Purpose

1. This article will review the Ad-Hoc Sorting Section within the Reports module. 
   

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Information

1. The Sorting section in the ad-hoc reporting module allows users to organize data in a specific order to make it easier to read, analyze, and prioritize. Sorting enables you to arrange data in ascending or descending order based on one or more columns, such as dates, incident types, or personnel names. This functionality is crucial for improving the readability of reports and focusing on key metrics.

Understanding Sorting

1. Sorting helps you rearrange your report data based on the values in a specific column. You can select which column(s) to sort by and choose whether to sort in ascending (smallest to largest) or descending (largest to smallest) order. Sorting is particularly useful for:
   
1. Prioritizing data based on date, time, or numerical values.
   
2. Alphabetizing data such as personnel names or incident types.
   
3. Organizing reports to highlight critical data points, such as the most recent incidents or highest response times.

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Steps to Configure Sorting

1. Navigate to the Sorting Section: When setting up your report, locate the Sorting section, where you can choose the columns you want to sort by.
   
2. Choose the Column(s) to Sort By: Select the column(s) to sort. 
   
   
3. Choose Sorting Order
   
1. Ascending Order: Arranges data from smallest to largest (e.g., earliest to latest date, alphabetical order A–Z, or lowest to highest number).
   
2. Descending Order: Arranges data from largest to smallest (e.g., latest to earliest date, reverse alphabetical order Z–A, or highest to lowest number).
   
   

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Best Practices for Sorting

1. Focus on Key Data Points: Use sorting to highlight the most important data, such as recent incidents or high-priority tasks.
   
2. Combine Sorting with Grouping: Sorting combined with grouping can create a powerful report structure that highlights key trends within grouped data (e.g., sorting by total incidents within each group).

Example Use Cases for Sorting

1. Incident Reports: Sort by date in descending order to show the most recent incidents first.
   
2. Personnel Records: Sort by personnel name in ascending alphabetical order for easier navigation.
   
3. Response Times: Sort by response time in descending order to highlight incidents with the longest response times.
   
4. Summary Report: Sort by the total number of incidents per type to prioritize the most frequent incident types