Unlock Fields for Spiff Reporting

Learning Objectives

After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:

• Describe how to add hidden fields to reports for line-by-line commission logic.
  
• Explain how to incorporate fields into lump-sum commission calculations.
  
• Describe how to recalculate statements.
  

Ever wonder why some fields or metrics you’ve created in Spiff don’t show up in your reports? It’s not magic. It’s just how Spiff manages data. Fields or calculations that you don’t actively use in commission statements or payout rules don’t make it into the reporting database. Think of it like packing for a trip. Spiff only takes along the essentials and leaves behind anything it doesn’t think you need. But what if you do need those fields in your report?

Say you’ve created a custom calculation, TeamTotalARRInPeriod, to track how much revenue the Enterprise team brings in. You don’t want this calculation showing up on individual rep’s pay statements, but you do want it in your monthly reports. The trick? Use this field in the commission logic. By adding it to the payout rule, you can make it available for reporting without changing the final payout. This leads to less confusion in your team and no extra numbers on statements.

Whether your payout rule calculates commission line by line or as a lump sum, there’s a way to include hidden fields for reporting. And if you need to reflect recent changes, recalculating statements ensures your reports are up to date and accurate.

Add Hidden Fields to Commission Rules

So you need a field to show up in your reports, but you don’t see it. Why? Because Spiff only pulls fields that are directly involved in calculating payouts. If you don’t use a field in the payout logic, it stays hidden from reports. But don’t worry, you can work around this without impacting the commission payouts. Here’s the breakdown.

Determine Your Commission Calculation Type

First things first. Confirm if your payout rule calculates commission line by line or as a lump sum.

1. Go to Spiff Designer and navigate to your payout rule.
   
2. Find the Payout Amount field.
   
3. Hover over it and click the highlighted text.
   
   • If a datasheet opens, you’re working with a line-by-line rule.
     
   • If a worksheet opens, you’re dealing with a lump-sum rule.
     

In this example, a datasheet opens, so you know the commission calculation type is line-by-line.

Create a Dummy Calculation

Next, add a field to the rule to make it available for reports. But here’s the trick: You don’t want to mess up the payout calculation. So, just add dummy fields so Spiff knows to track them.

1. In Spiff Designer, create a new calculation. For this example, name it ReportingCalcs.
   
2. Add it to the end of the payout rule formula.
   

Define the Reporting Fields

Now you direct Spiff which fields to include in the ReportingCalcs calculation. You can add any field you need for reports, but make sure the output is zero, so it doesn’t affect payouts. Here’s how to add a field to the calculation.

1. Hover over ReportingCalcs and select New Field.
   
2. Add the field you want in the report in such a way that it only returns zero.
   

In the formula, whether the field exists or not, it always returns zero. The calculation does nothing to the payout but makes the field visible for reports.

Add More Fields

Need more fields? Just add them together as shown in this example.

You can keep adding as many fields as you want. Spiff now tracks these fields and you can use them in reports, even though they don’t affect ‌commission payouts.

Recalculate Statements

Before your shiny new fields show up in custom reports, there’s an important step to remember: Reports in Spiff pull data from the user statement. Even if a field doesn’t show up on a statement, you must include it in the commission calculation to make it available for reporting.

After you’ve added the fields, recalculate all unfrozen statements that include the fields. Remember that frozen statements don’t reflect the changes because they don’t get recalculated. If you need those new fields in reports for previously frozen statements, reach out to Spiff Support to explore options. This image shows the recalculation of statements after adding new fields or metrics.

You’ve done it! You now know how to add hidden fields to your commission logic, recalculate the statement to reflect those changes, and make them reportable. Now your reports are pulling in the exact data you need, without altering your reps’ payouts or cluttering their statements.

With these skills, you can fine-tune your Spiff reports to give you deeper insights and keep your team focused on what matters most. Happy reporting!