There are two general pre-requisites for the effective use of QUIKREP facilities. First, it is important to have a good understanding of the structure and content of the target operational data bases. This does not mean that a technical understanding of the design of the data base is required, rather that there is an appreciation of the various files that are available and what data attributes are contained therein. The front-end menu structure of the QUIKREP implementation will give a good indication of the data base structure and familiarity with existing operational reports should provide the required understanding of what data attributes are available for reporting.

The second pre-requisite for effective use of QUIKREP is an understanding of basic reporting concepts. Sorting is the primary mechanism for organizing data on the page. An understanding of the concept of "Break-ON" is important for breaking the data into logical groupings and providing for sub-totals. An understanding of formal logic is also very useful for the specification of records to be included or excluded from a report. Although the first three are fundamental, there are a number of other "techniques" that may be employed as the QUIKREP user becomes more familiar with the facility.

QUIKREP is not a programming language and does not require programming skills to use it effectively. However it is also not a "fill-in-the-blanks" utility. It yields best results when preparation and focus are applied with a logical approach.