Concept: Selecting a Data Source

The data source you select for a report determines what fields you can access and is the largest factor in report performance.

For optimal report performance, select the data source that returns the fewest business object instances that you need. Example: Use the

My Direct Reports

data source instead of filtering the

All Active Workers

data source by manager.

Questions to Consider

Question	Considerations
What fields do you need?	List all the fields you want the report to display. If you don't know the business object that contains these fields, use the Workday-delivered Report Fields report to look up the fields.
What business object should you report on?	Select the business object that contains the majority of the fields you want as the primary business object for the report. Then, you can use the Business Object Details report to find a data source. You can also run the Workday-delivered Data Sources report and filter by Category to help you find a data source.
Who needs access to this report?	Ensure that the target audience of the report has access to the data source and fields you use.
Where will the report run?	Reports that run as worklets on a dashboard time out after 30 seconds, so it's important to consider performance when you select a data source. For scheduled reports or reports you run in the background, report performance isn't as important.

Data Source Characteristics

If you know the business object that you want to report on, consider these data source characteristics.

Characteristic	Description	Examples
Indexed	Returns large volumes of data efficiently. Whenever a report needs to run fast, such as in a worklet, use an indexed data source.	Indexed Workers Trended Workers
Filtered	Includes built-in filters that limit the number of instances the data source returns. If an indexed data source doesn't meet your requirements, use a filtered standard data source.	Workers by Organization Workers Supported by Role
Focused	Returns only the instances for a specific security group. If you want to report on a small set of business object instances, use a focused data source.	My Direct Reports My Team's Goals

Data Sources with Built-In Filters

Instead of creating your own filter in the report definition, use the faster built-in data source filters whenever possible. Example: Use the Workers by Role
filter on the

Workers for HCM Reporting

data source.

Data Sources with the (Do Not Use) Label

Don't use data sources that have the (Do Not Use) label. Example:

Job Applications, Prospects and Referrals (Do Not Use)

. Workday retires data sources with the (Do Not Use) label, sometimes because there's a new and better data source. You can search for replacements for retired data sources in the

What's New in Workday

report.