How can we report on (Service Catalog) list collector variable values?

[Carla6]

I'd like to report on the frequency that an individual value from a list collector is selected (for a catalog item request). The built-in reports don't seem like they're able to separate the selected values and report on them individually.

For example, if I have a list collector containing various types of fruit, and someone selects "Oranges, Apples", and another person selects just "Oranges", I want the report to display that Oranges was selected twice, and Apples once. Right now, if I create a pie chart of the data in those two requests (using the sc_req_item table), it'll be split 50/50, with half the pie saying "Oranges" and half "Oranges, Apples". Instead of that, I'd want it to be split with 2/3rds of the pie representing Oranges and 1/3 Apples.

Has anyone been able to report on individual list collector values as I've described?

[Adam Stout]

Lists are great for things we don't actually want to report on.  If you do, we run into issues like this.  Here are some options:

1) Create a shadow/child table not shown anywhere that stores the values one per row with a reference to the original that is updated via a BR.  Then you report on the shadow/child table.  If you do allow editing of the table, you have to have a BR that updates the list.

2) Use Performance Analytics with a breakdown on the choice list.  Lists are handled by Performance Analytics and will count these correctly (if they are references, it is very simple, if it is a choice, you have to use a small script, but it still works pretty easily).

[Carla6]

Hi Adam, this is helpful, we'll likely end up going with the Performance Analytics option.

Thanks!

[Dan R]

This is a great post and something I've been looking for as well.

How would one go about using P.A. to create this report? Do you have more details for this?

[Adam Stout]

For a reference list, you just set the list field as the breakdown, if it is a choice list, you have to take the choices, look up the sys_ids from sys_choice via a script and then breakdown by that.