What are some valid approaches for reducing the number of records in Salesforce reports to process?

Reducing the number of records in Salesforce reports to improve processing efficiency can be effectively achieved through data archiving. Regularly archiving data helps to maintain a manageable dataset within Salesforce, leading to quicker report generation and better overall performance. When older or less frequently accessed records are archived, the active dataset is streamlined, allowing for faster query responses and reduced load times on reports.

While advanced filtering can help focus on specific subsets of data during a report process, it does not decrease the underlying data volume. Creating more detailed reports or adding more fields to existing reports could potentially increase the number of records returned, consequently counteracting the goal of reducing the load. In contrast, archiving serves as a proactive approach to manage data size and improve efficiency across the platform.