find someone else's report?

Jen Claudy · November 2015

I just got this email...

Jennifer

See the request below. [my former boss] spoke to [company doing grant writing for us] on Friday. He told them you are capable of doing this in raisers edge. Please let me know.

Can you ask Jennifer to look for a Raiser’s Edge report called “Foundation Report Due” or something similar and run it and forward results if she finds it?

We typically don't use canned reports so there aren't that many in there. I have been through every folder looking for this and can't find it. Is there some hidden search function I could use to find all reports of any type with the word "foundation" in the name? I don't have a clue what the report shows, so I can't even recreate it!

Any ideas would be welcome! (I suppose I could try signing in under his username and see if it's a Favorite...will have to attempt that later.)

Joshua Bekerman bCLO bCRE · November 2015

Hi Jennifer, nice meeting you at BBCon! Just use the secret magical report search plug-in (I think it's called the "Unicorn" button and it's rainbow colored). Then just search for, ya know, that report that what's-his-name created, that the other person who used to work there ten years ago used to run, with some foundation information on it, like words, and numbers, and it probably had page numbers at the bottom, or maybe they were at the top of the page. Oh, and it was usually printed on paper, white paper with straight edges on all four sides.

Sorry, couldn't resist. When I hear "...or something similar" it usually turns out to be something totally different. The "Foundation Report Due" will probably turn out to really be called "Major Donor Status Update."

This isn't much help to solve your issue, but hopefully it was a good distraction for a minute.

Alan French · November 2015

If there's any chance that it could be a custom report, you could try searching the folder on your network where the Crystal reports are saved - they don't necessarily have the same name as what's displayed on RE so it may say "Major Donor Status Update" in the custom reports section even though the Crystal file on which it is based is called "Foundation Report Due" (or something similar!)

Haven you searched for a query/export of the same name? There's search functionality for both of these, and you could then see if they are used elsewhere in the system. You've said you don't typically use canned reports in your organisation, so I'm wondering if your boss has asked you to look for a "report" when it's actually a query or export - sometimes I find that colleagues outside the data team don't make the distinction.

Amy Dana · November 2015

These requests are why we drink.

I don't have a suggestion but you have my condolences. Although I do wonder why there is no search option in Reports.

Christine Cooke 2 · November 2015

IF common sense was involved... I would think it would be an Action Report, either Action Detail Report or Tickler Report.

Have you searched Queries and/or Exports -- I would think yes. But I bet the suggestion already made is the case, that is not the real name of the report...

I would ask if they have a sample they can send you.

Jen Claudy · November 2015

Thanks for the laugh, Josh. When I get home tonight, I'll have to locate a "request" form that a coworker sent me once...

I'm 98% sure that this report is supposed to pull data that was entered as far as grant reporting requirements and deadlines. I was asked about this a month ago, and said that since I didn't know where said data would have been entered in RE, if it was entered at all, I couldn't pull a report on it. The company's suggestion? Look at changing to software used by another of their clients who can easily pull this report...that software is called eTapestry. I just smiled...couldn't think of anything to say that wouldn't come off as rude. And I'm not sure that it would have been effective or worth the time to try to explain that no software can output data that was never entered (or not entered consistently)...

Not a custom report...we don't have any of those, and he wouldn't know how to write one to begin with. Named something else is completely possible...not only that, but completely probable. I just got back from a meeting, and was gone just long enough that RE:7 timed out on me (really, really hate that) so I think I'll try signing in as my former boss and check out his Favorites, then look thru Exports and start looking for Queries. And I'll have a drink when I get home tonight, on your suggestion, Amy!

John Heizer · November 2015

If you can get at the SQL tables via ODBC, there is a table REPORTPARAMETERNAMES that has all the reports in it. The REPORTTYPEID is hard coded into RE, but it's documented.

One thing to consider, it might not be a real "Report" at all, but a Query or Export.

Amy Dana · November 2015

Ah yes, the "report" that is really just an Excel file of a Query.

Jen Claudy · November 2015

My favorite line in the attached? "I remembered to forget to remember" and the one that makes me groan because I hear it far too often: "I'll need this in an hour, it's urgent."

Christine Cooke 2 · November 2015

Jennifer these are fabulous requests! ROFLMAO.

I have one to add. "oh, here's an the fall appeal, it has 18 segmented groups, I need it this afternoon, and the excel exports should be edited/labeled, ready to drop at the mailhouse" (and it's now 1pm)

find someone else's report?

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