# Reporting

> How to build ERP reports people trust: read-only SQL patterns, Crystal Reports techniques and dashboard design for Prophet 21, Kinetic or any ERP.

Source: https://docs.lumina-erp.com/reporting/

**In short.** Query patterns that return the right number, report design that stays fast, and dashboards built around decisions. The techniques are general, so they apply to Prophet 21 software, Kinetic software and most other ERP systems.

Most reporting problems in an ERP are not tool problems. A total is wrong because a join repeated a value, a report is slow because it pulled every row to the client or a dashboard is ignored because nobody agreed what its numbers mean. These guides cover the habits that prevent those failures, in plain SQL, in Crystal Reports and in dashboard design.

The SQL examples use invented table names so they work as patterns for any ERP. For product-specific starting points, see [Reading Prophet 21 data with SQL, safely](/prophet-21/reading-p21-data-with-sql/) and [BAQ fundamentals](/epicor-kinetic/baq-fundamentals/). For the metric definitions a dashboard should use, see the [KPI formula sheet](/reference/kpi-formulas/).

- [T-SQL patterns for ERP reporting](https://docs.lumina-erp.com/reporting/tsql-patterns-for-erp-reporting.md): Read-only SQL Server patterns for ERP reports: aging buckets, running totals, top N, calendar gaps, pivots, latest rows, fan-out, date filters and locking.
- [Crystal Reports techniques for ERP reports](https://docs.lumina-erp.com/reporting/crystal-reports-techniques.md): SAP Crystal Reports techniques for ERP reports: record selection that reaches SQL, commands, subreports, shared variables, totals, prompts and deployment.
- [Designing an operations dashboard for a distributor](https://docs.lumina-erp.com/reporting/designing-an-operations-dashboard.md): Which KPIs a distributor should watch daily, weekly and monthly, the design mistakes that get a dashboard ignored and how to set targets and drill-downs.

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Epicor, Prophet 21, P21 and DynaChange are trademarks or registered trademarks of Epicor Software Corporation registered in the United States and other countries. Kinetic is a trademark of Epicor Software Corporation. Lumina ERP is an independent consultancy and is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by Epicor.