Data Group Sorting Summary in Finished Reports

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Article Goal

Learn how to use Group Sorting Summary in Finished Reports to control the sort order of grouped data using summary field values.

What Is Group Sorting Summary?

Group Sorting Summary allows you to sort groups based on aggregate values (such as sum, count, max, etc.) of a different field, instead of sorting by the group key directly.

Use Case: You want to sort Clients in a report by their total Freight, rather than alphabetically by Client name.

Why Use Group Sorting Summary?

• Helps highlight highest or lowest performing groups based on a summary value

• Supports custom sorting beyond basic field ordering

• Works across all standard group types (e.g., Client, Region, Product)

Note: Group Sorting Summary applies only to group bands, and is managed through the Group Header properties.

Where Do You Set Group Sorting Summary?

The setting is located in the Group Header Tasks of the Finished Reports Designer. You must enable the option and define the field, summary function, and sort direction.

Available Summary Functions

• Average

• Count

• Sum

• Max

• Min

• Median

• Variance

• Population Variance

• Standard Deviation

• Standard Population Deviation

• Distinct variants of the above

• Custom

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Steps to Use Group Sorting Summary

Step 1: Open the Finished Reports Designer

Open your View and access the Finished Report you wish to modify.

Step 2: Select the Group Header

Click on the Group Header where you want to apply the sort.

Note: If the header is hidden, unhide it first to continue.

Step 3: Expand Group Header Tasks

Use the smart tag or right-click to access the Group Header Tasks.

Step 4: Open the Sorting Summary Editor

Click on the "..." button next to Sorting Summary to open the configuration dialog.

Step 5: Enable Sorting Summary

Check the box to enable sorting based on a summary value.

Step 6: Choose the Field to Sort By

Select the field (e.g., Freight) that you want to base the group sorting on.

Step 7: Select Summary Function

Choose a function such as Sum, Max, or Average depending on what you want to sort by.

Step 8: Define Sort Order

Select Ascending or Descending for how you want the groups ordered.

Optional: Enable Ignore Null Values if your field may contain blanks.

Step 9: Preview and Test

Run the report and confirm the groups are now sorted by your defined logic. Adjust as needed.

Article Summary

The Group Sorting Summary feature in Finished Reports lets you dynamically control how groups are ordered, using summary functions like sum or max. This is especially helpful when presenting grouped reports where the value of another field should determine order, such as showing clients ranked by total spend.

Use Case: Sort grouped results by total invoice amount, number of orders, or highest shipping cost—rather than alphabetically by group name.