This article addresses common questions about Ad Hoc reporting functionality in First Due, helping users understand the differences between report types, data source combinations, filtering options, scheduling capabilities, and available support resources. It serves as a comprehensive reference for both new and experienced users working with custom reporting requirements.
Ad Hoc reporting provides a flexible framework for creating customized reports around specific departmental requirements and data sources. Unlike pre-built "canned" reports that focus on common metrics within specific modules, Ad Hoc reports can be tailored to unique organizational needs and can combine multiple data sources when natural relationships exist between them. This functionality is essential for departments requiring specialized reporting that goes beyond standard module-specific outputs.
Users need appropriate reporting permissions within First Due to access and create Ad Hoc reports. Contact your administrator to ensure you have the necessary permissions for the specific modules and data sources you plan to include in your reports.
Ad Hoc is a framework for creating customized reports around specific requirements and data sources. Canned reports provide a pre-built solution for common reporting metrics within specific First Due modules, such as structure fire incident breakdowns from Incident Documentation, or inventory items nearing expiration from Assets.
Yes, Ad Hoc data sources with natural relationships between each other can be combined. From the Data Source Configuration tab, select the primary source you wish to build the report from. If a source can be joined with others, an "Add Child" button will appear that will provide a list of available sources that can be joined. Columns from all sources can then be utilized in the report.
Reporting logic specified in the Criteria tab of an Ad Hoc report is foundational to the report itself and is executed each time the report is generated. Filters provide options for additional data manipulation after a report is generated.
For example, imagine a department with a scheduling report that should always return data associated with certain Work Types, but is used to look at data from varying date intervals. The restriction on Work Types is an unchanging parameter and is best handled in the Criteria section of the report. Since date ranges can vary – or not be applied at all – it is best handled by a filter, which gives the user running the report the ability to specify the parameters without having to edit the report Criteria itself.
Yes, this can be done through the Report Schedule tab in Ad Hoc. This feature provides the ability to set the report to a recurring run schedule, and the CSV output file can be sent to one or more email addresses. Scheduled reports can be configured to execute within a specific date range, after a certain number of occurrences, or run indefinitely.
"FDR" stands for First Due Reports. These are globally applicable reports that are placed in each client's account by the First Due Reporting & Platform team, with a goal of providing easy access to completed and vetted reports on common topics of interest. Please visit the First Due Report Knowledge Base article for more information.
Some FDRs – ones that were constructed using the native functionality in Ad Hoc – can be cloned and modified to better suit local needs (adding additional columns, filtering on specific fields, etc.). More complex FDRs may have required custom development outside of Ad Hoc and cannot be modified.
The first step will be to contact your Implementation or Client Success specialist. They will review the requirements and help troubleshoot potential issues you are encountering. If confirmed that the desired report output exceeds Ad Hoc's native functionality, First Due's Reporting & Platform Team will work with you to identify a solution from a menu of custom reporting options.
First Due Reports are global, ensuring all customers have access to them since you may eventually include other modules. A folder system is available to help keep irrelevant reports out of sight. Additionally, all Ad Hoc reports have unique URLs, allowing you to use your browser's bookmark system to organize your favorite reports for quick access.
In Events & Activities, you can document the number of young children, school-aged children, adults, and seniors per Event. This data can be collected to analyze the number of people impacted by your programs. Events can be associated with programs, making this particularly useful for grant applications that require impact data. With upcoming custom questions functionality, you will be able to gather additional data around program efforts to enhance your reporting capabilities.
Many departments use Certifications for this purpose. The Certifications module captures essential data points including the record type name, start date, end date, notes, and potential attachments. This approach is effective because certification records are directly visible on Personnel records, providing easy access to important health and safety compliance information.
Each tab used in Ad Hoc report creation has its own separate article in the Knowledge Base. We recommend using two screens or a split screen to view the relevant Knowledge Base article for each tab as you work on that particular section of your report.