List Field Type Reporting Issues

[Elizabeth26]

We are using the list field types and users are complaining that it is very hard to report on the list field types.

When someone selects multiple choices from a list choice they are unable to report effectively because it bundles these unique combinations and becomes impossible to report on.

Is there a solution or better option for reporting? They have also tried using Power BI but still have the same issues.

They are using for a new table and to create a unique row for each choice separately but I wonder if there is a better way?

Thanks!

[AndersBGS]

Hi @Elizabeth26 ,

In general ServiceNow reporting is quite easy, but off course based on the instance setup. Can you give an example of what their issue is? 

If my answer has helped with your question, please mark my answer as accepted solution and give a thumb up.

Best regards

Anders

[Elizabeth26]

When reporting a field that’s from a list type. 

If it contains only 1 item selected it’s fine. 

If there is a “combination” of choices selected such as, demand, case, trial etc. it treats this as a unique choice. Then if you have case, trial it’s another unique selection

so, when they try to report it just has this huge laundry list of random choices. They want to report against this many cases and this many trials, this many demands without having to worry about the unique combinations it is grouping them in.  

[Giles Lewis3]

If you are trying to group by a Glide List field, then it will not work.  The only thing you can do with a Glide List is to filter using CONTAINS.  The order of values within a Glide List is unpredictable.  If a record is both a "demand" and a "case" then it could be "demand,case" or "case,demand". You have no control over the order.

One solution is to create multiple tiny reports, and place them on a dashboard. You can use Single Score reports or small Pie charts.  Place several small reports in a row

• Count of Demands
• Count of Cases
• Count of Trials
• Total number of records

[AndersBGS]

Hi @Elizabeth26 ,

Either you can create one report with the filter:

For your case, it will show demand, case, trial all together in one report.

Alternative, you create a report for each selection with e.g. filter as below:

At last you create one dashboard for this purpose with the different metrics.

If my answer has helped with your question, please mark my answer as accepted solution and give a thumb up.

Best regards

Anders