2575909 - Slowness and performance in Reports - Online Report Designer/Canvas

• The first time you open an ORD/Canvas report in the day, the page takes minutes to simply open (Initialising..) and start to run the report
• ORD reports are running slowly and taking more time to complete than before
• A simple report with a couple calculated columns is taking around 20 minutes to finish
• An Advanced Reporting report with around 70 columns and 15 tables are taking more than 20 minutes to complete

⁠SAP SuccessFactors HCM Suite

Report slowness or performance issues can be caused by different factors related to the report design, data volume, and system processing.

In ORD/Canvas reports, the initial load may take longer when the cache is not yet available, especially the first time you access the tool in the day. Once the cache is created, subsequent access may be faster.

For specific reports, performance can also be impacted by the complexity of the report configuration, such as:

• Large number of selected columns or tables
• Multiple joined tables, especially when the relationship between objects returns multiple records
• Large target populations
• Broad date ranges or “Show All” date options
• Complex Role-Based Permission checks
• Calculated columns or formulas applied over large datasets
• Pivot tables or components with many fields
• Usage of options such as Hide Duplicates, which require additional processing

When a report contains multiple related tables, the system needs to process all matching records based on the configured joins, filters, permissions, and output structure. As a result, even if the report does not appear large from a visual perspective, the backend query may still require significant processing.

This behavior is generally related to report complexity and data volume rather than a system defect.

It is expected that the ORD/Canvas page may take longer to load the first time a report is opened during the day. This happens because the cache may not be available yet. After the cache is created, subsequent ORD/Canvas reports may load faster.

If a specific report is taking longer than expected to run, review the report design and reduce the amount of data and processing required to generate the output.

You can consider the following actions:

• Reduce the number of selected fields/columns.
• Remove tables or data sources that are not required for the report output.
• Apply filters to limit the number of records returned.
• Use a smaller target population when possible.
• Reduce the date range used in the report.
• Avoid broad date options, such as “Show All”, unless required.
• Review calculated columns, pivots, and options such as “Hide Duplicates”, as they may require additional processing.
• If the report is large, consider running it offline or through Report Distributor, when applicable.

If the report design cannot be simplified, a longer execution time may be expected due to the amount of data and complexity being processed.

For additional recommendations, refer to KBA 2418819 - Reports Best Practices & Restrictions for Table and Canvas reports.

2418819 - Reports Best Practices & Restrictions for Table and Canvas reports

Slowness, slow, slowly, performance, report, Canvas, Advanced Reporting, Online Designer, online, offline, capabilities, initialization, cache, duplicate removal, filters, target population, date range , KBA , ss_anonymizedkba , LOD-SF-ANA-RCT-CAN , Report - Canvas , LOD-SF-ANA-ADH , Adhoc Reports & Report Builder , LOD-SF-ANA-ADV , Advanced Reporting (ODS) , Product Enhancement