Resource

Using Reports on the Open Food Network platform

This resource is about the different ways to use reports from the Open Food Network software platform for operations, accounting, marketing and communications purposes.

It also a useful guide for those interested in learning about how selling on the platform can work for their business.

Registered food hubs and enterprises that are selling on the platform can access the different types of reports listed below. Full instructions for accessing reports are available at Open Food Network User Guide Reports section.

Accessing Platform Reports

Click on Reports in the blue horizontal menu of your Open Food Network account.

Here you will find a list of the pre-defined data exports that are available to view and download. All reports are available to download as a CSV file by selecting the Download as CSV checkbox when you specify the filters for each report.

If you have opened an Order Cycle, you will be able to run any of the reports.

TIPS 💡:

1. When filtering data, you only need to add in one data field to generate a report.

2. Hubs and shops who operate continuously open order cycles may find using the Date filter when viewing reports useful.

3. Filtering data by Hub and Producer name can be especially useful if you manage multiple enterprises on the platform.

4. See how Prom Coast Food Collective use Reports for their hub operations here

5. For most reports, once you have exported them as a csv file and imported them into Excel, you will be able to filter data by: date range, hub name, producer name and order cycle name.

Using Platform Reports

Expand each section below to see how reports can be used to meet functions carried out by your food enterprise.

TIP 💡 If you click on the report link, you will find a summary page of the data that the report provides.

Product and supplier management

A producer can either run a report to pack and process orders or the hub can run it and send it to them.

As the producer, if you have set Permissions for a Hub to sell your products, and they have opened an Order Cycle with your products listed, you will be able to run reports to pack and process your orders.

If you need to see Customer names in these reports, you can ask the Hub to make them visible in these reports. Hubs can make this change in their Enterprise Settings.

Task	Suggested Report(s)
Managing product availability As a producer who supplies one or more hubs this report is a great way to keep track of orders of your products which come in while an order cycle is open.	Order Cycle Supplier Totals
Reviewing products stocked and inventory levels	All Products Inventory
Volume and value of sales information for paying suppliers	Order Cycle Supplier Totals
Calculating transport fees owed to producers Some Hubs charge a transport fee which they pay to a Producer for picking up produce from other farmers and bringing it into the Hub. This fee is calculated as a percentage on every product in the order cycle. They can use the Enterprise Fee Summary report to calculate how much to pay that Producer for transport in each Order Cycle.	Enterprise Fee Report

TIPS 💡:

1. As a supplying producer you may not know the names of current open order cycles. Filtering orders in your reports by date range is an easy alternative.

2. If you are a producer who supplies more than one food hub you can use the ‘Hub’ filter when viewing reports to identify which products you will be asked to deliver to each.

Packing and processing orders efficiently

These tasks can all be streamlined using the following reports.

Task	Suggested Report(s)
Pack or process orders on an individual or batch basis. A producer can either run a report or the hub can run it and send it to them. As the producer, if you have set Permissions for a Hub to sell your products, and they have opened an Order Cycle with your products listed, you will be able to run reports to pack and process your orders. If you need to see Customer names in these reports, you can ask the Hub to make them visible in these reports. Hubs can make this change in their Enterprise Settings.	Order Cycle Customer Totals
Checking products delivered by suppliers For keeping track of goods which may have been missed or are supplied damaged.	Pack by supplier
Packing goods to be collected by customer	Pack by customer
Planning deliveries Get a list that can be imported into your delivery routing app.	Address List Delivery Report
View customer balance	Payment method Delivery Reports
Bulk Order Management for buying groups	Bulk Coop Reports

Accounting and book keeping

Task	Suggested Report(s)
Calculating how much to pay suppliers when fees are not separated from product costs.	Order Cycle Supplier Totals
View customer balance	Payment method Delivery Reports
Calculating GST/VAT	Sales Tax reports
Managing total revenue	Payment Reports
Enterprise Fee breakdown	Enterprise Fee Report
Creating customer invoices in Xero This report generates a data set that can be imported into Xero *nb: the csv file is formatted to Xero’s field requirements therefore ‘Inventory Item Code’ = SKU Contact us if you would like help integrating the report from the platform with Xero to automate this process.	Xero Invoices

Managing customer relationships through communications

Task	Suggested Report(s)
Promote products that are selling out fast by tracking product availability	Order Cycle Supplier Totals Inventory
Get a list of product categories that your shop stocks to advertise your range to customers	All Products
Segment customers by types of products (frequentyly) ordered	Order Cycle Customer Totals
Segmenting customers by shopping habits Get order history for customers to decide on opportunities for promotions or tiered pricing.	Order Cycle Customer Totals
Enable suppliers to build and strengthen relationships with customers as a hub Provide suppliers with list of customer who ordered from them in a particular order cycle so they can create flyers or letters address to the customers.	Order Cycle Customer Totals
Cross promote products during pickup Generate a report of customers to create personalise letters or flyers.	Pack by customer
Segment customers by delivery location. Access customer mobile contact details via the Address List which is useful if you use a SMS app/service to communicate with customers for order reminders or updates.	Address List Delivery Report
Provide customers with regular updates via email newsletters Generate a mailing list that can be uploaded to your newsletter provider. Contact us if you would like help integrating with MailChimp*	Mailing List
Shops can choose to include a % fundraising fee on every order. They can use the Enterprise Fee Summary report to identify the total funds raised within a particular order cycle. Hubs can show customers the amount they pay to Open Food Network for their use of the platform. This fee is calculated as a percentage of all orders placed. This is a great way to show customers how their money is helping to create and manage this open source public infrastructure that enables ethical food supply.	Enterprise Fee Report

TIP 💡

Remember that you need to satisfy the Australian Data Protection legislation to use customer email and addresses data for a newsletter. Find out more about how to comply here.

Need help customising reports?

Every food enterprise has their own context in which they operate. We can help you customise your platform reports to suit your operations. Click on the button below for enterprise support.

Got any tips to share?

We have created this open resouce to benefit all community food enterprises. If you have a handy tip or clever way you use our reports, send us an email so we can include it.

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