Custom reports help you turn BOS Professional data into practical dashboards, charts, and business insights.

BOS Professional includes many useful features that some of you use daily and others may have forgotten about. Custom reports are one of these features.

Custom reports give you faster access to the right data, support better decisions, and help each user see the metrics that are most relevant to their role. If the data exists in BOS Professional, a report can usually be created for it.

What Is a Custom Report?

A custom report is a report that displays your data in a specific way. It may be a general report that many users can access, or it may be a report built for a specific user, department, or business process.

For example, if your business uses a complex commission structure, you may have a custom report that shows transactions, commission due, and commission percentage per representative and per transaction.

How to View Custom Reports

To view a custom report, go to Main Menu > Reports > Custom Reports, and then select the report you want from the dropdown list. Follow the usual procedure by adjusting the filters and clicking View (button).

How to Edit or Create Custom Reports

From Custom Reports, click Menu > Edit Reports. BOS Professional opens a list of the reports that are available to you. The list shows basic details, such as the report name and chart type.

Double-click a report to open Edit View. In Edit View, you set the fields that appear on the report and on the related chart. If the report uses custom SQL queries or calculations, they are accessed from here.

Click New to create your own report. If you want to modify an existing report but you feel unsure about the setup, copy the report first. In the report list, right-click the report and click Copy on the context menu. Work on the copy until you are confident. If it works, you can apply the same changes to the original. If it does not work, you can delete the copy.

You can also contact support if you get stuck along the way or prefer not to create or edit reports yourself.

Use Dashboards to Track Today’s Metrics

The dashboard is one of the most useful custom report features. Open it by clicking the clock icon on the row of icons below the main menu. The dashboard shows selected metrics as they stand today.

You can use dashboards to view information, such as expense comparisons between this year and last year, active quotations, or production statuses. A good dashboard helps you spot trends, check progress, and act sooner.

Customise Dashboard Charts

You can change the charts that appear on the dashboard. Click Menu > Customise Charts. Two options will appear below each chart.

Click Customize Chart to open a popup with two tabs. Use the Series tab to show or hide the fields that are available on the custom report. You can also use the Sort by option (at the bottom of the popup) to choose the field that controls the chart order.

The Data Groups tab appears in the same popup. In most cases, this tab does not include entries.

Click the diagram name, such as Column Diagram, to open a list of available graph types. For example, if a column diagram has labels that look cramped or cut off, try a bar diagram instead. Not every diagram type creates a meaningful view, but you can click on them to see what’s displayed. It won’t break the report.

To save a diagram type permanently, edit the related custom report as explained above. Dashboard reports are usually prefixed with the word Dashboard, which makes them easier to find.

Choose Which Reports Appear on Your Dashboard

You control which reports appear on your dashboard. First, open the list of custom reports. Click the blue star to open the Field Chooser, and then click the ID block. Write down the IDs of the reports you want to display.

Keep in mind that the dashboard shows a specific metric as at today. It does not allow filtering. For example, a list of all active quotations as at today is a great report for a sales managers’ dashboard.

Next go to Main Menu > Office > My Organisation. Double-click your name to open Edit View, and then click the Settings tab. Type reports to find the settings next to the group Reports & Dashboard.

Here, you can choose whether the dashboard refreshes automatically or only when you click the refresh button. If your system is slow, manual refresh is usually the better option. You can also choose how many columns and rows the dashboard uses, and you can enter the report IDs that must appear on the dashboard.

Control Access to Custom Reports

BOS Professional includes two related access control settings under the Reports & Dashboard group. One setting gives a user access to edit custom reports. The other allows a user to view the reports.

Remember, reports are customised per user. If a specific user should not see a report, leave that report out of the user’s dashboard report list.

Dashboards in the Mobile App

The BOS Professional upgrade to version 26.01 includes the Mobile App that is accessed from a browser like Chrome. One of the new features is the ability to view your dashboard reports from the app. This feature lets you log in from your mobile phone wherever you are and instantly view key metrics or production activity. The accompanying charts can also be customised in the Mobile App. 

Take a Fresh Look at Your Reports

Custom reports and dashboards work best when they support the way your business makes decisions today. Look at your dashboards and charts, check whether they show the information you need, and whether they still work for your business. That way you’ll be ready as soon as you upgrade to version 26.01 and start using the mobile app.