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Supplier Activity Report - Description column includes description

When I run a supplier bill activity report it would be HELPFUL if the description column actually contained the description of the invoices, or at least the start of it. For example, say a supplier is for office rent then I put in the description what period or month the rent is for. Then, if I run a supplier activity report I would expect the ******** description column to show me the helpful description I entered. Instead I get INV Ref: xxxxxx which repeats the xxxxxx from the reference column next to it. Noe useful at all, and the info I want to see is not there. Pointless. Do any of you people ever try and use your own software?????????????????? For invoices, can the description column on this report please be the actual description. Thanks

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Michael Welbourne shared this idea  ·   ·  Report…  ·  Admin →
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Gaining Support  ·  AdminKelly Munro (Community Manager, Xero) responded  · 

Thanks for the additional feedback on this idea, and apologies for the time since our last update.

As noted in the discussion, the Description column doesn’t show the same information in every Xero report. In the Supplier Activity report, it shows a transaction summary, such as the bill type or reference, rather than the descriptions entered on individual bill lines. This can be useful for reviewing a supplier’s activity over a period, but we understand it doesn’t provide the line-by-line detail you’re looking for.

The Description column in the Account Transactions report also varies by account. For accounts payable, accounts receivable and bank accounts, it shows the contact name. For other accounts, it can show the contact name alongside the line description.

For line-by-line bill information, the Payable Invoice Detail report is the best option.

We’ll continue to track interest in this idea. Changing how the Description column works in the Supplier Activity report isn’t on our team’s roadmap right now. If that changes, we’ll share an update.

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  • Shauna VanderHoek commented  ·   ·  Report

    We need our descriptions available at the report level!!! AND we need clarity about WHICH description, since that same term is used in multiple places for completely different things.

  • Leandro Santos commented  ·   ·  Report

    I completely agree! Very frustating, I have to open invoice by invoice to see the description...

    Please fix it...

  • Daisy Young commented  ·   ·  Report

    Having the same issue.

    A regularly annoying example that perfectly describes the issue is:

    CLIENT MAKES MULTIPLE AMAZON PURCHASES PER WEEK

    In Account Transaction report, the description shows the contact not the actual description (the 'why' of the purchase e.g. stationery, cleaning products, printer ink, food).

    So when skimming 100s of transactions to check they have been posted to the correct account, all the descriptions will say:

    AMAZON on 300 rows

    instead of the actual description entered:

    office equipment, ingredients, uniforms, computer parts, etc.

    which is the ONLY helpful part in allocating transactions.

    I used Amazon as an easily understood example, but it is a pain for most accounts where there could be several types of purchase and the report shows a description option but it is actually not functional.

    It's really unhelpful to have to drill down into every. individual. transaction when there are months of transactions not showing the correct data in the report.

    Please fix this, it is such a time waster!

    Thank you

    Edited to add - in response to the 'fix' suggested. Selecting Description as a column just contains the contact name as above, so two columns with contact data and none with transaction description. It does not address the issue unfortunately.

  • Colin Dutenhoffer commented  ·   ·  Report

    This is yet another example showing that Xero doesn't know what a description really is. It is not a contact or a invoice number. It is the information I feel is necessary to describe the transaction.

  • Tracie Wrobel commented  ·   ·  Report

    Is anything actually being done to rectify this as I too would like to see a report actually giving the information required. I need to see the actual description as entered not the Invoice number!
    I cant believe this has still not been addressed after two years.
    Unless you actually use the software you should not be allowed to design it as you have no idea how it works! It is so frustrating that I cannot see a basic report. Not to mention time consuming trying to find the information required.

  • Danilo Magbual commented  ·   ·  Report

    @ Kelly Munro, we know what are you talking about but your answer is not for the question being asked. Even if you include the description as a column, the information that appears there is not the actual intended information.... For example, when I export a GL for specific account, the description that appears is the name of the supplier not the actual description that appears in the invoice or bill.

  • Danilo Magbual commented  ·   ·  Report

    Same case with me, everytime export GL records, the description show the name of the supplier not the actual description as shown in the invoice or bill... so frustrating

  • Karen Hart commented  ·   ·  Report

    It is becoming more frustrating having to run a report to find out very basic accounting information which should be easily found by drilling down through the customer/supplier.