View budget information in a chart

Visually explore and interact with your budget information in a chart format.

User permission: Budgets & Forecasts

Charts are particularly useful when the budget grid has a lot of period columns and you are only interested in one or a few budget items (rows) - rather than scrolling across multiple columns, you can visualize those row(s) instead. You can switch between different types of charts and configure how the data displays in each one. You can select different rows of data and watch the chart instantly update. You can display the chart in full-screen mode, which is useful during presentations.

Open the chart panel

Charts are available in four budget workbook tabs: Main (budget), Balance Sheet, Database (driver) and Manual (miscellaneous).

While you can select rows in the worksheet before you open the chart panel, only some of the rows (those at workflow level) are available for selection at that stage. When you open the chart panel, you get more row selection options.

Click the Chart button in the top right corner above the grid. The chart panel slides out from the right of the screen. If you had any rows selected, that data displays in the chart, otherwise, you get a message telling you to select one or more rows. You can then proceed to interact with the chart, such as select different rows to view different data and customize the chart to match your required analysis.

Interact with the grid and chart

The chart panel sits to the right of the grid, as illustrated in the image above, so you can view the data in two formats at the same time, and interact with them simultaneously. Actions you can take:

• Scroll across the grid to view the data on the far right whilst keeping the chart in view. If you want a better view of the grid and a minimal view of the chart panel or vice versa, click and drag the divider to the left or right as required.

• Select one or more rows in the grid and the chart will update accordingly. The chart’s Data tab gives you options for dealing with multiple rows.

• Click an item in the chart legend to remove the corresponding data from the chart, then click the legend item again to display it in the chart. For example, if your chart displays the budget values for three countries, you might want to remove one, so you can compare the other two more easily.

• Edit the values in the grid and the chart will automatically accordingly. You row selections are retained.

• Customize the chart (see below).

Customize the chart

You can select from a range of chart types, each with their own configuration options. As you try out the different chart types and options, the chart renders responsively. This interaction helps you find the chart type and configuration combination that best meets your analysis requirements.

Phocas remembers the last chart type you used, so the next time you open the chart panel, the same chart type is automatically applied. You can easily switch to a different chart type.

See Configure the chart options for more information. Even though that's a Financial Statements page, the chart configuration options are the same.