How do I identify customers?

[JCGSTL]

I have a database showing customers and their ordering activity. This includes those who have been quoted but who may not have ordered. Many customers have several entries - Orders, Quotations, Enquiries, etc.

I need to finidentify all customers who have ordered in previous years but have not yet placed an order this year, as well as those who have never actually placed an order. I believe I need to involve the Group Selection Formula, but it's got me confused!

I'm using CR 8.0.1.0.

Any advise would be most appreciated!

 

[lbass]

Are you working with more than one table? If with just one, group on {table.customer} and then create a formula {@orders}:

if isnull({table.orderID}) then 0 else 1

Then go to report->edit selection formula->GROUP and enter:

sum({@orders},{table.customer}) = 0 or
maximum({table.date},{table.customer}) < date(2005,01,01)
//assuming you mean calendar year

-LB

 

[JCGSTL]

The database has several tables: Customer, Contacts, Orders, etc. I would want to show all those customers who had bought from us in previous years, but who had not done so this year. The 'Orders' table contains quotes and lost orders as well as placed orders.

Many thanks.

 

[lbass]

You would need to use a left join FROM the Customer table to the Orders table. Create the group on {Customer.Customer}, and then follow the previous suggestion.

-LB

 

[JCGSTL]

I can manage to create a report showing all of the 'orders' (completed or lost) per customer, but what I can't do is then select only those customers who, for example, have completed orders in previous years, but none this year.

What I'm currently doing is highlighting those orders that match my criteria (e.g. Year = 2005, Order status = Complete) and then exporting the report to Excel and deleting those Customers who have a 'Y' in the criteria column. Obviously I'd like to get Crystal to do this bit for me!!

By the way, thanks for your help.

 

[lbass]

My solution should work. Did you try it?

-LB