Custom Reports - Build Your Own Asset Analytics

Overview

Custom Reports let you create tailored analytics by combining UniAsset's built-in reports with CSV exports and filtering. While UniAsset doesn't have a visual report builder, you can generate custom insights by exporting data and manipulating it in Excel, Google Sheets, or business intelligence tools.

This approach gives you maximum flexibility while keeping UniAsset simple and focused.

Who Can Access This

Export Reports:

• Owner
• Admin

View Built-in Reports:

• Owner
• Admin
• Manager

Filter and Search:

• Owner
• Admin
• Manager
• Employee (limited to assigned assets)

How to Access This Section

Export Data for Custom Analysis

1. Go to Reports in the sidebar
2. Select a report tab (Assets, Costs, Depreciation, Compliance)
3. Click Export CSV (Owner/Admin only)
4. Open CSV in Excel or Google Sheets
5. Build custom views using:
   • Filters
   • Pivot tables
   • Formulas
   • Charts

Use Filters for Quick Custom Views

1. Go to Assets in the sidebar
2. Apply multiple filters:
   • Status
   • Category
   • Location
   • Department
   • Assigned User
3. Results update in real-time
4. Export filtered results to CSV

Configuration / Page Breakdown

Available Export Reports

Asset Report

• Complete asset list
• Fields: Name, serial, category, status, location, department, assigned user
• Use for: Custom asset inventories

Cost Reports

• Asset costs (TCO per asset)
• Department costs (TCO per department)
• Category costs (TCO per category)
• Use for: Financial analysis, budget planning

Depreciation Report

• Purchase cost, depreciation, book value per asset
• Use for: Balance sheets, tax reporting

Compliance Report

• Overdue maintenance, expired documents
• Use for: Audit preparation, risk analysis

Maintenance Report

• All maintenance records across assets
• Use for: Vendor analysis, cost trends

Building Custom Reports in Excel

Step-by-Step Workflow:

1. Export Base Data

   • Export relevant report from UniAsset
   • Save as CSV

2. Open in Excel/Sheets

   • Import CSV
   • Format columns (dates, currency, numbers)

3. Apply Custom Filters

   • Filter by date ranges
   • Filter by specific values
   • Combine multiple criteria

4. Create Calculations

   • Sum totals by category
   • Calculate averages
   • Compute trends

5. Build Visualizations

   • Pivot tables for aggregations
   • Charts for trends
   • Conditional formatting for alerts

6. Save as Template

   • Reuse for monthly/quarterly reports
   • Update with fresh exports

Common Custom Report Patterns

Pattern 1: Monthly Maintenance Spend

• Export: Asset Cost Report
• Filter: Maintenance records by date
• Group by: Month
• Visualize: Line chart showing trend

Pattern 2: Department Asset Allocation

• Export: Asset Report
• Group by: Department
• Calculate: Count and total value per department
• Visualize: Bar chart or pie chart

Pattern 3: Asset Age Distribution

• Export: Asset Report
• Calculate: Age = (Today - Purchase Date) / 365
• Group by: Age buckets (0-1, 1-3, 3-5, 5+ years)
• Visualize: Histogram

Pattern 4: High-Cost Assets

• Export: Asset Cost Report
• Sort by: Total Cost descending
• Filter: Top 10 or top 20%
• Analyze: Which assets drain budget

Pattern 5: Vendor Performance

• Export: Maintenance records
• Group by: Vendor/Technician
• Calculate: Count, total cost, average cost per vendor
• Compare: Quality vs. cost

Common Use Cases

Creating a Monthly Executive Summary

Executives want a one-page summary each month.

Steps:

1. Export Asset Report and Cost Report
2. In Excel, create summary with:
   • Total assets (count)
   • New assets this month (filter by creation date)
   • Total asset value (sum purchase costs)
   • Maintenance spend this month (filter maintenance by date)
   • Top 5 cost drivers (sort and filter)
3. Add charts: Asset count by status, Maintenance trend
4. Save as template for monthly reuse

Analyzing Vendor Performance

You work with multiple repair vendors and want to compare them.

Steps:

1. Export all maintenance records
2. In Excel:
   • Group by Technician/Vendor column
   • Count services per vendor
   • Sum costs per vendor
   • Calculate average cost per service
3. Pivot table:
   • Rows: Vendor
   • Values: Count, Sum, Average
4. Identify: Most expensive, most used, best value

Budget Forecasting by Department

Finance needs next year's asset budget by department.

Steps:

1. Export Department Cost Report
2. In Excel:
   • Review current year maintenance spend per department
   • Calculate average monthly spend
   • Multiply by 12 for annual forecast
   • Add 10-15% buffer for growth/inflation
3. Create chart showing historical vs. projected
4. Present to finance team

Compliance Audit Trail

Auditors need proof all equipment was inspected on schedule.

Steps:

1. Export Assets Report
2. Filter by category requiring inspections
3. Export Maintenance Report
4. Filter maintenance by type = Inspection
5. Cross-reference:
   • Each asset has inspection in last 12 months?
   • Any missed inspections?
6. Document gaps and corrective actions

Best Practices

Export regularly for trend analysis

• Monthly exports create historical dataset
• Track changes over time
• Compare month-over-month or year-over-year

Create Excel templates for recurring reports

• Build report structure once
• Update with fresh CSV exports monthly
• Automate with Excel macros or Power Query

Use pivot tables for flexible analysis

• Easy to reorganize data
• Quickly switch between different views
• No formulas needed for most aggregations

Combine multiple exports for comprehensive analysis

• Join Asset Report + Cost Report by Asset ID
• Add maintenance details
• Create complete picture

Document your custom reports

• Note which exports you used
• Document filters and calculations
• Share templates with colleagues

Validate exported data

• Check totals match UniAsset dashboard
• Verify no missing records
• Ensure date ranges are correct

Important Notes & Limitations

No visual report builder in UniAsset

• UniAsset focuses on built-in reports
• Custom analysis requires Excel/external tools
• This keeps the app simple and fast

Exports are point-in-time snapshots

• Data is current at time of export
• Re-export for updated data
• Not real-time

CSV format requires post-processing

• Dates may need reformatting
• Currency symbols may need adjustment
• Numbers may import as text

Only Owners and Admins can export

• Managers cannot export reports
• Limits data distribution for security
• Owners can export and share with Managers

No automatic report scheduling

• Cannot schedule exports to run automatically
• Must manually export each time
• Consider third-party automation tools if needed

Advanced analytics require BI tools

• For complex dashboards, use Power BI, Tableau, Looker
• Export UniAsset data to data warehouse
• Build custom dashboards there

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I create a report builder inside UniAsset?

No. UniAsset provides essential built-in reports and CSV exports. For custom analytics, export to Excel or BI tools. This keeps UniAsset focused and user-friendly.

Can I schedule reports to run automatically?

No. You must manually export reports. Some users set calendar reminders to export monthly. Advanced users can use automation tools (Zapier, Make.com) to trigger exports via API (future feature).

Can I share custom reports with my team?

Yes. Export to CSV, build your custom report in Excel, then share the Excel file. Or build templates and have team members export fresh data themselves.

What if I need real-time dashboards?

For real-time visualization, use UniAsset's built-in dashboards (Executive, Reports tabs). For advanced real-time BI, integrate UniAsset exports with Power BI or Tableau.

Can I export only specific assets?

Yes. Use filters in the Assets page to narrow results, then export. Or export all and filter in Excel.

How often should I export data?

Depends on reporting needs. Common schedules:

• Monthly: For budget and trend reports
• Quarterly: For executive summaries
• Annually: For tax and compliance
• Ad-hoc: For special analyses