If you're juggling multiple projects and get asked for "a quick update" more often than you get coffee breaks, this one’s for you. Pulling reports from Baton is straightforward, but making them useful (and not just noise) is a different story. Whether your execs want a high-level snapshot or stakeholders want the gritty details, here’s how to get reports out of Baton in a way that actually helps everyone—without wasting your time on fluff.
Why Export Baton Project Reports at All?
Let’s be honest: not everyone who needs a project update will log into your PM tool. Some execs live in their inbox. Some stakeholders want PDFs, not dashboards. Exporting reports from Baton means you can give people what they want, how they want it—without inviting them into every last detail or teaching them a new tool.
But not all exports are created equal. Before you start, ask: What do they actually need to see? If your report is 30 pages and nobody reads it, that's on you.
Step 1: Know What Kind of Report You (Actually) Need
Before even opening Baton, figure out what your audience cares about:
- Executive updates: Keep it short. They want progress, blockers, deadlines, and maybe a few numbers.
- Stakeholder reviews: More detail is fine. They may care about specific tasks, assignments, or recent changes.
- Internal teams: Sometimes you’re just using exports to sync with folks who don’t (or won’t) use Baton.
Quick tip: Ask yourself, “If I had to explain this project in 2 minutes, what would I say?” That’s the heart of your report.
What to skip: Don’t export all the data just because you can. Overkill leads to unread emails and meetings that start with, “Can you explain slide 12?”
Step 2: Find the Right Baton Report for the Job
Baton offers a few different ways to get your project info out:
- Project Summary: High-level overview—milestones, percent complete, overdue items.
- Task List: Detailed breakdown—who’s doing what, status, due dates.
- Timeline/Gantt: Visual roadmap—great for execs who like charts.
- Custom Exports: Filtered views or selected fields; handy if you want to avoid information overload.
Reality check: Not all Baton plans support every export type. If you’re on a basic plan, you might only get CSV or PDF. Advanced options (like filtering or custom templates) may cost extra.
Step 3: Export the Report (Step-by-Step)
Here’s how to get your report out of Baton—no guesswork, just the basics.
1. Log into Baton and Open Your Project
- Go to your project dashboard.
- Make sure your data’s up to date. Garbage in, garbage out.
2. Choose the Right View
- For executive updates: Switch to the summary or timeline view.
- For detailed reviews: Use task or list view. Apply filters if you only want relevant tasks (like “Overdue” or “In Progress”).
3. Look for the Export Option
- Usually, there’s an “Export” or “Download” button on the top right.
- Formats typically include PDF, CSV, and sometimes XLSX.
- Select your preferred format. Use PDF for polished, easy-to-read reports. Use CSV/XLSX if someone wants to slice-and-dice the data themselves.
Pro tip: PDFs look cleaner for execs. Spreadsheets are better for stakeholders who want to play with the data.
4. Customize What Goes In (If Possible)
- Some exports let you select fields, date ranges, or specific milestones.
- Less is more—uncheck anything nobody will care about.
- Save custom export settings if you’ll use them again.
5. Download and Review
- Download the file to your computer.
- Open it and skim for obvious errors, missing info, or formatting issues.
- If something looks weird, try re-exporting or adjusting your filters.
Heads up: Baton’s formatting isn’t always perfect. You might need to tweak the PDF (add a cover page, redact sensitive info) or clean up the spreadsheet.
Step 4: Make the Report Useful (Not Just Pretty)
Don’t just send the export and call it a day. Add a bit of context:
- Write a summary: Two sentences at the top: “Here’s where we are. Here’s what’s next.”
- Highlight blockers: If something’s off schedule, call it out. Executives like honesty.
- Use comments: In spreadsheets, add notes if a number doesn’t tell the whole story.
Skip this? Only if you want to spend your next meeting explaining what “In Progress” really means.
Step 5: Send the Report the Right Way
How you share matters almost as much as what you share.
- Email: Attach the report. Use a clear subject line (“Project X Update – June 2024”).
- Slack/Teams: Upload the file and summarize in a message.
- Shareable link: If Baton supports public or read-only links, and your audience is okay with it, that’s sometimes easier than attachments.
Don’t: Assume everyone will open a giant spreadsheet on their phone. PDFs are safer for mobile viewing.
Sensitive data? Double-check before sharing outside your org. Not every Baton export hides internal notes.
What Works (and What Doesn’t)
Works well:
- Baton’s summaries are solid for execs who want the “so what?” in 60 seconds.
- Task exports make it easy to do end-of-week “what’s left?” reviews.
- Custom filters save time if you need the same report often.
Not so great:
- Formatting can be clunky, especially if you’re picky about fonts or branding.
- CSVs may need cleaning up before sharing—headers aren’t always self-explanatory.
- No “one-click” beautiful PowerPoint deck export (yet). If someone asks, brace yourself for a boring copy-paste job.
Ignore:
- Exporting everything “just in case.” It’s a waste and makes you look like you don’t know what matters.
- Features you don’t need. If execs only want milestones, skip the rest.
Pro Tips for Smoother Reporting
- Set a reminder: Schedule exports before key meetings so you’re not scrambling.
- Template your summary: Reuse the same intro and update the numbers.
- Automate, if you can: Some integrations or Baton plans let you auto-send reports. Worth it if you do this weekly.
- Ask for feedback: If people ignore your report, change it. Less is usually more.
Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Exporting Baton reports isn’t rocket science, but making them useful is an art. Don’t get hung up on making every report perfect. Start small, see what lands, and tweak as you go. The best report is the one people actually read.