What is an Ad Hoc Report? A Comprehensive Guide

Are you struggling to access relevant data and make informed decisions for your business strategy? Traditional reporting could be failing to pool numerous data sources and identify trends necessary to boost operational efficiency. Perhaps it's time to give ad hoc reporting a go.

What is ad hoc reporting?

Ad hoc reporting is a process used by businesses to uncover trends and gain insights on specific data in order to address specific problems within the business. Ad hoc reports - meaning reports created on an 'as needed basis' - are essentially customized reports commissioned to answer specific business questions. They provide valuable insights on problems not directly addressed by standard recurrent reporting.

Various ad hoc reporting tools are used by data analysts and other data professionals to identify patterns and help decision-makers make informed decisions.

Importance of ad hoc reporting for business intelligence

When a business faces a specific problem - especially a recurring problem - ad hoc reporting helps to answer business questions. Say, for example, your financial data indicates that your Facebook ads have been steadily gaining fewer and fewer leads, while your YouTube ads have maintained the same level of engagement. You don't need your team to create reports on your entire advertising strategy; you need highly focusses ad hoc reporting to identify trends relevant to the problem and make data driven decisions.

One fantastic real-world example of ad hoc reporting done to great effect is Canadian Tire. During the pandemic, while almost half of their stores were closing down, they used ad hoc data analysis to encourage business users to use self service analytics for crucial insights; the result was an incredible 20% increase in sales.

So it's plain to see how important ad hoc reporting is for business intelligence and data visualization. Ad hoc reporting solutions allow departments throughout your entire organization to incorporate data expertise into their various strategies and give your overall business strategy a significant edge over your competition.

Ad hoc reporting: the basics

Now we know what ad hoc reporting is, plus the potentially transformative effects of ad hoc analysis for businesses, it's time to take a look at ad hoc reports themselves. How exactly does ad hoc reporting differ from standard reporting? What are the key features of an ad hoc report? How can I incorporate ad hoc reporting tools into my business strategy to effectively set more appointments?

How ad hoc reporting differs from standard reporting

Before we delve into the features and characteristics of ad hoc reporting, it's important to see how it differs from the standard reporting you're used to.

• Flexibility and customization
  While static reports - or 'canned reports' - usually rely on standardized templates and predefined report elements, ad hoc reporting offers greater flexibility for the user. With ad hoc reports, you can typically tailor the experience to explore a single issue or access data otherwise left out by static reporting.

• Immediacy‍
  One of the key benefits of ad hoc reporting is its ability to quickly collate all your data into one centralized location, allowing users to access interactive ad hoc reports practically on the spot. Standard reporting, on the other hand, usually follows a set reporting schedule, meaning you may have to wait longer for results.

• User control
  Static reports usually rely on specialized analysis tools and technical specialists within the IT department. Business users have very little control over this process. In contrast, ad hoc reporting allows greater involvement from end-users, who can generally take part in data analysis, data visualization, and data interpretation.

The key features and characteristics of ad hoc reporting

With those differences in mind, let's take a look at some key characteristics of ad hoc reporting:

• Self service capabilities
  The self service nature of ad hoc reporting is one of its primary features. Non-technical professionals have the power to generate reports and and perform their own ad hoc analysis without having to battle delays.
  Additionally, end-users can use an ad hoc reporting tool to make their own reports with relative ease, again giving them greater control over the data governance process.

• Manage data in real time
  Ad hoc reporting tools let users access data and ad hoc analyses in real time, meaning they can identify trends and address issues with greater speed and efficiency.

• Collaborative data analysis
  Whereas canned reports are generally created by specialists and distributed to relevant stakeholders, ad hoc reporting allows for cross-departmental collaboration and sharing. This not only boosts reporting functionality but will improve employee satisfaction as well.

The benefits of ad hoc reports

As we've already explored, ad hoc reporting offers a totally different user experience from static reporting. So how do these differences actually help businesses to make informed decisions, improve customer service, and increase business intelligence?

1. Business agility‍
   With its streamlined creation process and intuitive, user-defined experience, ad hoc reporting enables organizations to gain insights, identify trends, and distribute reports in just a few clicks. This means your business is well placed to tackle difficult problems as soon as they arise, without having to wait on long, drawn-out reporting processes.
2. ‍Better collaboration‍
   Ad hoc reporting is collaborative in nature, meaning that data analysts and business users alike are involved in creating reports. Not only does this empower employees in the decision-making process, but it also encourages cross-departmental collaboration, putting ad hoc reporting at the heart of any well-oiled business machine.‍‍
3. ‍More comprehensive analysis tools‍
   As opposed to a standard report from, say, human resources or an IT department, which presents vital information, an ad hoc report presents the same underlying data in a more interactive format. With ad hoc reporting, you'll be able to analyse and interpret data on a deeper level. This, in turn, will give you an advantage in an ever changing business environment.

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Implementing ad hoc reporting tools

As with any reporting structure - or indeed any business strategy - successful ad hoc reporting rests on several important factors.

• Establish clear goals‍
  Ad hoc reports are focussed in nature, so your goals should be focussed, too. This means clearly outlining the point of investigation so those analyzing data don't end up wasting time and resources. After all, the point of an ad hoc report is to perform a 'deep dive' into one particular problem or question.

• Provide proper training‍
  One of the main benefits of ad hoc reporting is that it empowers all employees to participate in analysis - but not all employees are data analysts. Whichever ad hoc reporting tool you opt for, make sure your employees are up to speed with the technology so they can get to work providing quality ad hoc reports asap.

• Give guidance‍
  While providing ad hoc reporting training, it's important to provide clear guidance on data integrity and protocol. You want your employees to play a part in ad hoc analysis, but you want to ensure their ad hoc reporting falls within guidelines and provides real value to your team.

Why you should use ad hoc reporting to streamline operations

While traditional reporting remains pivotal for any business or organization, ad hoc reporting offers a unique opportunity to gain new perspectives on your business' pain points. They provide flexible, customizable, and quick insights on everything from financial data to pricing strategies, allowing users to find exciting new solutions to persistent problems.

What's more, the tools available for ad hoc reporting tend to be highly intuitive and easy to use, facilitating greater employee involvement and constructive collaboration between departments.

So if you're facing one of those pesky business issues that just won't go away, or if you're trying to streamline a process within your strategy, consider using ad hoc reporting to find your solution.

You may also consider working with a dedicated lead generation company like Leadium, who can provide industry-leading advice on data analysis and reporting to boost your sales like never before. Get in touch with Leadium to see how they can help up your reporting game.

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