or import the data into a 3rd party reporting tool?

͆͆Who in your organization needs to be able to create (and share) Ad Hoc Reports?

͆͆Who in your organization needs to be able to run Ad Hoc reports that have been created by others?

17
Ad Hoc Report Builder Overview and Permissions > Recap

Recap
• Describe Ad Hoc Reports and their usage
• Describe and grant the various Ad Hoc reporting privileges
• Navigate to, sort, and describe the Ad Hoc Reports list in SuccessFactors

Additional Resources:
There are a number of additional resources that
can provide more information including:
• Online courses
• Video simulations
• Quick reference guides
• Lab guides

18
Create Ad Hoc Reports
Create Ad Hoc Reports > Report Definition Types and General Information

Create Ad Hoc Reports Report Definition Types and General Information

In this section, you will create Ad Hoc Reports by utilizing the options
and features available within the Ad Hoc Report Builder. You will learn
about Report Types and the first step to creating a report; selecting
the report type and entering general information.

Objectives:
• Create multiple Ad Hoc Report types
• Select the line of sight or people to be included in the report results
• Select the data sets and columns to display in the report output
• Sort data
• Filter data
• Preview report results

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Create Ad Hoc Reports > Report Definition Types and General Information

Report Type

Single Domain vs. Multi Dataset vs. Cross Domain Reports

The first decision you need to make when creating and Ad Hoc report is its Type. There are three
possible Report types:
• Single Domain (standard)
• Multi Dataset (opt-in)
• Cross Domain (opt-in)

Single Domain allows you to query data from one Report Definition Type (described below) and is the
default Report type option.

Note: In this course, we will focus on Single Domain Reports.

Multi Dataset Reports and Cross Domain Reports allow you to query data from two or more Report
Definition types.
• Multi Dataset Reports do not join data together and the report results from each selected Report
Definition Type will appear on separate tabs in the output.
• Cross Domain reports join data in the query from multiple Report Definition Types using the USERID
field. This information is displayed in one output list. You may add the same sub-domain more than
once to allow multiple joins.

Note: The Multi Dataset Reports and Cross Domain Reports option availability depend on your
configuration and permissions. A SuccessFactors Consultant must turn on the Report types for your
company based on your agreement. Then, each user must be permissioned to create Multi Dataset
Reports and Cross Domain Reports.

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Create Ad Hoc Reports > Report Definition Types and General Information

Report Definition Type

The Report Definition type is similar to the module in SuccessFactors. However, there are some report
definition types that are specific in that they allow you to report on certain aspects of a module; for
example, Compensation Eligibility. For a full list of report definition types, please see the Appendix.

Note: The Report Definition types available to you may depend on your configuration and your
permissions. First, a SuccessFactors Consultant must turn on all of the applicable Report Definition
types for your company based on your agreement. Then, each user must be permissioned to create
certain Report Definition types.

Selecting a Report Definition Type

When you select a Report Definition type, you are indicating the high level data in the system on which
you would like to report. For example, to run a report on a certain year’s Goals, you start by selecting
the Goal Management Report type. Regardless of the Report type you have chosen, the Create New
Report screen only allows you to select one Report Definition type; to add datasets or domains, you will
do so in subsequent steps.

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Create Ad Hoc Reports > Report Definition Types and General Information

General Info

After you select the Report Definition type, you will be taken to the
Best Practice General Info page. On this page, you enter the Report Name and
Description. You also have the ability to set high, medium, or low
When entering a Report Name
priority per report to specify the order in which reports are run.
and Description, you should be
clear about the content of the
report so that it is easy to select
this report for use in the future.
Be especially clear if you plan
to share this report with others.

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Create Ad Hoc Reports > Selecting People

Create Ad Hoc Reports Selecting People

The next step in the Ad Hoc Report creation process is to select the
people whose data you would like to appear in your result list. This
only applies to those report types for which people are available.

Note: Selecting People is not an option for some Report Definition

types such as Recruiting.

In this section, you will learn about the SuccessFactors’ reporting line
of sight and how to select the correct line of sight, using the People
step, for the report you would like to create.

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Create Ad Hoc Reports > Selecting People

Line of Sight

In SuccessFactors, line of sight is a term used to describe the scope of user data which a user is able
to view. Your line of sight depends on a combination of things.
• A line of sight may be based on your relationship to other users as defined in the User Data File; for
example, a manager/employee relationship.
• A line of sight may be based on permissions to see data outside of your current line of sight. (Detailed
Reporting Rights / Target Population)

Note: A single user may have several lines of sight depending on their setup in SuccessFactors.

When you select people, you define the team or the scope of user data you would like returned in your
report.

Note: Depending on your configuration, there may be more/different Team Reporting Types available
to you.

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Create Ad Hoc Reports > Selecting People

Team View

A Team View is based on a user’s management hierarchy. Selecting this option will allow the report
creator to view data for users within the selected Team Manager’s hierarchy. That is, direct reports, their
direct reports, and so on, down to the lowest level of the organization.

This hierarchy is determined by SuccessFactors based on data contained in the MANAGER column
of the UDF. If a user’s ID is listed in the MANAGER column of the UDF at least once, that user is
considered a manager. That manager’s Team View would include any user to which that manager is
assigned in the UDF and ALL LEVELS down the hierarchy.

Note: You may change the number of levels down which are visible in the report when you define the
Team.

Below is a subset of a User Data File. USERID is the unique identifier for each user. MANAGER
contains the USERID of each person’s manager.

Manny Manager and his line of sight (Team View) are highlighted. He cannot see his own data and he
cannot see his peer’s data.

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Create Ad Hoc Reports > Selecting People

HR View

The HR View is based on a user’s HR relationship. Selecting this option will allow the report creator to
view data for users who have been assigned to the selected Team Manager as HR Reports.

This relationship is determined by SuccessFactors based on data contained in the HR column of the
UDF. If a user’s ID is listed in the HR column of the UDF at least once, that user is considered to have
HR Reports. That HR Business partners’ line of sight (HR Reports) would be any user to which that HR
is assigned.

Below is a subset of a User Data File. USERID is the unique identifier for each user. HR contains the
USERID of the person’s HR Business Partner.

In this example, Harry HR is able to view the data of any person where his User ID is listed in the HR
column.

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Create Ad Hoc Reports > Selecting People

Other Lines of Sight Based on Data File

As you can see, the data file plays an important role in determining a user’s available lines of sight. If
your data file uses additional manager fields such as Custom Manager, Second Manager, or Matrix
Manager, the same rules would apply.

Therefore, it is important that you are familiar with the data in your import file.

Note: If a user’s ID does not appear in any of the UDF relationship fields, that user will not have a line
of site and therefore, will not be able to run reports.

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Create Ad Hoc Reports > Selecting People

Detailed Reporting Rights or Other Filters

For some users, there may be a need to have access to data outside of their current line of sight (or lack
thereof) as determined by the UDF. These users may be administrators or analysts (or any user who
requires this permission). In order to allow them to see information outside of their current line of sight,
you must permit them to do so.

Depending on your permission model (Standard or Role Based) the steps will vary. For more
information, please attend Reports Administration Training.

Once additional reporting rights are administered to a user, they will be able to select Detailed Reporting
Rights or Other Filters when using reports.

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Create Ad Hoc Reports > Selecting People

Selecting the correct line of sight for your report

Now that you have an understanding of the various lines of sight available, you can apply this
knowledge to the People step of the Report Builder.

Team Manager
The first thing you need to consider when creating a report is whether the report is for your use only or if
this is a report to be shared with others.

If the report is for you and you will never share it, select either your name or Logged In User from the
Team Manager section. Both have the same impact on the report results since you are the logged in
user. However, selecting your name creates an absolute or fixed starting point for the line of sight.
If you would like to share the report so that others can run and view the information as it pertains to
them, select Logged In User from the Team Manager drop down. This creates a relative starting point for
the line of sight.

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Create Ad Hoc Reports > Selecting People

Selecting the correct line of sight for your report

Team Reporting Type

Best Practice In Team Reporting Type, select the specific line of sight on which to
If you are an administrator report. Team View, HR Reports, and Detailed Reporting Rights or
creating a report to be shared Other Filters are the most commonly used.
with others and do not have
the same line of sight (because By combining Team Manager and Team Reporting Type, you
you are not a manager or HR), determine the People whose data is displayed in the output.
you should select a line of sight
that yields data for you to test Warning: When selecting Logged In User and then selecting a
(i.e. Detailed Reporting Rights Team Reporting Type, you should ensure that the Team Reporting
or Other Filters) and then Type is a line of sight option for those with whom you wish to
switch this to appropriate Team share the report. i.e. If Team Manager = Logged In User and Team
Reporting Type before sharing. Reporting Type = Detailed Reporting Rights, the user you share the
report with must have detailed reporting rights in order to use the
report as intended.

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Create Ad Hoc Reports > Selecting People

Selecting the correct line of sight for your report

Include Inactive Users

By default, the user data returned in your report includes only active user data. In the event you wish to
run a report which contains data for inactive users, you may include inactive user data by selecting the
Include Inactive Users check box in the Define Team screen.

Note: The option to Include Inactive Users is not available for all Report types.

You may refine the criteria for People further by selecting Refine Criteria and selecting specific
Departments, Divisions, Locations, or other custom filter fields.

32
Create Ad Hoc Reports > Selecting Data Sets

Create Ad Hoc Reports Selecting Data Sets

The next step in the Ad Hoc Report creation process is the selection
of Data Sets. This only applies to those report types in which data
sets are available.

In this section, you will learn about Data Sets and how and when they
apply to Ad Hoc Reports. Additionally, you will learn to select and use
data sets to create Ad Hoc Reports.

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Create Ad Hoc Reports > Selecting Data Sets

Data Sets Overview

Data Sets are Templates. For example, if you run a Goal Management type report, the Data Sets you
are able to select from are your active Goal Plan Templates. For a Performance Management Report
type, the Data Sets are active Performance Form Templates.

Some of the Report Definition types that use Data Sets:

• Goal Management
• Development Goal
• Performance Management
• Form Status
• 360 Multi-Rater Subject

34
Create Ad Hoc Reports > Selecting Data Sets

Selecting Data Sets

If you have selected one of the Report Definition types that uses Data Sets, the Data Sets option will be
available in your Report Setup workflow. You may select one or more Data Sets depending on the data
you wish to view in your report output.

For example, if you wish to run a report on the status of all forms in existence, you would select Select
All. Conversely, if you wish to run a report on the information contained in just your Year-End Review for
one specific year, you would select only that form template from your available Data Sets.

Note: Only active templates are available for selection as a data set. Therefore, it is recommended that
you keep your form and goal templates active for as long as you wish to report on them.

Note: Select All applies to all current and FUTURE templates. This means that if you Select All today
and there are 5 available templates and tomorrow you add a new template, that new template will
automatically be included in future reports run using this report definition.

35
Create Ad Hoc Reports > Selecting Columns

Create Ad Hoc Reports Selecting Columns

Selecting Columns is available for all Report Definition types.

In this section, you will learn how to select the columns to be

displayed in the report output. Additionally, you will be introduced to
sorting and grouping.

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Create Ad Hoc Reports > Selecting Columns

Columns and Rows Overview

The Ad Hoc Report Builder displays its output as a list. The list
Best Practice contains the columns you choose during the report setup.
To assist you and other
users in your organization in Columns
selecting the correct fields, we Each column in an Ad Hoc Report is a field from the selected
recommend that you create a Report type (i.e. If the Report type is Goal, the columns available for
Data Map. selection are fields pertaining to the Goal module).

Data Map
The most difficult aspect of selecting columns is knowing which
columns in the list contain the data on which you would like to report.
Each SuccessFactors implementation is unique. Depending on your
configuration, the columns you select may be tailored for the data
your organization tracks.

To create a data map:

• Create an Ad Hoc Report that contains ALL of the available fields
for selection.
• Review the results.
• Create a document (possibly and excel file) that lists each column
name and the data it contains, if any. Also be sure to specify which
fields are not relevant for your organization.

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Create Ad Hoc Reports > Selecting Columns

Selecting Columns

The Select Columns screen is organized first by All Columns then by subsets of data from the report
type and data set (if applicable). In the screen shot below, these are all of the available columns from the
Goal module. To see all of them you will need to scroll down.

If you select a section on the left, the Columns in the center are limited to the data found in that section.
To select a column for display in your report, place a check in the box to its left. To remove a column
from your report, either deselect the check box or click the trash can to the right of the column in the
Selected Columns area.

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Create Ad Hoc Reports > Selecting Columns

Column Order

By default, columns are ordered in the report in the order they were selected. To change the column
order, select Rearrange Columns then click and drag up/down to position the columns in the desired
order.

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Create Ad Hoc Reports > Selecting Columns

Sorting and Grouping

You may sort the output of your report in the Columns area of the Ad Hoc Report Builder. If you plan to
send your output to a 3rd party report tool, you may skip this step and handle the sorting later.

You may also group your results and create

aggregate columns of data. For example, you
can create a report that determines the average
performance score by location.

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Create Ad Hoc Reports > Selecting Filters

Create Ad Hoc Reports Selecting Filters

In this section, you will learn how to select the columns to be used to
filter data in the report output. You will also learn the various ways to
select criteria for the filter.

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Create Ad Hoc Reports > Selecting Filters

Filters Overview

Ad Hoc Report Builder provides multiple options for filtering. The two main choices are Filter By My
Selection and Filter By Rule. Each of these options can be customized to meet the needs of the report
creator.

Filter By My Selection
Filter By My Selection enables the report creator to select their criteria from the list of existing data in the
field. This can be useful if searching on a specific value from the field.

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Create Ad Hoc Reports > Selecting Filters

Filters Overview

Filter By Rule
Filter by Rule enables more flexibility in setting up your criteria. Rules can be created to find exact
matches, similar matches, or numeric values greater than, less than, or equal to. This option may also
be used to find blanks which can identify users without the data you are looking for.

You have the option of creating multiple rules within the Filter Group to create AND or OR statements.

User Prompted
Each of the above options allows the report creator to select User Prompted. If selected, the report
viewer will be prompted to enter criteria (either by selection or by rule) at the time the report is
generated. This allows the report to be flexible in its use. For example, instead of a report that searches
for all employees who speak French Fluently, by prompting the user for criteria the report could be
generated for different languages at the report viewer’s discretion.

Filter Groups
When using the filter options, you may create multiple filter groups. You have the option of creating
multiple Rules within a Filter Group to create AND or OR statements. By adding additional filter groups,
you create OR statements.

43
Create Ad Hoc Reports > Viewing Report Results

Create Ad Hoc Reports Viewing Report Results

In this section, you will learn how to view your report results using
Preview.

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Create Ad Hoc Reports > Viewing Report Results

Viewing Report Results

Preview Report
Throughout the process of report creation, it is recommended that you preview your results often and
before adding numerous filters. This process can help you see a subset of the results to ensure that
your report yields the intended results.

Report results
Depending on the report type and the data stored in the system, your results may contain multiple rows
of data for each column.

For example, if you run an Employee Profile report and select the columns: First Name, Last Name,
Language, and Speaking Proficiency, your results could have multiple rows for a single person if that
person has entered multiple languages in their profile.

Warning: This concept is sometimes difficult to grasp. The number of rows in your output for each form
or person depends entirely on the fields selected in the report. If you run a report on Performance and
select fields like Competency Name and Competency Rating, you will get a separate row in your output
for each competency on the form for each person. These types of reports are best manipulated using a
third-party reporting tool.

45
Create Ad Hoc Reports > Recap

Recap
• Create multiple Ad Hoc Report types
• Select the line of sight or people to be included in the report results
• Select the data sets and columns to display in the report output
• Sort data
• Filter data
• Preview report results

Additional Resources:
There are a number of additional resources that
can provide more information including:
• Online courses
• Video simulations
• Quick reference guides
• Lab guides

46
Ad Hoc Report Actions
Ad Hoc Report Actions > Running Reports

Report Actions Running Reports

In this section, you will utilize various Ad Hoc Report actions to

perform activities such as copying, editing, deleting, and sharing
reports.

Objectives:
• Use the Report Actions Dropdown list
• Run an Ad Hoc Report online or offline and in various file formats
• Share and unshare a report definition
• Copy (Save As…), edit, delete, and export a report definition

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Ad Hoc Report Actions > Running Reports

Report Actions

Report actions are accessible from the Ad Hoc Report list. The actions available to you depend on
whether you are the report creator or viewer.

Report creators may:

• Run Report
• Save As…
• Edit
• Share
• Delete
• Export report definition

Report viewers may:

• Run Report
• Save As…

49
Ad Hoc Report Actions > Running Reports

Running Reports

Report Viewers and Creators have the same options available when running a report. Reports may be
generated in two ways:
1. On Demand
Running on-demand produces your file immediately, but may take up to several minutes depending on
the size of the file. While the report generates, you may not navigate to other areas of the software.
• Run Online – This option runs the report and generates it onscreen.
• Download (CSV) – This option creates a downloadable .csv file.
• Export – This option allows you to generate a downloadable file in PDF, Excel, or PPT format.

Note: There are no formatting options available with these report types aside from what you are able to
do in the resident application of the file type you select.

2. Offline
Running offline gives you the flexibility to attend to other activities while the report processes in the
background.
• Run Offline – This option allows you to create a named, downloadable file in any of the above
formats. The report runs in the background while you are free to do other things. You will be notified
via e-mail upon the completion of the report. It may be accessed by navigation to Scheduled Reports.

Note: You may specify the language of the report output as either that of the logged in user or proxy.

50
Ad Hoc Report Actions > Sharing Report Definitions

Report Actions Sharing Report Definitions

In this section, you will learn about sharing report definitions that you
have created with other employees in your organization.

51
Ad Hoc Report Actions > Sharing Report Definitions

Sharing Reports

There may be times when a report you create will be useful to other people in your organization. If that is
the case, you can share your report definition with others and they can run the report from their Reports
List.

In order for a person to view a shared report, the following must both be true:
• The person must have Run permission for the report type you share.
• You have shared the report with the person.

Note: If you share a report type with a person who does not have the run permission for that type, they
will not see the report in their report list.

52
Ad Hoc Report Actions > Sharing Report Definitions

Sharing Reports

People
When sharing reports, it’s very important to consider the People step of the report definition. You must
consider whether the user with whom you will share the report has the same line of sight. For Example,
you would not want to share a report set up for detailed reporting rights if the user you are sharing with
is a manager and can only see within their hierarchy.

Note: Keep in mind that you are only sharing the definition of the report with others. You are not
sharing your data access. Each user only sees what they have permission to see based on their role or
administered rights and the report definition.

Sharing
To share a report with others, select their names by either using a Quick Search or an Advanced search.
Be sure that the people with whom you share the report have the right to review the report definition type
you are sharing.

If your search results yield a full list of people with whom you wish to share, click Select All and all users
will be added to the Selected column.

Unsharing
To unshare a report with others, select the trash can next to the name of the person in the selected
column. To Unshare a report from everyone you have previously shared it with, click Deselect All.

53
Ad Hoc Report Actions > Additional Report Actions

Report Actions Additional Report Actions

In this section, you will learn how to create a new report from an
existing report (copy) using the Save As action, edit an existing
report, and delete a report and export and import a report definition.

54
Ad Hoc Report Actions > Additional Report Actions

Save As…

The Save As… action enables a report creator to copy the report definition of an existing Ad Hoc Report.
This is useful when you wish to create a similar report with different filter criteria or if you wish to create
similar reports with different Lines of Sight.

Note: Copying a report that you have shared with others does not automatically share the new copy of
the report. You must set up each shared report separately.

55
Ad Hoc Report Actions > Additional Report Actions

Edit

This option opens the report definition and allows you to access any of the steps and settings you set up
previously. When finished editing, Save your report before returning to the Report List.

Note: Editing a report that you have shared with others will update the shared version immediately.

56
Ad Hoc Report Actions > Additional Report Actions

Delete

The Delete option allows you to delete a report definition. You also have the ability to define the number
of days until a scheduled report is purged from the system. The default settimg is 7 days.

Note: Deleting a report that you have shared with others will delete the report from their lists as well.

57
Ad Hoc Report Actions > Additional Report Actions

Export Report Definition

Sometimes, you may want to export your report definition, either for
Best Practice version control or to share the definition offline with a colleague.
When saving versions, you
may wish to indicate time, Version Control
date, and other identifying As you edit and update your report definition, you overwrite the report
information so you know which each time you save a change. By using Export report definition, you
version is which. can download copies of the report definition and upload later to revert
to a previous version.

Sharing Offline
Sharing reports creates a link between the report creator’s report
and the shared version. The person with whom the report has
been shared cannot modify the report definition. In the event that a
colleague would like to create their own report similar to yours, you
could export the report definition and e-mail the file. They can take
that file and upload it into their report list.

58
Ad Hoc Report Actions > Additional Report Actions

Upload Report Definition

If you have a downloaded report definition, you may upload it into the Report List using Upload Report.

59
Ad Hoc Report Actions > Recap

Recap
• Use the Report Actions Dropdown list
• Run an Ad Hoc Report online or offline and in various file formats
• Share and unshare a report definition
• Copy (Save As…), edit, delete, and export a report definition

Additional Resources:
There are a number of additional resources that
can provide more information including:
• Online courses
• Video simulations
• Quick reference guides
• Lab guides

60
Appendix

Appendix: Report Type List

Note: The following list displays reports that are available in the product but NOT necessarily available
for your instance depending on your current configuration and contract. Please confirm with Customer
Success before assuming any of the following reports will work in your instance.

• Recruiting • Job Information (Date Range)

• Recruiting V2 • Recurring Compensation Information (Date
• Succession (Incumbent-based nominations) Range)
• Succession (Position-based nominations) • Succession History(Incumbent-based
• Succession (Role-based nominations) nominations)
• Succession (Pool-based nominations) • Succession History(Position-based nominations)
• Compensation Eligibility • Performance Management
• Compensation Planning • 360 Multi-Rater Subject
• Employee Central • Recruiting V2 Secured
• Goal Management • Form Status
• Employee Profile • Person and Employment Audit
• Inclusive Succession (Position-based • Rating Scale
nominations) • Development Goal
• Employee Central Payroll • Person and Employment Export
• Learning Activities • Non-Recurring Compensation (Date Range)
• Employee Central 2.0 • Succession (EC Position-based nominations)
• Foundation Objects • Inclusive Succession (EC Position-based
• Calibration Activity nominations)
• Calibration Org Chart Coverage • RBP User to Role Report
• Learning Activities - historical • RBP Permission to User Report
• Person and Employment Info (as of Date) • RBP User to Group Report
• Variable Pay Bonus Detail • RBP Permission Roles Report
• Variable Pay Bonus Payout • Login Data Report Schema
• Employee Central Integration (Date Range) • Security and Proxy Audit Data Report
Schema

61
Exercise
Exercise

Exercise 1 Grant Ad Hoc Report Permissions to a Single User

In this exercise, you will grant Ad Hoc Create and Run Report rights
to your Recruiter.

1. Select Admin Tools from the Name Menu.

2. Locate the Manage Employees section and select Set User
Permissions.
3. Select Dashboard / List View / Spotlight View / Report
Access.
4. Click the Manage dashboard / list view / spotlight
view access / report access through individual users
hyperlink if not already selected.
5. Enter Reynolds## in the Last Name field where ## is the
number you have been assigned by your instructor.
6. Select your Robert Reynolds when it pops up in the list.
The system will automatically search for the selected user.
7. Check the box in the Select All column next to your admin
user.
8. Scroll right to locate the Create and Run Report sections.
9. Select All Reports in Create Report section.
10. Select All Reports in Run Report section.
11. In the Ad Hoc Report Builder Advanced Reports
section, check the boxes for Cross Domain Report and
MultiDataSet report.
12. Click Save Permissions for Selected User.

63
Exercise

Exercise 2 Grant Ad Hoc Report Permissions to a Group of Users

In this exercise, you will grant Ad Hoc Run Report rights to all
Managers in the Training## Division where ## is the number you
have been assigned by your instructor.

(Continued from Exercise 1)

1. Click the Manage dashboard / list view / spotlight view /

report access through group of users hyperlink.
2. Select With Direct Reports Only from the Select: drop-
down menu.
3. Select Training## from the Filtered By: Division drop-down
menu.
4. Scroll right to locate the Run Report section.
5. In the Run Report section, select All Reports.
6. Click Set Permissions.

64
Exercise

Exercise 3 Access Ad Hoc Reports

In this exercise, you will log in to the training instance and access Ad
Hoc Reports.

1. Log in as admin##.
2. Select Analytics.
3. Select Reports.
4. Select Ad Hoc Reports from the left=hand navigation menu.

65
Exercise

Create a Single Domain Ad Hoc Report for Performance

Exercise 4
Management
In this exercise, you will create a single domain Ad-Hoc Report for
Performance Management and enter the General Information.

(Continued from Exercise 3)

1. From the Ad Hoc Reports list, select Create New Report.

2. Ensure that Single Domain Report is selected in Report
Type.
3. Select Performance Management from the Report
Definition type drop-down. You may have to navigate to the
2nd page of report definition types.
4. Click Create.
5. Enter Goals, Competencies, and Overall Ratings in the
Report Name field.
6. Enter Used in [Today's Date] Ad Hoc Reports training in
the Description field.
7. Click Save.

66
Exercise

Exercise 5 Select People

In this exercise, you will define the users’ data to appear in your
report output.

(Continued from Exercise 4)

1. Select People on the Report Builder bar.

2. Click Refine Criteria.
3. Select Logged In User from the Team Manager drop-down.
4. Select Detailed Reporting Rights from Team Reporting
Type.
5. Click OK.
6. Click Save.

67
Exercise

Exercise 6 Select Data Sets

In this exercise, you will select the template on which to report.

(Continued from Exercise 5)

1. Select Data Sets on the Report Builder bar.

2. Click Select Template.
3. Select Team Evaluation.
4. Click OK.
5. Click Save.

68
Exercise

Exercise 7 Select and Reorder Columns

In this exercise, you will add columns to the report and rearrange the
columns so that Overall Performance Rating is last.

(Continued from Exercise 6)

1. Select Columns on the Report Builder bar.

2. Click Select Columns.
3. Select Subject from the All Columns area.
4. Select the checkboxes for Subject Username, Subject
First Name, Subject Last Name, Subject Department,
Subject Division, and Subject Location.
5. Select Performance from the All Columns area.
6. Select the checkbox for Overall Performance Rating.
7. Select Section Fields from the All Columns area.
8. Select the checkboxes for Section Name and Section
Rating.
9. Click Done
10. Select Rearrange Columns
11. Drag Overall Performance Rating to the bottom.
12.
Click Save.

69
Exercise

Exercise 8 Sorting

In this exercise, you will Sort By Division, then Location, then Last
Name.

(Continued from Exercise 7)

1. Select Sort Columns.

2. Select Subject Division from the Order By drop-down
menu.
3. Click Add another sorting level.
4. Select Subject Division from the Order By drop-down
menu.
5. Click OK.
6. Click Save.

70
Exercise

Exercise 9 Filter By Rule

In this exercise, you will filter by rule to remove all records where
Overall Performance Score is Unrated, zero, or null.

1. Select Filters on the Report Builder bar.

2. Select Refine Criteria.
3. Select Performance from the All Columns area.
4. Select the checkbox for Overall Performance Rating.
5. Select By Rule from the Define "Overall Performance
Rating" Filter pop-up.
6. Click Add Rule.
7. Select Is Not Null.
8. Ensure AND is selected.
9. Click Add Rule.
10. Select Not equal to and select 0.
11. Ensure AND is selected.
12.
Click Add Rule.
13.
Select Not equal to and select Unrated.
14.
Click Done.
15.
Click Done.
16. Click Save.

71
Exercise

Exercise 10 Preview Report Results

In this exercise, you will preview your report results.

(Continued from Exercise 9)

1. Click Preview.
2. Click Close.
3. Click Back to Ad Hoc Reports List.
4. Click OK if presented with a Warning Pop Up.

72
Exercise

Exercise 11 Run Report Online

In this exercise, you will run the Goals, Competencies, and Overall
Ratings report Online.

1. From the Ad Hoc Report List select the Goals,

Competencies, and Overall Ratings link.
2. Select Run Online.
3. Select Generate Report.
4. Click Return to Reports.

73
Exercise

Exercise 12 Share a Report

In this exercise, you will share your report with your assigned CEO.

1. From the Ad Hoc Report List click the drop-down arrow

next to the Goals, Competencies, and Overall Ratings
report.
2. Select Share.
3. Type Carol Cole## in the Quick Search Name field.
4. Select the checkbox next to your CEO name.
5. Click Share.

74
Exercise

Save As, Delete, Export, and Upload a Report Definition

Exercise 13
(Time Permitting)
In this final exercise, you will copy your report and give it a different
name, delete the copy you just created, export the Report Definition
and save it to your hard drive, and Upload the Report Definition and
give it a new name.

1. From the Ad Hoc Report List click the drop-down arrow

next to the Goals, Competencies, and Overall Ratings
report.
2. Select Save As…
3. Enter a new name for the report.
4. Click OK.
5. Edit the report details as needed.
6. Click Save.
7. Click Back to Ad Hoc Reports List.
8. Click the drop-down arrow next to the report you just created
report.
9. Click Delete.
10. Click Yes.
11. From the Ad Hoc Report List click the drop-down arrow
next to the Goals, Competencies, and Overall Ratings
report.
12. Click Export Report Definition.
13. Click Save As and save the file to your hard drive.
14. From the Ad Hoc Report List select Upload Report.
15. Name the report.
16. Click Browse.
17. Locate the report definition you just exported.
18. Click Upload.
19. Edit the report details as needed.
20. Click Save.
21. Click Back to Ad Hoc Reports List.

75
Course Summary
Through discussion, instructor-guided demonstration
and hands-on exercises, this course enabled you to
describe SuccessFactors Ad Hoc Reports and their
usage, describe and grant the various Ad Hoc Reporting
privileges, create basic Ad Hoc Reports, manage
existing Ad Hoc Reports, manage Ad Hoc Reports
sharing, and export and upload report definitions.

You should now be able to:

• Describe Ad Hoc Reports and their usage
• Describe and grant the various Ad Hoc Reporting
privileges
• Create basic Ad Hoc Reports
• Copy, Edit and Delete existing Ad Hoc Reports
• Share and unshare Ad Hoc Reports with other users
• Export and upload report definitions
Additional Resources
There are a number of additional resources that can
provide more information about SuccessFactors,
including:

• SuccessFactors An SAP Company website: http://

www.successfactors.com
• Online system help
• Task-specific job aids
• SuccessFactors An SAP Company monthly
newsletter
• SuccessFactors Customer Community: http://
community.successfactors.com/

For information about courses and registration, contact

Success Academy at: [email protected]