FAQ: Report Basics

Q: What's the difference between a report and a transaction list?

A transaction list shows individual entries (each invoice, bill, or payment). A report summarizes data—totals, subtotals, balances—to give you a quick picture of your finances or inventory. Reports are read-only and often offer filtering and drill-down to explore the transactions behind the summary.

Q: Why does the same report show different numbers when I run it on different dates?

Reports are date-sensitive. The date range you set determines which transactions are included in the calculation. If you run a trial balance on June 30, it shows balances as of that day. Run the same report on July 3, and the balances may differ because new transactions occurred in between. This is working as intended.

Q: Can I schedule reports to run automatically?

Usystems does not currently support automatic report scheduling or email delivery. You can run a report manually, export it, and save or share it as needed. If your organization needs scheduled reports, contact your administrator or support team about future enhancements.

Q: Why does my exported Excel file look different from the report I saw on screen?

Excel exports preserve the data and basic formatting (columns, number formats) but may not include colors, borders, or other visual styling from the browser view. This is normal. You can adjust formatting in Excel after download if needed.

Q: If I delete a transaction, does the report update automatically?

Yes. Reports are generated on-demand. If you delete a transaction after running a report, the next time you run that same report, the deleted transaction will not appear. The report always reflects the current state of your data.

Q: Can I compare two date ranges in a single report?

Most Usystems reports show one date range at a time. To compare periods, run the same report twice (once for each period), export both, and use Excel or another tool to build a side-by-side comparison. Some specialized reports (like aged receivables) may offer built-in comparison features—check the report's filter options.

Q: Why can't I drill down from a number in this report?

Drill-down is available only for summary figures (like totals or subtotals), not for individual line items. If a number is not underlined or clickable, it may be a line-level detail that cannot be expanded further. Try clicking on a higher-level total instead.

Q: What happens if I print a very large report?

Large reports may span many pages. Always preview your report before printing (use the Print button to see how many pages it will be). You can adjust printer settings (paper size, scale, margins, orientation) to fit more data per page or reduce the total page count.