Metrics summarize report data into meaningful measurements that help you monitor workload, identify trends, and evaluate operational performance. In a Summary report, calculations aggregate data across groups of records instead of displaying individual rows.
This reference explains the calculations available in Report builder, the field types they support, and how to interpret report results accurately.
Report types
Applaud provides two report types, depending on the type of analysis you need.
| Report type | Description | Best used for |
| Detailed | Displays individual records with the selected fields. | Auditing records, reviewing employee data, investigating individual cases, and exporting detailed lists. |
| Summary | Groups records and applies calculations. | Measuring totals, averages, counts, minimums, maximums, and other aggregated metrics. |
Supported calculations
The calculations available in a summary report depend on the field type you select.
Field type compatibility
| Field type | Count | Sum | Average | Minimum | Maximum |
| Text | ✓ | — | — | — | — |
| Number | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Date | ✓ | — | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Boolean (True/False) | ✓ | — | — | — | — |
| Lookup / Relationship | ✓ | — | — | — | — |
Calculation reference
| Calculation | Description | Best practice |
| Count | Returns the total number of matching records. | Count a field that's always populated, such as Case number, for the most reliable totals. |
| Sum | Adds together all values in a numeric field. | Use for totals such as costs, hours, or other numeric values. |
| Average | Calculates the arithmetic mean of a numeric field. | Consider how empty or null values might affect the average. |
| Minimum | Returns the lowest numeric value or earliest date. | Use to identify the earliest event or smallest value. |
| Maximum | Returns the highest numeric value or latest date. | Use to identify the latest event or largest value. |
Grouping data
The Group by setting determines how calculated values are organized in a summary report. Every selected field must either be used as a grouping field or have a calculation applied.
| Group by | Result |
| None | A single row showing the total across all matching records. |
| Assignee | One row per assignee with calculated metrics. |
| Team | One row per team with aggregated metrics. |
| Status | One row for each case status. |
| Priority | One row for each priority level. |
| Channel | One row for each case source, such as Web, Slack, Email, Microsoft Teams, or Phone. |
Common reporting scenarios
Use these example configurations as a starting point when building operational reports.
| Reporting goal | Calculation | Group by | Suggested filters |
| Total case volume | Count of Case number | Optional: Team, Category | Reporting period |
| Current workload | Count of Case number | Assignee or Team | Active or open statuses |
| Unassigned workload | Count of Case number | Optional: Team or Priority | Assignee is empty, and Status is active |
| Priority distribution | Count of Case number | Priority | Active statuses, teams, or reporting period |
| Channel distribution | Count of Case number | Channel | Reporting period |
| SLA exposure | Count of Case number | SLA status | Active cases and SLA due date |
| Closed case volume | Count of Case number | Optional: Assignee or Team | Closed date |
| AI triage coverage | Count of Case number | AI triage complete | Compare successful and unsuccessful AI triage |
| Automatic closure | Count of Case number | Auto closed | Closed date |
Interpret report metrics
Accurate reporting depends on both the report configuration and how you interpret the results.
Define the reporting scope
Always define what a metric measures. For example, a metric named Case count should clearly indicate whether it represents:
- All historical cases.
- Currently open cases.
- Cases opened during a reporting period.
- Cases closed during a reporting period.
Choose the correct date field
Select the date field that answers the business question you're asking.
| Date field | Business question |
| Closed at | When was the work completed? |
| Cancelled at | When was the request canceled? |
| Merged at | When was the record merged with another case? |
| SLA due at | When is the SLA due? |
| AI summary updated at | When was the AI summary last refreshed? |
Separate workload from performance
A high case count measures workload, not performance. It indicates the volume of work assigned, rather than employee productivity, case complexity, work quality, or resolution speed.
Use workload metrics alongside measures such as:
- Resolution time
- SLA attainment
- Employee satisfaction
- Case complexity.
Together, these metrics provide a more complete view of operational performance.
Understand grouped data
Some fields can contain multiple values for a single record, such as tags, team memberships, or SLA policies. Grouping by these fields can cause a single record to appear in multiple groups, increasing the visible totals.
Always compare summary reports with a detailed report using the same filters when validating report totals.
Understand permission-based results
Report results always respect reporting permissions.
If two users run the same shared report, they might receive different totals because each user only sees the data they're authorized to access.
Validate report metrics
Before sharing or scheduling a report:
- Define what the metric measures.
- Verify the selected calculation.
- Review the report filters.
- Check any default parameter values.
- Preview the report.
- Compare the results with a detailed report using the same filters.
- Share the metric definition with report consumers.