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bizownerca
April 21, 2023
Question

Customized Report Item and Item Description Columns

  • April 21, 2023
  • 2 replies
  • 0 views

Hello,

 

I run a Customized Report that includes the following Columns:

 

  1. Item
  2. Item Description

 

When I generate the report the Item Column has the Item number and the description of the item in parenthesis.  The Item Description Column has the item description repeated. 

 

Example:

 

ItemItem Description
12345 (Widget XYZ)Widget XYZ
12346 (Custom Machine Part for Customer X)Custom Machine Part for Customer X
32453 (pointless description)

pointless description

 

The issue I am having is that I need the Item Column to only contain numbers and not the description of the item in parenthesis.  Is there a way to customize the report so the Item name only displays under the Item Column and not the description of the item in parenthesis? 

 

 

Thank you!

 

2 replies

DivinaMercy_N
DivinaMercy_N
April 21, 2023

Hello there, @bizownerca. I want to ensure you'll be able to run the customized report with the correct details you need. 

 

To clarify, may I know the report you run? That information is a great help so I can provide a timely solution. 

 

In the meantime, let's perform some troubleshooting steps to resolve this. 

 

To start, let's check the item's profile and make sure that the description details are entered correctly. Here's how:

 

  1. Go to the Lists menu and select Item Lists.
  2. From there look for the items and double-click them to open.
  3. Then, ensure that the description details are entered in the Sales Information or Purchase Information field.
  4. You can make changes if needed.

 

For reference, check out this article: Add, edit, and delete items. 

 

Once done, run the customized report again or the Item Listing report and filter the details. Let me guide you on how.

 

  1. Navigate to the Reports menu and hover over to the List section.
  2. From there, choose Item Listing.
  3. Next, click the Customize report button.
  4. Then, go to the column section to add the Item and Description columns.
  5. Add other columns and filters you need.
  6. Select OK when done.

 

The report should be like this:

 

 

If the same thing happens, we can run the Rebuild data tool to self-resolve potential data issues. Refer to the instructions below.

 

  1. Select the File menu and click Utilities.
  2. Then, select Rebuild Data.
  3. Click OK to start a backup.
  4. Select OK when you get the message Rebuild has completed.

 

For additional reference in customizing your report, read this article: Customize reports in QuickBooks Desktop. 

 

I'm always here ready to lend a hand if you have any other concerns managing your product items in QuickBooks. Please don't hesitate to leave a reply below. Have a good one and stay safe. 

B
bizownercaAuthor
April 21, 2023

@DivinaMercy_NThank you for the detailed instructions. 

 

The report I am running is a Invoice Report for a specific customer with customized columns (PO #, Item, Item Description, etc.). 

 

I followed your instructions and I verified that under Item List, our Item Name only contains numbers and that under Description is where we wrote the description of the Item.  The only difference between your screen shot and my screen is that most of our items are Non-inventory Parts (not sure if this makes a difference). 

 

When I run an Item Listing Report, the Item and Description Columns function correctly and as expected (Item lists only Item numbers with no description in parenthesis and Description lists the descriptions).  However, when I run the Invoice Report, I continue to get the same issue per my original post. 

 

I then followed your instructions and rebuilt my data.  However, when I run the Invoice Report afterward, I continue to encounter the same issue. 

 

Is this a function of how Invoice Reports display information?  Any other suggestions I can try to rectify this?

A
AbegailS_
April 21, 2023

Hi there, @bizownerca.  I appreciate you for following the steps that were provided by my colleague to resolve your issue.  I'm here to clarify why you're seeing a parenthesis in your report. 

 

I tried running the same data, and it shows that if you set up your item with a description, it will also reflect on your report with a parenthesis under the item field. Thus, this is working as designed, regardless of its inventory or non-inventory parts. As a workaround, you can modify your report without adding the item description to the column. 

 

See the screenshot below for your reference. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To know more about managing and customizing reports in QBDT, consider checking out these articles:

 

 

I also recommend visiting our website for more tips and other resources you can use in the future: Self-help articles.

 

If you have other questions, please let us know by posting another one in the Community. Take care and stay safe always.

BigRedConsulting
BigRedConsulting
April 24, 2023

@bizownerca  RE: Is there a way to customize the report so the Item name only displays under the Item Column and not the description of the item in parenthesis? 

 

Yes, this is a preference.

 

To change it, pick Edit | Preferences from the QuickBooks Menu, then pick Reports & Graphs | Company Preferences and change the Show Items by: preference  to "Name only". It looks like this:

 

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