Introduction

The Building Reports guide explains how to create, configure, and export reports using Expian’s reporting tool.

It’s intended for operational, finance, and marketing users who want to turn live data from Expian into actionable insights, without relying on external BI systems or SQL knowledge.

Expian’s reporting engine allows users to query live operational data across Orders, Tickets, Payments, Memberships, and Configured Entities, producing custom views that reflect real-time business performance.

Why It Matters

Building reports directly in Expian means decisions can be based on live, trusted data,  not outdated exports or manual spreadsheets.

By understanding how to structure queries correctly, teams can:

• Track performance across revenue, capacity, and customer engagement in real time.
• Combine operational and CRM data into a single, consistent view.
• Identify issues, trends, and opportunities early.
• Create repeatable, validated reports for leadership, finance, or site teams.

Done correctly, Expian reports form the bridge between day-to-day operations and strategic decision-making.

Key Steps to Build a Report

Create a New Query

1. In the Reservations Portal, click the Reports (graph) icon in the left-hand menu.
2. Select New Query in the bottom-left corner.
3. Give your query a Name, Category, and Description to make it easy to find later.

Tip: Include the report purpose in the name, e.g. 'Monthly Attendance by Channel'.

Choose a Data Source

The Data Source determines what kind of data you’re reporting on, Orders, Tickets, Payments, Memberships, etc.

Each source contains specific fields and relationships to other entities.

For a full explanation of each available data source, see Expian Data Model – Reporting Entities.

Select Columns

• Add the fields (columns) you want to include in your results.
• Fields can come from the selected data source or from related tables (for example, adding 'User Email' from Users while using Orders as the source).
• Computed fields, such as Total Net or VAT, are automatically calculated by Expian.
• Drag columns to reorder, rename them for readability, or remove unnecessary ones.
  

Apply Filters and Sorting

Filters allow you to focus on relevant data.

Click the funnel icon above the results table to define one or more filter rules.

Common filters include:

• Date Filters: 'Created At' (when the record was created) or 'Start Date' (event or visit date).
• Status Filters: filter by current lifecycle stage: Ordered, Redeemed, Active, Expired, etc.
• Channel Filters: select sales source, e.g. POS, Web, or Trade Partner.

Sort columns by clicking the header (click again to reverse order).

You can sort by multiple fields by holding Alt while selecting additional columns.

Grouping and Aggregation

Grouping determines how Expian summarises your data.

Tip: When totals look unexpectedly low or high, check for duplicate joins or missing groupings.

Each grouping rule should reflect your intended ‘one row = one record’ logic (for example, one order, one ticket, or one member).

Preview and Validate

Click Run Query or select the query name in the left-hand menu to preview the results.

Expian displays the first 25 rows, use pagination to view more.

Check totals and sample rows to ensure the logic matches your expectations before saving.

If results don’t align, revisit your filters or grouping options.

Save, Duplicate, or Share

• Click Configure → Save to store the query for future use.
• Use Save as Copy to create a new report using an existing configuration.
• Queries can be archived or deleted when no longer required.
• Use Categories to group reports by department, such as Finance, Operations, or Marketing.
  

Export Results

When your report looks correct, click Download at the bottom of the table.

Tip: For audit or investigation reports, download the SQL version. It reveals how Expian joins data behind the scenes.

Best Practice

• Start with one data source. Avoid joins until you’re confident the base results are accurate.
• Use clear naming conventions. Include the purpose or date range in report titles.
• Filter by current statuses. Exclude Draft or Cancelled records unless they’re relevant.
• Save templates. Duplicate common queries for re-use across departments.
• Validate totals. Cross-check revenue or attendance figures against POS or Reservations data.
• Secure access. Restrict report creation and deletion to trained users.

Summary

Building reports in Expian connects teams directly to live operational insight.

When configured carefully, reports reveal accurate, actionable data,turning sales, attendance, and membership activity into clear business intelligence.

With thoughtful structure and clear filtering, every team can measure what matters most: performance, reliability, and customer impact.

Attendance or redemption

Revisions tables

Goal

Comma-separated file with formatted data — ideal for Excel.

Membership or entitlement activity

Description

Combine numeric data for totals or averages.

Group

Sales or revenue reporting

Count records or unique values.

JSON

Tickets or Scan Records

Orders or Payments

Format

The full SQL used to generate the report — ideal for validation or direct database use.

CSV

CSV (Raw)

Count / Count Unique

Structured data for developers or integrations.

List Unique

Entitlement Events or Terms

Recommended Data Source

Option

Unformatted numeric values (e.g. £1,000 shown as 1000). Useful for analysis or import.

Orders or Line Items

Show all unique values as a comma-separated list.

Sum / Average / Min / Max

Audit or configuration tracking

Purpose

SQL Query

Show one row per unique value (default).

Refunds or cancellations