Report types

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  • Updated October 9, 2024
  • 4 minutes to read
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    Summary of Report Types

    This guide provides an overview of the various report types available in ServiceNow, detailing their purposes and how to create them. Reports can help visualize data effectively, allowing users to tell a story with their data and make informed decisions.

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    Key Features

    • Bar Reports: Compare scores across dimensions; includes vertical, horizontal, Pareto, and histogram types.
    • Pie and Donut Reports: Visualize parts of a whole; includes pie, donut, and semi-donut shapes.
    • Time Series Reports: Display data over time with column, line, step line, area, and spline reports.
    • Multidimensional Reports: Aggregate data across multiple metrics; includes pivot tables, heatmaps, and bubble reports.
    • Scores: Provide quick insights into key indicators; includes speedometer, dial, and single score reports.
    • Statistical Analysis Visualizations: Analyze data trends and distributions; includes control, trend, box, and trendbox reports.
    • Other Reports: Include funnel, pyramid, list, calendar, map, and pivot table reports for diverse data visualization needs.
    • Natural Language Query (NLQ): Enables report generation by simply asking a question, streamlining the reporting process.

    Key Outcomes

    By understanding these report types, ServiceNow customers can effectively choose and create reports that align with their data storytelling needs, enabling better analysis and decision-making based on visualized insights. Selecting the appropriate report type is crucial in conveying the right information from the data available.

    Learn about the different types of reports that you can create, and when and how to create them.

    Watch this four-minute video to learn how to create and configure a report visualization.

    You can generate the following types of reports, organized by category:
    • Bar reports enable you to compare scores across data dimensions.
    • Pie and Donut reports visualize the relationship between the parts and the whole of a data set using shapes such as pies.
    • Time Series reports visualize data over time. In addition to data from within your instances and imported data sources, you can also use MetricBase data in time series reports. For more information, see MetricBase application.
    • Multidimensional reports visualize data across dimensions in a single table or graph.
    • Scores visualize single data points either across ranges or as a single value.
    • Statistical reports visualize data with statistical values such as medians and means.
    • Other reports include calendars, maps, and lists.

    You can also use Natural Language Query (NLQ) inside Report Designer to generate a report. Simply write a question into the NLQ field, and the Report Designer generates a report of an appropriate type.

    Table 1. Bar reports
    Report Description
    Bar report iconHorizontal bar icon Vertical and horizontal bar reports Shows vertical or horizontal bars with lengths proportional to the values that they represent.
    Pareto report icon Pareto reports Combines bar and line reports to identify the most important factors in a large set of factors.
    Histogram report icon Histogram reports Provides visual interpretation of numerical data by indicating the number of data points that lie within a range of values.
    Table 2. Pie and Donut reports
    Report Description
    Pie report icon Pie charts Shows how individual pieces of data relate to the whole using a circle to represent the whole.
    Donut report icon Donut reports Shows how individual pieces of data relate to the whole using a donut shape to represent the whole.
    Semi-donut report icon Semi-donut reports Shows how individual pieces of data relate to the whole using a semi-donut shape to represent the whole. A semi-donut report uses a donut sliced in half to represent the whole.
    Table 3. Time series reports
    Report Description
    Column report icon Column reports Shows how one or more values change over time by displaying them as proportional vertical columns.
    Line report icon Line reports Shows how one or more values change over time by connecting a series of data points with straight lines.
    Step report icon Step line reports Shows how one or more values change over time by connecting a series of data points with horizontal and vertical lines.
    Area report icon Area and spline reports Resembles a line chart, but the area between the axis and line is commonly emphasized with colors.
    spline report icon Area and spline reports Shows how one or more values change over time by connecting a series of data points with a fitted curve through the data points. Spline reports let you take a limited set of known data points and approximate intervening values.
    Table 4. Multidimensional reports
    Report Description
    multilevel pivot report icon Multilevel pivot tables Displays aggregate data broken down by multiple metrics in a single chart.
    heatmap report icon Heatmap reports Displays aggregate data in a matrix using colors to represent different values.
    bubble report icon Bubble reports Displays multiple metrics on a single chart.
    Table 5. Scores
    Report Description
    speedometer report icon Speedometer reports Shows an overview of the count of an indicator at the current moment in the form of a round meter.
    dial report icon Dial reports Shows an overview of the count of an indicator that you want to measure in a half circle. The part in which scores are shown is filled with a color.
    single score report icon Single score report Displays a single aggregate value that is important to your business.
    Table 6. Statistical analysis visualizations
    Report Description
    control report icon Control reports Displays data as a series of connected points to determine whether a business process is in a state of statistical control and to identify outliers. (Found in the Other reports section.)
    trend report icon Trend reports Shows how the value of one or more items changes over time. Values along the horizontal axis of the trend report represent the time measurement. Values on the vertical axis represent the changes to the items being monitored. The trend line or curve reveals a general pattern of change. (Found in the Other reports section.)
    trendbox report icon Box reports Shows the distribution of values in a data set highlighting statistical averages. (Found in the Other reports section.)
    trendbox report icon Trendbox reports Shows the distribution of values in a data set highlighting statistical averages for a specified periodof. (Found in the Other reports section.)
    Table 7. Other reports
    Report Description
    funnel report icon Funnel and pyramid reports Displays values as progressively decreasing proportions. The size each section reflects a percentage of the total of all values. (Found in the Other reports section.)
    list report icon List reports Displays data in the form of an expandable list, similar to a standard ServiceNow list component.
    calendar report icon Calendar reports Displays data-driven events in a calendar format.
    map report icon Map reports Displays data on a geographical map image.
    pivot report icon Pivot tables Aggregates data from a table to display the source of summarized data. This functionality is expanded in multilevel pivot reports.
    pyramid report icon Funnel and pyramid reports Visualizes a variation on a bar report using pyramid sections instead of rectangles. (Found in the Other reports section.)

    Choosing a report type

    Choose a report type based on the story that you want data to tell.
    Report type uses