One of the new features is the ability to create report "Buckets." Buckets let you create groups for a field's data without needing to create a formula field. I can't tell you how many formula fields I've created just to display the information I want to see on a report correctly. Of course - these bucket fields exist only on the report you're creating, so if you want to base workflow off of the field, it is off to the formula field editor for you.
Say you've got your list of clients, all equally important to you (of course), but you'd like to group them by the amount of assets they've brought to you. I'm not saying my Gold level clients are going to receive any special treatment over the Bronze level - I just want to know... really.
I'm going to classify my clients, using three tiers:
Gold: Anyone over 3,000,000
Silver: Between 1,000,000 and 3,000,000
Bronze: Below 1,000,000
1) To create a new Bucket field, within a new/existing report, click on the "Add Bucket" link within the fields section.
2) Next, double-check your "Source Column, give your Bucket field a name, and define your ranges:
Unfortunately, like many initial rollouts of SF (I'm looking at you lookup field filters), it is lacking the ability to create and use filters.
What if I had a client that has been with me from day one. Sounds like an instant Gold Service Level criterion to me. It would be great to be able to include something like "Initial Contract Date < 1/1/2005" = Gold, else follow the ranged criteria.
For more information, check out this video, by my new favorite SF video narrator: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFYEtBtLHG4
