Purpose Statement

This feature allows users to apply criteria filtering when creating Ad-Hoc Reports in the Reports Module. Criteria filtering enables you to focus on relevant data by filtering records based on specific field values, date ranges, and logical conditions, ensuring your reports contain only the most pertinent information for analysis and decision-making.

Background Information

Criteria filtering is an essential component of the Ad-Hoc reporting process that comes after configuring your data source, selecting columns, and setting sort parameters. This filtering capability allows you to narrow down large datasets to specific subsets that meet your reporting requirements. Common use cases include filtering incident reports by date range, excluding incomplete training records, focusing on specific apparatus or personnel, and identifying transmission issues in ePCR systems. This feature is particularly valuable for compliance reporting, performance analysis, and operational oversight.

Required Permissions

Users must have access to the Reports Module and Ad-Hoc reporting functionality. Specific data source permissions are required based on the fields and records you want to filter. Contact your system administrator if you cannot access certain data sources or encounter permission errors when applying criteria.

Video

Step-by-Step Guide

1. We navigated here from the Reports Module Ad-Hoc Reports Create Report. The last tab used was Sort. Now continue on to the Criteria tab. You can either click the tab name or click Next at the bottom.
 

 

 

 

2. Click on the plus icon in the middle of the screen to add your first Criteria.
 

 

 

 

3. Each Criteria you add lets you select a Data Source field from your original Data Source Configuration. It does not have to be one of the fields you selected as a column. Once you select a field you will select the value of that field that you want to identify or filter.
 

 

 

 

4. The Value options you have for your Criteria are:
 

 

Values:

Equal - equals one number or field option (limited to one item)

Not Equal - any value except that one number or field option (limited to one item)

In - In the value of multiple numbers or items (allows multiple items)

Not In - any value except the ones chosen (allows multiple items)

Less - Less than the set value (will not include the set value)

Less or Equal - Less than or Equal to the set value (the set value and any lower value)

Greater - Greater than the set value (will not include the set value)

Greater or Equal - Greater than or Equal to the set value (the set value and any greater value)

Is Null - this will include any field that is blank (contains no data)

Is Not Null - this will include any field that has a value (this is a great way to filter out incomplete records)

 

For Text Only field types you may also see:
 

 

Contains - contains a portion of text

Begins With - the text field starts with the entered value
Ends With - the text field ends with the entered value

For Date fields you may also see:
 

 

Before - will include records before the set date

After - will include records after the set date

Between - will include records between two dates
 

 

 

 

5. You can begin to build more parameters for your records by clicking the plus icon again and adding another Criteria. You can also delete a Criteria by clicking the trash can icon.
 

 

 

6. Select how you want your additional Criteria combined with the first Criteria by choosing AND or OR on the toggle between the two fields.
 

AND - this means that in order for a record to be included in your report it will have to meet BOTH Criteria in the same record.

OR - this means in order for a record to be included in your report it will only have to meet one Criteria or the other Criteria, but not both, in the same record.
 

AND/OR expression is represented as an expression in the bar below.
 

 

 

 

 

7. You can modify the AND/OR expression to help the Criteria logic. 
 

 

In this example we want to pull data for fire calls. Our department switched to NERIS mid-year, so we also need to pull both versions of Fire data.

Our first Criteria sets the year for 2025. Our second Criteria pulls the fire data from any NERIS reports and our third Criteria pulls the fire data from any NFIRS reports.

 

Click Edit to open up the expression field for editing.

 


If we do not change the Criteria AND/OR expression though, this report will return zero records when run because no single report meets all Criteria. 

We need to change the expression to adjust our Criteria. In this case we want the year of 2025 Criteria for all records. The records themselves can be either option 1 NERIS or option 2 NFIRS. The "or" is the key here, but also the placement of the parathesis. Once you have manually edited the parathesis, click Validate and Save. (Note the difference between the original expression and this one.) Not all Criteria need to have their expression altered. Some will work by flipping the switch from AND to OR depending on the report you are creating. 


 

 

8. Once you have added all of your Criteria, and adjusted your expression if necessary, you are ready to move on to the Summary Rows tab or the Grouping tab.
 

 

 

9. For a Summary Report go directly to Grouping. For a Tabular Report you can add in Summary Rows next.

 

Best Practices

Do:

• Use "Is Not Null" criteria to filter out incomplete records
• Apply date range filters using "Between" for specific time periods
• Combine multiple criteria with AND/OR operators for precise filtering
• Test your criteria with a small dataset first to verify results
• Use "In" or "Not In" for multiple selections rather than multiple "Equal" criteria

Don't:

• Apply too many criteria that might exclude necessary data
• Forget to consider the logical relationship between multiple criteria
• Use overly restrictive criteria that result in empty reports
• Apply criteria to fields that aren't populated in your data source

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

• Mixing up AND/OR logic when combining criteria
• Using "Equal" when "Contains" would be more appropriate for text searches
• Applying criteria to optional fields without considering null values
• Not testing criteria combinations before finalizing reports

Troubleshooting & FAQs

Q: My report returns no results after applying criteria. What should I check? A: Verify that your criteria values exist in the data source, check that AND/OR logic is correct, and ensure you're not applying overly restrictive filters.

Q: Can I apply criteria to fields that aren't displayed as columns in my report? A: Yes, you can filter by any field available in your data source configuration, regardless of whether it's displayed as a column.

Q: How do I filter out incomplete or partially saved records? A: Use "Is Not Null" criteria on required fields like "Attendee Name" for training records or "Incident Number" for incident reports.

Q: What's the difference between "Less" and "Less or Equal"? A: "Less" excludes the specified value, while "Less or Equal" includes the specified value in the results.

Q: Can I save criteria configurations for reuse? A: Criteria are saved as part of your overall report configuration when you save the Ad-Hoc report.

Use Case Examples

Training Records:

• Filter incomplete records: "Attendee Name = Is Not Null"
• Focus on specific objectives: "Training Objective = Equals [selected objective]"
• Date range analysis: "Training Date = Between [start date] and [end date]"

Incident Reports:

• Exclude busy apparatus: "Apparatus Name = Not In [Engine 1, Engine 2]"
• Focus on specific units: "Apparatus Name = In [Engine 3, Ladder 1]"
• Single apparatus analysis: "Apparatus Name = Equals [specific apparatus]"
• Date range filtering: "PSAP Call Date/Time = Between [start] and [end]"

ePCR Transmission Monitoring:

• Identify failed transmissions: "Number of Attempts = Greater or Equal 2"
• Check successful first attempts: "Number of Attempts = Equals 1"
• Monitor recent transmission issues: "Transmission Date = After [specific date]"