HR

Step-by-step guide

Follow these tips and tricks to get the most out of your reports using the HR Report Designer.

Contents

• Do
• Don't

Do

• DO make sure you have a report designer licence before you start
• If you need to assign licences, go to the following area:
  • Latest menu: System Configuration > Licensing
  • Pre 2025 menu: System > Security > Licensing
•  On the Report Designers tab select Add Report Designers on the left-hand side

• DO ensure any changes you make to the reports are done through Reporting > Report Admin > Report Designer. This will ensure any changes made are saved for the future and your other users
• DO ‘Check In’ your reports. This means HR with remember how your report has been set up the next time you run the report, it will look the same and save you time re-configuring your report each time

• DO make a copy of any report you need to a change to using step 1 of the Report Designer Wizard. If you are unhappy with your changes, you can delete it and create another copy from the untouched original
  
  
  
  
• DO hide any worksheets in Excel that you don’t want to appear as part of your final report. For example, if you are not going to be creating a PivotTable on the Reports tab, right click and select hide so anyone running the report will no longer see the Reports tab at the bottom
  
  
  
  
• DO test your report to make sure you are happy with the final product. Go to the Reports page and run the report to see what your end users will see

• DO use the Report Scheduler when you want to automate distribution of your reports, both internally within your organisation and to external third parties. Go to the following area:
  • Latest menu: Reporting > Report Admin > Configure Scheduled Reports
  • Pre 2025 menu: Reporting > Report Admin > Report Scheduler

Don't

• DON’T use Macros, Conditional Formatting or Grouping in Excel as these are not supported by Report Designer when checking your report back in
• DON’T change the file name when you save your Excel document. When the Excel document downloads, it will have the name of you report the beginning and a mix of letters and numbers at the end. This is how Ciphr HR recognises the version of the report you have downloaded
  
  
  
  
• DON’T use anything other than letters or number in the title of your report (no special characters). This may affect the ability to check in your reports
• DON’T panic if you’ve been logged out before you’ve had the chance to Check In your report. Log back in using the same details, go to Reports > Report Admin > Report Designer and search for your report. Select your report and choose the option to Check In
  
  
  
  
• DON’T worry if you have chosen PDF or CSV as the file type and it still downloads as an Excel report. You will always use Excel to configure and format your report when you are in Report Designer. Go to the Reports page and run your report to see the final file type