Reports FAQ & Troubleshooting
This article answers the most frequently asked questions about AccuArk's reporting system. Whether you are seeing unexpected results, wondering about a specific feature, or troubleshooting an issue, the answers below should help.
Why is my report showing no data?
An empty report grid is almost always caused by one of three things:
- Date range — The selected date range does not contain any transactions. Double-check the From and To dates at the top of the report. A common mistake is leaving the dates set to a previous month or a single day that had no activity.
- Location filter — The selected location may not have any data for the chosen period. Try switching to All Locations to confirm that data exists elsewhere.
- Permissions — Your user role may not have the required RPT_VIEW permission for this report. When a permission is missing, the report may open but return no results, or it may not appear in the menu at all. Contact your administrator to verify your permissions.
If none of these apply, confirm that there are completed (closed) transactions in the system for the date range. Draft or voided invoices are typically excluded from reports.
Can I customize report columns?
Report columns are preset for each report and cannot be rearranged or hidden within the application. However, you can achieve a custom view by exporting the report to CSV (press Ctrl+E) and opening it in Excel or Google Sheets. From there, you can delete unwanted columns, reorder them, apply formulas, or create pivot tables for custom analysis.
How do I compare two time periods?
AccuArk does not have a built-in period comparison feature within a single report window. Instead, open the same report twice by selecting it from the Reports menu a second time. Set one instance to the first date range and the other to the second date range, then arrange the windows side by side for comparison. Each report runs independently, so you can have as many instances open as you need.
Why do my sales totals not match between reports?
Different reports may include or exclude different transaction types, which causes totals to appear inconsistent. Common reasons include:
- Returns and refunds — Some reports include returns as negative amounts, while others exclude them entirely
- Voided transactions — Voided invoices are excluded from most sales reports but may appear in exception reports
- Tax inclusion — Some reports show totals before tax, while others show the after-tax total. Check the column headers to see whether a column is labeled Subtotal, Total, or Net
- POS Only filter — The Sales Trend Report has a POS Only checkbox. If checked, it excludes manually created invoices, which other reports may include
- Report scope — A Sales by Category report sums line items, while a Sales Summary report sums invoice totals. Rounding and discount allocation can cause small differences
When totals differ, check the specific columns and filters on each report to understand what is being counted.
How often is report data updated?
All reports query the database in real time when you load or refresh them. There is no delay or batch processing. The data you see is current as of the moment the report was generated. Press F5 or click Report > Refresh to reload the report with the very latest data.
Can multiple users run the same report simultaneously?
Yes. Each user gets their own independent report window with their own filters and results. Running a report does not lock out other users or affect their data. Multiple users can run the same report at the same time without any conflict.
Why can I not see certain reports?
Report visibility is controlled by role-based permissions. Each report category has a corresponding RPT_VIEW permission (for example, RPT_VIEW_SALES for sales reports, RPT_VIEW_AUDIT for audit reports). If a report does not appear in your Reports menu, your role most likely lacks the required permission.
Super Admins and Location Admins have access to all reports by default. For all other roles, permissions must be explicitly granted. Contact your administrator and ask them to check your role's report permissions under Settings > Roles & Permissions.
How do I run a report for all locations?
In any report that has a Location filter, select All Locations from the dropdown. This combines data from every location into a single result set. When using All Locations, some reports will include a Location column so you can still see which location each row belongs to.
Note: The Customer List preset in the Customer Analysis Report does not have a location filter and always shows all customers regardless.
What does the loading indicator mean?
When you see the loading indicator in the status bar at the bottom of a report, it means the application is fetching data from the database. The time required depends on the amount of data being queried. Reports with large date ranges, All Locations selected, or Detailed mode enabled will take longer than narrowly filtered Summary mode reports.
If the loading indicator persists for an unusually long time, it may indicate a slow database connection or a very large data set. Try narrowing the date range or selecting a specific location to reduce the query size.
Can I save report filter settings?
Not currently. Report filters reset to their default values each time the report is opened. The default date range is typically the current month, and the default location is based on your assigned location. If you frequently need the same filter combination, consider noting the settings for quick re-entry, or export the filtered report to CSV for repeated reference.
Why are amounts showing as zero in some columns?
Columns such as COGS (Cost of Goods Sold), Profit, and Margin % require that cost data be set up on your inventory items. If an item does not have a cost price entered, the system cannot calculate profitability, and these columns will show zero.
To fix this, go to Vendors & Inventory > Manage Inventory, open the item, and ensure the Cost field has a value. Once costs are entered, future transactions will include proper cost data, and reports will calculate profit and margin correctly. Note that historical transactions will not be retroactively updated; only new sales after the cost is set will reflect accurate margins.
How do I print only certain rows?
The built-in Print feature prints all rows in the current report grid. If you need to print only specific rows, follow these steps:
- Export the report to CSV by pressing Ctrl+E
- Open the CSV file in Excel or another spreadsheet application
- Delete the rows you do not need, or filter to the desired subset
- Print from the spreadsheet application
This approach gives you full control over which rows appear in the printed output and allows you to apply additional formatting before printing.