A very common request we see from Perfex CRM administrators is:
> “I need a report to see the logged time for this month or last month, filtered by a specific staff member and a specific customer. Do I need to build a new SQL template to include the customer data?”
Traditionally, answering this question meant calling a developer to write a new SQL query joining the tasks, timers, projects, staff, and clients tables together. If you wanted to check a different staff member tomorrow, you’d have to modify the query or build complex parameter handling.
With Data Builder for Perfex CRM, you do not need to create a new template. The solution is much simpler and more powerful: utilizing Dynamic Filters (Saved Filters) on top of the built-in comprehensive templates.
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to achieve exactly this use case.
Step 1: Start with the Right Template
Instead of starting from scratch, we will use a pre-built template that already maps all the necessary relationships.
Step 2: Use the Runtime Filter Builder
Once you are viewing the Data Builder runtime table (Preview Data), you can use the visual filter interface to slice the data exactly how you need it.
Click the “Add Filter” button above the data table to start building your specific conditions.
A. Filter by Date (This Month / Last Month)
We want the report to automatically show data for the current or previous month without manually selecting dates every time.
B. Filter by Staff Member
Next, we narrow the data down to the specific employee.
C. Filter by Customer
Finally, we isolate the timesheets for a specific client.
Step 3: Save as a Custom Preset (Saved Filter)
Click Apply Filters. The table will instantly update to show only John’s logged hours for Acme Corp during the current month.
But we don’t want to rebuild these filters every time we need this report.
The Result: One Template, Infinite Reports
By leveraging the Saved Filters feature, you have solved the problem efficiently:
* No Code: You didn’t write a single line of SQL or create a new hardcoded template. * One Click Access: Next time you need this specific report, simply open the Timesheet view, click the dropdown, and select your saved filter. The report instantly loads with the dynamic macros calculating the correct dates. Highly Scalable: You can create dozens of these saved filters (e.g., “Last Month: Sarah’s Hours for TechFlow”*) all pointing to the single, optimized Timesheet template.
Data Builder shifts the paradigm from “creating a new report for every question” to “creating a comprehensive dataset and filtering it visually.” It empowers business users to get their answers instantly, freeing developers to focus on core features.
See It in Action
You can try out this exact report and see how the filters work on our live demo site:
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