# ERP Report Rationalization Decision Log Template

> Source: https://netray.co/tools/erp-report-rationalization-decision-log-template
> Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems.
> Section: Free Tools

## Short answer

Record the decision, rationale and approver for a report during an ERP clean-up or upgrade, so retirements are defensible.

## Category

erp-operations

## Audience

- ERP administrator
- Controller
- IT manager

## Tool

**Kind:** template

**Output:** document

**Fields:**

#### Report name

**Key:** report_name

**Type:** text

**Default:** Open PO Past Due by Buyer

#### Report ID or file

**Key:** report_id

**Type:** text

**Default:** CUST_RPT_0142

#### ERP / reporting tool

**Key:** system

**Type:** text

**Default:** Infor SyteLine custom report

#### Business owner

**Key:** owner

**Type:** text

**Default:** Purchasing manager

#### Last run date

**Key:** last_run

**Type:** date

**Default:** 2026-09-30

#### Runs in last 12 months

**Key:** runs

**Type:** number

**Default:** 148

#### Decision

**Key:** decision

**Type:** select

**Options:**

- Keep as is
- Merge into another report
- Retire
- Rebuild in new tool
- Replace with standard report

**Default:** Merge into another report

#### Reason

**Key:** reason

**Type:** textarea

**Default:** Same data as the weekly supplier delivery report with one extra filter. Merge as a parameter.

#### Follow-up action and date

**Key:** action

**Type:** textarea

**Default:** Add buyer parameter to supplier delivery report by 2026-11-30, then disable this report.

#### Rollback plan

**Key:** rollback

**Type:** textarea

**Default:** Keep the report definition archived in source control for 12 months.

**Blocks:**

#### Report Decision Record

**Body:** Report: {{report_name}}
ID: {{report_id}}
System: {{system}}
Business owner: {{owner}}

#### Usage evidence

**Body:** Last run: {{last_run}}
Runs in last 12 months: {{runs}}

#### Decision

**Body:** {{decision}}

Reason: {{reason}}

#### Follow-up

**Body:** {{action}}

Rollback: {{rollback}}

#### Dependencies checked

**Table:**

**Columns:**

- Check
- Result
- Notes

**Rows:**

**0:** Scheduled jobs or emails

**0:** Excel files linked to this report

**0:** Audit or regulatory use

**0:** Used by another report or dashboard

#### Approvals

**Signatures:**

- Business owner
- ERP administrator
- Controller

**Notes:** Starting point only. Add your change-control number. Check audit, tax and customer-reporting duties before retiring any report.

## Content

**Intro:** Years of custom reports pile up, and nobody dares delete any. This decision log turns a clean-up or upgrade into documented choices: keep, merge, retire or rebuild, each with an owner and evidence.

**Sections:**

#### How to use it

**Body:** Start from a report inventory with run counts and last run dates from your ERP logs or scheduler. For each candidate, fill one record. Enter usage evidence, choose a decision, state the reason and list the follow-up. Complete the dependency table before retiring anything, since hidden consumers such as scheduled emails, linked Excel files and audit packs are the usual cause of surprise complaints. Collect owner approval and archive the signed record.

#### Choosing between the decisions

**Body:** Keep reports used regularly and tied to a current process. Merge reports that differ only in a filter or sort. Retire reports with no runs in a year and no regulatory purpose, after a notice period. Rebuild reports that are valuable but fragile, for example hard-coded to old tables. Replace with standard when the vendor now ships equivalent output.

**Bullets:**

- No runs in 12 months: retire after notice
- Same data, different filter: merge
- Fragile but used: rebuild
- Vendor standard now covers it: replace

#### Common mistakes and ERP notes

**Body:** Do not judge value from run counts alone; a quarterly or year-end report may run only a few times and still be essential for audits. Archive the definition before disabling, not after. During an upgrade or migration, such as moving to a new SyteLine or S/4HANA release, test the reports you keep against the new data model and record the result in this log.

**Cta:** If you are facing hundreds of legacy reports, Netray can help analyze them and propose consolidation or rebuild options, with your team approving each decision.

**Faq:**

#### How do I find unused reports?

**Answer:** Use ERP audit logs, report server statistics or scheduler history to get run counts and last run dates. Where no log exists, move the report to an archive folder for a notice period and see who asks.

#### How long should the notice period be?

**Answer:** Long enough to cover one full business cycle, typically a quarter, and a year-end if the report might support closing or audit. Announce retirements to owners in writing.

#### Who should approve a retirement?

**Answer:** The business owner approves the need, and the ERP administrator approves the technical action. Add finance when the report supports tax, audit or statutory filings.

#### Should I delete or archive retired reports?

**Answer:** Archive. Keep the definition and a sample output in source control or a document store for at least a year, so a late request can be served quickly.

## Search terms

erp report rationalization template, report retirement decision log, report inventory decision template, custom report cleanup template, erp upgrade report review, report decommission form

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