Standard Reports

Learn how to use the standard reports in the Shifts platform to access key metrics, analyze team performance, track attendance patterns, monitor labor costs, and make data-driven decisions.

Overview

The Standard Reports in Shifts provide comprehensive insights into your team’s operations, attendance, scheduling efficiency, and labor costs. These built-in reports are designed to give managers quick access to critical metrics and trends without requiring complex customization. This article explains the types of standard reports available, how to access them, and how to use them effectively for decision-making.

Accessing Standard Reports

To view and run standard reports:

1. Navigate to Reporting & Analytics in your dashboard
2. Select Standard Reports from the menu
3. Choose the report category you want to explore
4. Set any filters or parameters
5. Click Generate Report to view the results

Available Report Categories

The Shifts platform offers several categories of standard reports:

1. Workforce Reports

These reports focus on staffing and employee management:

• Employee Directory: Complete listing of all employees with key information
• Skills Distribution: Analysis of skills coverage across your team
• Certification Status: Tracking of required certifications and expiration dates
• Team Composition: Breakdown of team by role, experience level, and employment type

2. Scheduling Reports

Track and analyze scheduling effectiveness:

• Schedule Coverage: Analysis of how well shifts are staffed
• Shift Utilization: Metrics on scheduling efficiency and resource allocation
• Unfilled Shifts: Report on shifts needing coverage
• Schedule Compliance: Comparison of scheduled vs. actual hours worked
• Role Coverage: Analysis of role-based staffing levels

3. Attendance Reports

Monitor attendance patterns and issues:

• Attendance Summary: Overview of attendance rates by employee or team
• Tardiness Tracking: Analysis of late arrivals and trends
• Absence Patterns: Identification of recurring absence patterns
• Check-in/out Compliance: Report on time tracking adherence
• Attendance by Location: Comparison of attendance across different locations

4. Financial Reports

Track labor costs and budget performance:

• Labor Cost Analysis: Breakdown of labor costs by department, role, or location
• Budget vs. Actual: Comparison of projected and actual labor expenses
• Overtime Report: Detailed tracking of overtime hours and costs
• Cost per Shift Type: Analysis of costs by different shift categories
• Projected Labor Costs: Forecast of upcoming labor expenses

5. Performance Analytics

Evaluate individual and team performance:

• Performance Ratings: Summary of employee performance ratings
• Attendance Rates: On-time percentages and attendance reliability
• Performance Trends: Analysis of performance changes over time
• Top Performers: Identification of highest-rated employees

6. Security and Compliance

Monitor system usage and security:

• User Activity Logs: Track of system logins and feature usage
• Suspicious Activity: Identification of potential attendance fraud
• Location Verification: Analysis of geofencing compliance
• IP Address Report: Summary of system access by IP address

Working with Reports

Filtering Report Data

Customize what information appears in your reports:

1. Select the report you want to view
2. Use the Filters panel to narrow down results by:
   • Date Range: Select specific time periods
   • Locations: Filter by specific workplaces
   • Departments/Teams: Focus on particular groups
   • Employee Types: Filter by role or employment type
   • Status: Focus on specific statuses (e.g., active, pending)

Sorting and Grouping

Organize report data for better analysis:

• Use column headers to sort data in ascending or descending order
• Group data by location, department, role, or date
• Use the Group By dropdown to change data organization
• Collapse or expand grouped sections for easier viewing

Visualization Options

View data in various formats:

• Table View: Standard tabular display of all data points
• Chart View: Visual representation with various chart types:
  • Bar charts for comparisons
  • Pie charts for distribution analysis
  • Line graphs for trend identification
  • Heat maps for pattern recognition
• Summary View: Condensed overview of key metrics
• Detail View: Comprehensive display of all data points

Exporting Reports

Share or save report data:

1. Generate the report you want to export
2. Click the Export button
3. Select the desired format:
   • CSV: For spreadsheet analysis
   • PDF: For formal presentation
   • Excel: For advanced data manipulation
4. Choose export options:
   • Include charts and visualizations
   • Data only
   • Summary or detailed view
5. Click Export to download the file

Scheduling Recurring Reports

Set up automatic report generation:

1. Navigate to the report you want to schedule
2. Click Schedule Report
3. Set the frequency (daily, weekly, monthly)
4. Choose delivery options:
   • Email recipients
   • File format
   • Include visualizations
5. Select start and end dates (optional)
6. Save your schedule settings

Interpreting Report Data

Key Metrics to Monitor

Focus on these important indicators:

• Attendance Rate: Percentage of shifts with proper attendance
• On-Time Rate: Percentage of on-time arrivals
• Utilization Rate: How efficiently staff are scheduled
• Coverage Rate: Percentage of required positions filled
• Labor Cost Percentage: Labor costs as a percentage of budget
• Overtime Percentage: Portion of hours paid at overtime rates

Trend Analysis

Look for patterns over time:

• Compare current periods to previous ones
• Identify seasonal patterns
• Spot progressive trends (improving or declining)
• Correlate metrics (e.g., how attendance affects labor costs)

Best Practices

For optimal results when using Standard Reports:

1. Regular Review: Schedule time to review key reports weekly
2. Consistent Metrics: Use the same metrics for fair period-to-period comparison
3. Context Matters: Consider external factors when interpreting data
4. Share Insights: Distribute relevant reports to stakeholders
5. Take Action: Use report findings to drive specific improvements
6. Validate Data: Cross-check unusual findings before taking action
7. Progressive Analysis: Start with summary data, then drill down into details

Related Resources

• Report Scheduling
• Custom Reports
• Timesheet Approvals
• Business Intelligence Dashboard
• Data Export Options

This article should be updated when:

1. New standard report types are added
2. Changes to report filtering or visualization options
3. Updates to export formats or capabilities
4. New metrics or calculations in existing reports
5. Changes to the report scheduling interface
6. Integration with new system features