Using the Filter Builder: In Depth
One very powerful feature that SARA offers is the ability to filter the data we have in the software using the filter builder. This feature empowers our users to identify key insights in their collections data and turn those insights into actions.
This article will walk you through the process of editing the filter, highlight the most popular functions within the filter builder, and showcase a few common use cases. When we are done, I would suggest creating a few filters on your own to let the lesson sink in.
What are you filtering for and where is it located?
Our first step is to know what information you want to see. SARA has different information located on different pages. For example, if you want to put together a report for payments made over the previous month, you should navigate to “InquiriesBy UserPayments”. Once you know what you want to find, you can navigate the correct page that displays that information. I recommend familiarizing yourself with the different pages by navigating on your own.
Creating the Filter
Pages that allow you to filter data will have the following highlighted icon available near the top left of the screen.
Selecting this will open the filter builder window. On most pages when you select this there will be a default filter present. Depending on what information you want, you can use the default filter or remove it by using the “Clear” button. The “x” at the end of each statement will clear that individual statement.
Now that our canvas is clear, lets start to build the filter. We have a few different options for adding to the filter.
A. This is the operating logic. The most used options are “AND” and “OR”. These tell us how these steps should interact with each other. “AND” means that every single statement made will act as a filter. “OR” means that any of the statements needs to be true to populate data.
B. This is the “Add Statement” button. Select this to add a new statement to your filter.
C. This is the “Add Operating Logic” button. This allows you to nest operating logic to create very specialized filters.
Now that we understand our options, lets add a statement by selecting the “Add Statement” button. This will create a new line that lets us modify the following:
1. Field- This allows us to pick form fields (ie. Column headings) located in the list. This will include even columns that you may not have visible in your list. The best way to familiarize yourself with all these fields is to create views on your own. Clicking on this area will populate a dropdown.
2. Operator- This allows you to describe how the values should be interpreted. “EqualTo” will require an exact match to output data. “Contains” just requires that the information in the “Value” box is somewhere in the data and allows you to be a bit more general. Clicking on this area will also populate a dropdown.
3. Value- This is the information that you are using to filter from. Using the operators, you can create inclusions, exclusions, and many other functions in a statement step.
Once you have completed the filter, select "Apply" at the top of the form.
Note: You can save filters on any grid by selecting "View Settings" on the toolbar, entering a name for the view in the box, then selecting "Save."
If you are trying to change an existing view, please navigate to view settings and select the save button associated with the specific view. These buttons are highlighted in the screenshot below.