Introduction

In today’s data-driven business environment, making informed decisions is crucial for organizational success. Whether you are managing a small enterprise or a rapidly growing company, access to reliable, real-time information significantly impacts your operational efficiency, financial health, and strategic planning.

While Dolibarr ERP & CRM already provides a comprehensive set of standard reports across its modules, businesses often need custom reports to gain deeper insights tailored to their unique needs.
Custom reporting empowers companies to analyze data from different angles, identify trends early, monitor key performance indicators (KPIs), and make decisions faster and smarter.

This comprehensive guide explores how to create custom reports in Dolibarr, why they are essential, methods and tools you can use, best practices for effective reporting, and how to leverage these reports to enhance your decision-making capabilities.

Why Custom Reports Matter for Business Decision-Making

While generic reports provide a broad overview, custom reports align your data analysis with your business objectives.
Here are key reasons why customized reporting is critical:

• Relevance: Focus only on data that matters to your specific context.

• Clarity: Remove irrelevant information, highlighting actionable metrics.

• Speed: Facilitate faster interpretation and decision-making.

• Strategic Alignment: Track KPIs directly linked to your company's strategic goals.

• Competitive Advantage: Identify patterns, risks, and opportunities before competitors do.

Without tailored reporting, businesses often face:

• Information overload

• Delayed reactions to market changes

• Difficulty measuring performance accurately

• Poor forecasting and planning

Custom reports transform data into actionable intelligence, making them an indispensable tool for modern management.

The Native Reporting Capabilities of Dolibarr

Dolibarr provides a robust foundation of default reports in its core modules:

• Sales Reports (orders, invoices, payments)

• Purchases Reports (supplier orders, vendor bills)

• Financial Reports (profit & loss, cash flow, balance sheet)

• Inventory Reports (stock movements, stock valuation)

• Projects and Tasks (progress tracking, time spent)

• CRM Reports (prospects, opportunities, pipeline)

• HR Reports (leaves, timesheets, expenses)

These built-in reports are sufficient for basic needs but might not address all the specific metrics and formats a company requires for nuanced decision-making.
Hence the growing demand for custom report creation.

Different Ways to Create Custom Reports in Dolibarr

There are several methods to build custom reports depending on your needs, technical expertise, and resources.

1. Using Dolibarr’s Built-in Export Tools

Dolibarr allows exporting data from almost any list view:

• Select the module and list (e.g., invoices, customers).

• Use the Export button to generate CSV, Excel, or PDF files.

• Analyze or pivot the data externally using tools like Excel or Google Sheets.

Pros:

• No technical knowledge required.

• Fast for simple reporting needs.

Cons:

• Manual operation.

• Limited dynamic updates.

• Requires external manipulation for deeper analysis.

2. Custom SQL Reports within Dolibarr

Dolibarr has a Data Explorer (or "Reports" module, depending on the version) that enables:

• Writing custom SQL queries.

• Creating saved report templates.

• Setting up parameters and filters.

• Exporting results easily.

Pros:

• Full flexibility in what you query and display.

• Integrates into Dolibarr without needing external tools.

Cons:

• Requires SQL knowledge.

• Risk of database performance issues if queries are not optimized.

Example use cases:

• Monthly sales by sales representative.

• Profit margin per product line.

• Average delivery delay by supplier.

3. Using External Business Intelligence (BI) Tools

If your reporting needs are complex, Dolibarr can be connected to external BI tools like:

• Metabase

• Microsoft Power BI

• Tableau

• Google Data Studio

• Redash

Via:

• API integrations

• Direct database connections (Dolibarr typically uses MySQL/MariaDB)

Pros:

• Beautiful dashboards.

• Real-time updates.

• Complex visualizations like heatmaps, pie charts, and predictive analytics.

Cons:

• Requires technical setup (API, SQL views, database security).

• Might incur additional costs (depending on BI tool).

4. Developing Custom Reporting Modules

For organizations that need highly specific reports directly inside Dolibarr:

• Develop a custom Dolibarr module.

• Use Dolibarr’s internal framework (controllers, templates, permissions).

• Allow users to select filters, generate dynamic reports, and download outputs.

Pros:

• Seamless user experience.

• Secure, controlled environment.

• Fully tailored to business processes.

Cons:

• Development effort and cost.

• Maintenance as Dolibarr versions evolve.

Many companies commission Dolibarr partners or freelance developers to build custom reporting modules according to their requirements.

Key Areas Where Custom Reports Add Strategic Value

Creating custom reports can directly impact the strategic areas of your business, such as:

1. Sales and Revenue Insights

• Sales trends over time

• Customer segmentation by revenue

• Average deal size and sales cycle duration

• Sales conversion rates by campaign

2. Financial and Cost Analysis

• Gross margin by product/service

• Accounts receivable aging

• Profitability by client or region

• Budget vs. Actual analysis

3. Inventory and Supply Chain Efficiency

• Stock aging reports (slow-moving items)

• Stockout frequency

• Supplier performance analysis (delivery times, pricing accuracy)

4. HR and Productivity

• Employee absenteeism trends

• Productivity KPIs (tasks completed, hours worked)

• Training investment vs. performance improvement

5. Customer Relationship Management

• Customer retention rates

• Support ticket resolution times

• Net Promoter Score (NPS) tracking

Custom reporting aligns your operational monitoring with your strategic decision-making goals.

Step-by-Step Guide: Creating a Simple Custom Report in Dolibarr (Example)

Suppose you want a custom report showing the top 10 customers by total invoice amount.

Steps:

1. Access Data Explorer (if available) or SQL Reports section.

2. Create a new report.

3. Write your SQL query:

   sql

   CopierModifier

   SELECT s.name AS Customer, SUM(f.total_ht) AS TotalSales FROM llx_societe s JOIN llx_facture f ON f.fk_soc = s.rowid WHERE f.paye = 1 GROUP BY s.name ORDER BY TotalSales DESC LIMIT 10;

4. Define report parameters (optional: date range, specific sales reps).

5. Save and test the report.

6. Enable export options if needed (CSV, PDF).

You now have a dynamic custom report available directly inside Dolibarr’s interface.

Best Practices for Effective Custom Reporting

1. Define Clear Objectives
   Understand what business question you are trying to answer before designing the report.

2. Keep Reports Actionable
   Focus on data that leads to decisions, not just information.

3. Automate Where Possible
   Set up automatic report generation and scheduling to minimize manual intervention.

4. Ensure Data Accuracy
   Clean your Dolibarr database and validate data sources before building reports.

5. Use Visualizations Appropriately
   Graphs, charts, and tables each serve different needs — choose wisely.

6. Respect Security and Permissions
   Sensitive HR or financial reports must have controlled access.

7. Regularly Review Report Relevance
   As your business evolves, so should your reporting needs.

Challenges You May Encounter

Advanced Techniques for Power Users

• Parameterized Reports: Let users select periods, customers, or products.

• Drill-Down Analysis: From high-level summaries down to detailed transactions.

• Scheduled Reports: Set reports to auto-generate and email at regular intervals.

• Predictive Analysis: Using historical data for forecasting (requires integration with machine learning tools).

Conclusion

In a world where data is a company’s most valuable asset, the ability to create and use customized reports is no longer optional — it’s a competitive necessity.

With Dolibarr ERP & CRM, businesses of any size can harness the power of data by:

• Exporting and analyzing data externally.

• Building custom SQL reports internally.

• Integrating with advanced BI tools.

• Developing tailor-made modules for reporting.

By investing time in creating the right reports, companies can:

• Gain real-time business intelligence.

• Improve operational efficiency.

• Enhance customer satisfaction.

• Drive sustainable growth.

Custom reporting with Dolibarr is the gateway to better, faster, and smarter decision-making.