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Setting Scheduled Reports

Scheduled reports enable you to automatically receive customized dashboard data via email at specified intervals. This feature helps teams stay informed about shipment status, exceptions, and key metrics without manually checking the platform.

Overview​

With scheduled reports, you can:

  • Automate data delivery - Receive regular updates without manual exports
  • Customize content - Choose exactly which data appears in reports
  • Target recipients - Send reports to specific team members or groups
  • Set delivery schedules - Configure day and time for email delivery
  • Track multiple views - Create separate reports for different purposes
Use Cases
  • Daily operations updates - Morning report of active shipments and arrivals
  • Weekly executive summaries - High-level overview of shipment volumes and exceptions
  • Monthly KPI reports - Performance metrics and dwell time analysis
  • Exception alerts - Daily reports of flagged or delayed shipments

Prerequisites​

Before creating scheduled reports:

  1. Create or customize a dashboard view with the columns and filters you need
  2. Verify your data - Ensure the view shows the information you want to share
  3. Identify recipients - Know who should receive the report (admin rights required to assign reports to others)
Admin Requirements

Only users with administrator privileges can create scheduled reports for other team members. Regular users can create reports for themselves.

Step 1: Create a Dashboard View​

Before scheduling a report, you need to create and configure a dashboard view with the specific data you want to report on.

Creating a New View​

  1. Navigate to the Dashboard section
  2. Click the Create View button in the view selector
  3. Give your view a descriptive name (e.g., "Daily Operations Report" or "Weekly Executive Summary")

Customizing Your View​

Configure the view to show exactly what you want in your report:

Select Columns​

  1. Click the Edit Columns button
  2. Check the boxes for columns you want to include
  3. Uncheck columns you don't need
  4. Arrange columns by dragging them into your preferred order
  5. Click Apply to save

Recommended columns for different report types:

Operations Report:

  • Active, B/L, Container: Code, ETA, Arrived, Current Location

Executive Summary:

  • B/L, ETD, ETA, Carrier, Current Location, Dwell Time: Destination

Exception Report:

  • B/L, Container: Code, ETA, Dwell Time: Destination, Flag Status

Sustainability Report:

  • B/L, Container: Length, km-distance (direct) 🌱, CO2 🌱

Apply Filters​

Narrow down which shipments appear in your report:

  1. Click the Filters button
  2. Add filter conditions:
    • Date range - e.g., "ETA within next 7 days"
    • Status - e.g., "Active = Yes"
    • Location - e.g., "Destination Port = Rotterdam"
    • Flags - e.g., "Show only flagged containers"
  3. Click Apply Filters

Sort and Arrange​

  1. Click column headers to sort data
  2. Choose ascending or descending order
  3. Set secondary sort criteria if needed
Important: Report Reflects Current View

Scheduled reports export exactly what is currently visible in the selected view. Any changes you make to columns, filters, or sorting will be reflected in all future reports using that view.

Save Your View​

  1. Click Save View after configuring
  2. Give it a clear, descriptive name
  3. Optionally mark it as a favorite for quick access

Step 2: Schedule the Report​

Once your view is configured, schedule automated delivery:

Access Report Scheduling​

  1. Navigate to the view you want to schedule
  2. Click the Actions menu in the upper right corner
  3. Select Schedule Report
  4. Click Create New Scheduled Report

Configure Report Settings​

Report Name​

Give your scheduled report a descriptive name:

  • Good: "Daily Operations Report - Active Shipments"
  • Bad: "Report 1"

Clear names help you and recipients understand the report's purpose.

Select Recipients​

For administrators:

  • Choose specific users from the dropdown
  • Select multiple recipients if needed
  • Assign to team leads or managers

For regular users:

  • Reports are automatically sent to your email address
  • You cannot assign reports to other users

Recipient selection tips:

  • Operations teams - Daily reports with active shipments and arrivals
  • Executives - Weekly summaries with high-level metrics
  • Customer service - Exception reports for proactive customer communication
  • Sustainability managers - Monthly environmental impact reports

Choose Delivery Schedule​

Configure when reports are sent:

Day of delivery:

  • Daily (Monday through Sunday)
  • Specific weekdays (e.g., Monday, Wednesday, Friday)
  • Weekly (select specific day)
  • Monthly (select day of month)

Time of delivery:

  • Select hour and timezone
  • Consider recipient's working hours
  • Allow time for data synchronization

Example schedules:

Report TypeFrequencyTimeRationale
Operations UpdateDaily7:00 AMStart of business day
Executive SummaryWeekly (Monday)8:00 AMWeek planning
Exception ReportDaily9:00 AMAfter overnight data sync
Monthly KPI ReportMonthly (1st)6:00 AMEarly month review
Timing Considerations
  • Schedule reports after your typical data sync times (usually complete by 6:00 AM)
  • Consider recipient timezones for distributed teams
  • Avoid weekend delivery for reports requiring immediate action
  • Space out multiple reports to avoid inbox overload

Save and Activate​

  1. Review all settings
  2. Click Save to activate the scheduled report
  3. The system will send reports automatically according to your schedule
First Delivery

The first report will be sent at the next scheduled time after creation. You won't receive a report immediately upon saving.

Step 3: Manage Scheduled Reports​

View Existing Reports​

  1. Navigate to any dashboard view
  2. Click Actions → Schedule Report
  3. See a list of all scheduled reports

The list shows:

  • Report name
  • Associated view
  • Recipients
  • Delivery schedule
  • Last sent date
  • Status (active/paused)

Edit Scheduled Reports​

To modify an existing report:

  1. Find the report in the scheduled reports list
  2. Click Edit
  3. Update settings:
    • Change recipients
    • Modify delivery schedule
    • Rename the report
  4. Click Save
View Changes Automatic

You don't need to edit the report settings when changing columns or filters in the underlying view. Those changes automatically apply to future reports.

Pause or Resume Reports​

Temporarily stop report delivery without deleting:

  1. Find the report in the list
  2. Click Pause to stop delivery
  3. Click Resume to restart

When to pause:

  • During holidays or vacation periods
  • While restructuring team assignments
  • When testing major view changes

Delete Scheduled Reports​

Permanently remove a scheduled report:

  1. Navigate to Actions → Schedule Report
  2. Find the report you want to remove
  3. Click Delete next to the report name
  4. Confirm deletion
Permanent Deletion

Deleted reports cannot be recovered. You'll need to recreate them if you want to resume delivery. Consider pausing instead if you might need the report again.

Advanced Configuration​

Multiple Reports from One View​

You can create multiple scheduled reports based on the same view with different:

  • Recipients (operations team vs. executives)
  • Schedules (daily vs. weekly)
  • Names (to indicate purpose)

Example:

  • View: "Active Shipments - Europe"
  • Report 1: "Daily EU Operations" → ops team, daily at 7 AM
  • Report 2: "Weekly EU Summary" → executives, Monday at 8 AM

Dynamic Reports with Filters​

Create reports that automatically adapt using relative date filters:

Instead of: "ETA = January 15-22, 2026" Use: "ETA within next 7 days"

This ensures your report always shows relevant upcoming shipments without manual updates.

Other dynamic filter examples:

  • "Departed within last 48 hours"
  • "Dwell time > 5 days"
  • "Active = Yes" (automatically excludes completed shipments)

Coordinating Multiple Reports​

If your team receives multiple reports:

  1. Stagger delivery times - Avoid overwhelming inboxes
  2. Use consistent naming - Prefix with frequency (Daily, Weekly, Monthly)
  3. Document purpose - Maintain a report catalog for your team
  4. Review regularly - Eliminate redundant or unused reports

Report Content and Format​

What's Included in Reports​

Scheduled reports contain:

  • Data table - All visible rows and columns from your view
  • Report metadata - Name, date generated, view name
  • Filter summary - Applied filters (if any)
  • Row count - Total number of records

Email Format​

Reports are delivered as:

  • Excel attachment (.xlsx) - For easy analysis and sorting
  • CSV option - Available in account settings
  • Email body preview - Summary of row count and key info

File Size Limitations​

  • Maximum 10,000 rows per report
  • Large reports may be compressed
  • Consider adding filters if hitting limits
Handling Large Reports

If your reports are too large:

  1. Add filters to reduce scope (e.g., date ranges, specific ports)
  2. Create separate reports for different regions or product lines
  3. Use more focused views with fewer columns
  4. Archive inactive shipments to reduce total dataset

Best Practices​

Report Design​

  1. One purpose per report

    • Don't try to serve multiple audiences with one report
    • Create focused reports for specific needs

  2. Meaningful names

    • Include frequency: "Daily Active Shipments"
    • Indicate scope: "APAC Region - Weekly Summary"
    • Show purpose: "Exception Report - Flagged Containers"

  3. Right level of detail

    • Operations reports: More columns, more frequent
    • Executive reports: Fewer columns, less frequent
    • Exception reports: Highly filtered, immediately actionable

Scheduling Strategy​

  1. Align with workflows

    • Send operations reports before shift starts
    • Deliver executive summaries early in the week
    • Time exception reports for immediate action

  2. Consider data freshness

    • Schedule after data synchronization completes
    • Account for timezone differences in data collection
    • Allow buffer time for overnight updates

  3. Manage report volume

    • Limit recipients to those who truly need the data
    • Consolidate similar reports where possible
    • Review and prune unused reports quarterly

Recipient Management​

  1. Role-based distribution

    • Operations: Daily tactical reports
    • Management: Weekly strategic summaries
    • Customers: Milestone-based updates

  2. Training and documentation

    • Explain what each report contains
    • Document how to use the data
    • Provide contact for questions

  3. Feedback loop

    • Regularly ask recipients if reports are useful
    • Adjust based on changing needs
    • Remove inactive or redundant reports

Troubleshooting​

Report Not Received​

If scheduled reports aren't arriving:

  1. Check spam/junk folders - Email filters may block reports
  2. Verify email address - Ensure user profile email is correct
  3. Confirm schedule - Check if report is due on current day/time
  4. Review report status - Ensure report is active, not paused
  5. Check system status - Look for platform notifications about issues

Empty Reports​

If reports are blank or have no data:

  1. Review view filters - Filters may be excluding all data
  2. Check date ranges - Relative dates might not match current data
  3. Verify data availability - Confirm shipments exist that match criteria
  4. Test the view - Open the view manually to see what appears

Wrong Data in Reports​

If reports contain unexpected data:

  1. Remember view changes apply automatically - Recent edits to columns or filters affect reports
  2. Check filter configuration - Ensure filters are set correctly
  3. Verify sort order - Sorting may affect which rows appear if row limits exist
  4. Review column selection - Confirm correct columns are enabled

Timing Issues​

If reports arrive at wrong times:

  1. Check timezone settings - User and system timezone must align
  2. Account for daylight saving - Times may shift with seasonal changes
  3. Verify schedule configuration - Review day and time settings
  4. Consider data sync timing - Reports may process before fresh data arrives

Delivery Failures​

If reports fail to send:

  1. Check recipient permissions - Users may have been deactivated
  2. Verify email validity - Bounced emails prevent delivery
  3. Review attachment size - Very large files may fail
  4. Contact support - Persistent failures may indicate system issues

Frequently Asked Questions​

Q: Can I schedule reports to external email addresses? A: No, reports can only be sent to registered users in your Dockflow account. This ensures data security and compliance.

Q: What's the difference between scheduled reports and notifications? A: Scheduled reports deliver data exports at set times. Notifications are real-time alerts triggered by specific events (like delays or flag assignments). Use both for comprehensive monitoring.

Q: Can I schedule reports in multiple formats? A: The default format is Excel (.xlsx). CSV format can be configured in your account settings and will apply to all reports.

Q: How long does Dockflow retain scheduled report history? A: The system maintains a 90-day history of sent reports. You can view send dates and status in the scheduled reports list.

Q: Can recipients unsubscribe from reports? A: Recipients cannot self-unsubscribe. Contact your administrator to be removed from report distribution.

Q: Do scheduled reports count against API or export limits? A: No, scheduled reports do not count against standard export or API request limits.

Q: Can I include charts or visualizations in reports? A: Currently, reports contain data tables only. Charts and visualizations must be created in external tools using the exported data.

Q: What happens to scheduled reports when I delete a view? A: Reports based on deleted views will fail. Delete or reassign the report to a different view before deleting views.

Support​

Need help with scheduled reports?