Making Better Decisions with Real-Time Analytics Using the Wild Apricot Reports Manager

Wild apricot reports manager - warm

This is a companion blog post to the online presentation “Making Better Decisions with Real-Time Analytics Using the Wild Apricot Reports Manager” at the PersoniFest: A Virtual Experience. The presentation will be made available April 23, at 12:30pm CDT / 1:30 pm EDT. NewPath Consulting will be also hosting a virtual watch party by Zoom alongside this presentation.  See details on how to join the watch party here,

 

 

To enter the special prize giveaway, see the end of this post for a link!

 

The Wild Apricot Reports Manager (aka WARM) is NewPath Consulting’s solution to extending Wild Apricot’s reporting functionality. All Wild Apricot administrators can create “dashboards” to gauge goals, performance metrics and or even report across a network of Wild Apricot sites. Best of all the solution is completely free!

WARM is powered by Google Data Studio, a free business reporting and visualization solution that helps administrators securely summarize, transform and visualize Wild Apricot data and turn data into actionable information. The Wild Apricot Reports Manager can also offer a high degree of visibility across a network of Wild Apricot chapter or club sites. With WARM you can see how your organization or network is growing as well as understand how data can help to make better decisions.

This video and text walkthrough will demonstrate how quickly you can build your first report with Wild Apricot Reports Manager.

Step 1. Go to Google Data Studio.

You may need to login to your Google account. If you do not have a Google account you can sign up for one for free. All the reports and data sources will be created with this account.

Warm step 2a

Click the create button in the upper left corner
Warm step 2a

Select Data Source to create a data source
Select warm under partner connector

Type in WARM or Wild Apricot to find the WARM data connector. Click the box under Partner Connectors..

Step 2. Switch to your Wild Apricot administrative dashboard to create an authorized application. This will enable Google Data Studio to read information from your Wild Apricot database. The WARM connector uses the Wild Apricot API.

Warm step 2a

Go to settings and find the Integration section. Click Authorized applications.

 

 

Warm step 2a

Click the Authorize application button
Warm step 2a

Select Server application and click Continue
Warm step 2a

Name your application and provide Read only access permissions. Click the Save button

 

Step 3. Now copy and paste the API key from the authorized application you created in Step 2 into the API key in the WARM configuration. This is a secret key that you should not share with anyone.

Step 3 warm

Select the Contacts object. Click the NEXT button to configure the connector. NOTE: The API key is blurred for security.
Step 3a warm

To configure the Contacts object for WARM, select page size. For contact databases that have less than 2,000 records set page size to 2,000 or more. For larger databases set page size to 1,000 or less. Click NEXT button.
Step 3b warm

Once you click NEXT you will see a message “Click “CONNECT” to continue. Click the CONNECT button in the upper right corner.

Step 4. You will now see the Contacts dimensions. You may find some of these fields familiar from your Contacts database.

Warm step 2a

Click Create Report to create the report template

 

Step 5. After a few seconds or minutes, depending on the size of your contact database you will see your report template. This report can be shared for read or edit access like any Google Doc. You can also schedule a snapshot of this data to be delivered in PDF format. This is the best way to create snapshots of your membership data automatically.

Warm step 2a

To schedule the report click the down arrow near the Share button and select Schedule email delivery.

Step 6. Schedule the email delivery.

 

Warm step 2a

Add the email addresses that will receive the PDF report. You can create a custom schedule to deliver the report every month, for example.

Win a copy of “Hands On With Google Data Studio” or Bose QC20 headphones

About the author

Alex is a pioneer in using the cloud to meet the needs of small and medium sized business (SMBs) and membership-based organizations. He has a BSc in computer science from the University of Michigan and has worked as a product manager at two Internet startups. Alex is a father of 2 and plays the trumpet for fun. He is the founder and the president of the University of Michigan Alumni Club of Toronto.