Deleting an individual item
Deleting multiple items at the same time
Restoring a deleted item
| Viewer license | Full license |
|---|---|
| Designed for users who primarily need to consume data. | The most common type of license; designed to allow users to get the most out of Phocas. |
Restrictive, allowing view-only access to shared dashboards and favorites. When combined with the Budgets & Forecasts permission, allows view-only access to budget workbooks, with editing possible only when the user is assigned a task in the budget workflow. | Includes all Viewer capabilities plus the ability to perform other actions. Prerequisite for module-specific functionality. |
| Ideal for users who need insights but don't perform deep data analysis or customization. | Ideal for users who need to slice and dice the data, such as analysts and decision-makers. |
What Phocas looks like to a Viewer license user
The Viewer user will see the same core Phocas platform as Full license users, but they'll only be able to view dashboards and favorite that have been shared with them. **Homepage**Comparison of dashboard and favorite-related actions available with each license
Note that even with a Full license, your user profile (including permissions) specifically controls what you can do.| Action | Viewer license | Full license |
|---|---|---|
| Set a dashboard as your home dashboard | Yes | Yes |
| Set a favorite as your default view | Yes | Yes |
| Interact with data on the dashboard (hover and filter) | Yes | Yes |
| Interact with the favorite (sort, hover, and select cells) | Yes | Yes |
| View the underlying query details for dashboard widgets and favorites | Yes | Yes |
| Analyze the dashboard (drill down into underlying data to slice and dice the data) | No | Yes |
| Customize your view of the data in the favorite (change the properties, stream, measure and so on) | No | Yes |
| Slice and dice the data in the favorite | No | Yes |
| View the underlying transactions, provided they are in a Transaction mode favorite | Yes | Yes |
| Apply a custom date range (period) in a dashboard | Yes | Yes |
| Apply a custom date range (period) in a favorite | No | Yes |
| Refresh a dashboard | Yes | Yes |
| Print a dashboard | Yes | Yes |
| Print a favorite | No | Yes |
| Create, edit and clone a dashboard or favorite | No | Yes |
| Share a dashboard or favorite | No | Yes |
| Subscribe to a favorite | No | Yes |
Visual comparison of what each user can see and do a dashboard
This example supports the table above, showing you the differences in the UI. Note that the Full license user has all the dashboard-related user permissions.Visual comparison of what each user can see and do on a favorite
This example supports the table above, showing you the differences in the UI. * The Full license user can see the menus, toolbars and dimensions, allowing them to customize their view and slice and dice the data. * The Viewer license user can only see the shared data in its preset format.| Dimension | What it represents | Dimension entities | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer | Who you sell to | Customer names and/or codes | ASAP Metals USA |
| Product | What you sell | Product names and/or codes | Widget A |
| Sales rep | Who made the sale | Sales rep (employees) names and/or codes | Andrew Wood |
| Location or Branch | Where the sale occurred | Countries, cities, states, territories, or branch names and/or codes | USA |
| Account | How values are categorised in the general ledger | Account names and codes | 4010 Sales revenue |
Subscribe to a dashboard
Subscribe to a favorite
Subscribe to an alert
| Option | Available for | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Favorites and alerts | The format of the file attached to the email. Available formats include PDF, CSV, XLSX, and HTML. |
| Delivery format | Flex favorites | The email always includes a link that opens the favorite in Phocas. Keep the email as link-only or add a CSV or XLSX attachment. If multiple Flex favorites use the same schedule, they are grouped into one email. Attached files are grouped into a ZIP file. |
Frequency: On scheduled database build | Favorites and alerts | Sends an email every time the underlying database builds. |
| Frequency: Daily, Weekly, or Monthly | Dashboards, favorites, alerts, and Flex favorites | Sends the email on the days and time you select.
|
| Time | All | When you want to receive the email.
|
| Don’t send if there are no results | Favorites and alerts | Select this checkbox if you only want emails when results exist. |
| Only deliver when there are results | Flex favorites | Select this checkbox if you only want emails when results exist. |
| Only send on | Alerts | The alert status that triggers the email. Select one or more status checkboxes: Red alert, Yellow alert, or Green alert. These statuses relate to the color coding in the alert's settings and the icon that appears next to the alert on the homepage. If you don't select a status, the email is sent at your selected time, regardless of status. |
Dashboard subscription options
(Analytics or Financial Statements)
Alert subscription options
(Analytics or Financial Statements)
Favorite subscription options
(Analytics or Financial Statements)
Flex Modes favorite subscription options
Update a dashboard subscription
Update an alert subscription
Update a favorite subscription
Update a Flex favorite subscription
Example: Save and share a favorite
For example, suppose you create a pie chart comparing the profit last month in each territory. You now want to save the chart as a favorite and share it with the sales team by placing it in a sales folder. You also want the favorite to automatically update with new data as time goes on. 1. Select **Actions > Save**. 2. Select **New** from the **Favorite** dropdown list, if not already selected. 3. Enter the name as *Territory Profitability* and leave the description blank. 4. Leave the period as Current (Previous Month). 5. Select the **Sales** folder. 6. Do not select any individual users. The favorite will be automatically shared with you as you are the owner. 7. Click **Save**.Steps
When the item is open, click the **Export** button in the toolbar, then select **Embed view** and click **Export**.  A new browser window opens with a unique embeddable URL, which you can then copy and paste into another application (the steps you need to take depend on the application you are using). In some cases, you need to put the URL inside an iframe HTML tag. For example, the code snippet might look like this: `` In the example below, a favorite was embedded into another location and then opened by a user. You can see it looks a bit different in the embed view; the black bar, logo, and other Phocas tools are absent. Authenticated users can open the favorite to analyze the data in Phocas.Example: Create a Summary chart alert
Suppose you carried out an advanced search and identified the *lost* customers, who have purchased something in the last year but nothing in the last three months. Firstly, [create the Summary chart](/analytics/visualize-your-data-in-a-chart/summary-charts): 1. Click the **Chart** button in the top right toolbar above the grid. 2. Click the **KPI** chart category button on the left of the chart and select the **Summary** option. 3. Select **Summary** > **Count**. 4. Select **Summary Type** > **Traffic Lights**. Note that you cannot save an emoji Summary chart as an alert, only as a favorite. 5. Enter the **From** and **To** value range into the color boxes to set the conditional formatting. For example, up to 20 lost customers is acceptable (green), up to 50 lost customers is a problem (yellow), and anything more than 50 is bad (red).Example 1: Apply a filter
Suppose you are looking at a dashboard in which no filters have been applied. You're interested in the sales rep performance. The Total revenue value in the top-left widget (underlined in red) includes revenue from all customers. You want to focus on the revenue earned in a specific customer segment, so you need to apply a filter.  1. Select the item you want to focus on. In this example, you select the **Manufacturing** segment in the **Customer Type** pie chart. 2. Click the **Focus** button at the top left of the dashboard. The filter displays at the top of the dashboard in the status bar, and all the widgets that have been filtered have a small filter icon next to their title.Example 2: Apply multiple filters
Suppose you want to filter a dashboard to focus on the data related to a specific sales rep and customer. 1. Select the items you want to focus on. In this example, you select sales rep Shelly and customer D\&R Henderson. 2. Click the **Focus** button at the top left of the dashboard. The filters display at the top of the dashboard in the status bar, and all the widgets that have been filtered have a small filter icon next to their title.Edit a calculated measure
Create a new calculated measure
| Alt+C | Open Custom mode, when a dimension is selected |
| Alt+H | Go to your homepage |
| Alt+i | Open the Information window |
| Alt+R | Reset the data in the grid |
| Alt+S | Open the Advanced search window |
| Alt+Up, Alt+Down | Switch between dimensions |
| Ctrl+C | Copy from the grid |
| Ctrl+P | Print a dashboard print |
| Ctrl+Space | Focus on a selection |
| Menu | Description |
|---|---|
| Mode | The columns that display in the grid. |
| Properties | The type of details (for the selected dimension) that display in the first column(s) in the grid, such as Name and Code. |
| Measures | The type of numerical data that displays in the grid, such as Local Value, Profit or Quantity. |
| Stream | The source of the data in the grid. |
| Activity filter | A way to determine if the grid displays data for which there are transactions (activity) or not (no activity) or both (all). |
| Format | The format of numerical data in the grid, such as actual numbers, percentages or average. |
| Period | The timeframe (date range) that applies to the data in the grid, such as Rolling 12 Months, Quarter 1 or Year to Date. |
Example 1: Select the best Calculated Total option
When it comes to selecting the best (most suitable) way to calculate the total, consider the type of measure that is used. **Sum Total v Calculated Total v Average** The most common method to calculate the total is Sum Total. It adds up all the values in the column and returns the total. This is suitable for calculating the total sales value or quantity. However, it is useless when the column contains percentages, such as the margin, as the result is meaningless. Therefore, Calculated Total or Average are better options when dealing with percentages. In the following image, there are three versions of the **July** column, which contains the margin values. In each version, a different method is used to calculate the total and as a result, the values in the **Total** row are different. As you can see, the Sum Total does not make much sense, so Calculated Total or Average would be better options.Example 2: Add Measure columns to compare sales values
Use Custom mode in the Sales database to add four new Measure columns in the grid: **Sales Last Month**, **Sales This Month**, **Budget This Month** and **Sales Year to Date** to analyze the Sales Rep performance. In the **Custom Mode** window, delete (clear) all the existing columns. Click the green **New Column** button > **Measure**, then configure column 1 (**Sales Last Month**): 1. Type the name '*Sales Last Month*'. 2. Define the measure: Click the **Measure** button, then select **Stream**> **Sales** and **Measure** > **Value**. On the **Period** tab, select the **Custom (Month)** time unit, select the **Offset** checkboxes and set start and end to -1. Click **Apply**. 3. Click the **Format** button and select the **1,235** option to remove decimal places. Clone column 1 to create column 2 (**Sales This Month**), then configure column 2: 1. Edit the name to be '*Sales This Month*'. 2. Click the **Measure** button > **Period** tab, edit the start and end to 0 and click **Apply**. Clone column 2 to create column 3 (**Budget This Month**), then configure column 3: 1. Edit the name to be '*Budget This Month*'. 2. Click the **Measure** button > **Stream** > **Budget** and click **Apply**. Clone column 2 again to create column 4 (**Sales Year to Date**), then configure column 4: 1. Edit the name to be '*Sales YTD*'. 2. Click the **Measure** button > **Period** tab, clear the **Offset** checkbox for the start date and select January, then click **Apply**. Review your new column configurations and click **Apply**. The grid updates to display the new columns, as illustrated in the image below. Save this view as a favorite. Because offset dates were used, it will automatically update.Example 3: Add a Variance column to calculate the difference between sales and budget values
Use Custom mode in the Sales database to add a variance column in the grid showing the **% variance** between sales and budget, and two corresponding Measure columns showing the **Sales** and **Budget** values to compare the Sales Rep performance. In the **Custom Mode** window, delete (clear) all the existing columns. Click the green **New Column** button > **Variance**, then configure column 1 (**% variance**): 1. Type the name '*% variance*'. 2. Define variable **a**: Click the **Measure** button and select **Stream**> **Sales** and **Measure** > **Value**, then click **Apply**. 3. Define variable **b**: Click the **Measure** button and select **Stream**> **Budget** and **Measure** > **Value**, then click **Apply**. 4. Click **a - b** button to switch to **a % b** calculation. The calculation used is; *((a-b)/b)\*100*. 5. Click the **Format** button and select the **1235%** option to display the variance calculation result as a percentage. Click the green **New Column** button > **Measure**, then configure column 1 (**Sales**): 1. Type the name '*Sales*'. 2. Click the **Measure** button and select **Stream**> **Sales** and **Measure** > **Value**, then click **Apply**. 3. Click the **Format** button and select the **1,235** option to remove decimal places. Clone column 2 to create column 3 (**Budget**), then configure column 3: 1. Edit the name to be '*Budget*'. 2. Click the **Measure** button > **Stream** > **Budget** and click **Apply**. Review your new column configurations and click **Apply**. The grid updates to display the new columns, as illustrated in the image below. You can see sales expressed as a percentage of budget in the new **%variance** column. Because you didn't define any periods, the default period has been used.Example 4: Add Calculation columns to get insights on the average profit
Use Custom mode in the Sales database to add three new columns in the grid to display the results of the following calculations: average profit over the last 6 months, profit this month and the difference between the two (to show whether last month is ahead of or behind the average profit). In the **Custom Mode** window, delete (clear) all the existing columns. Click the green **New Column** button > **Calculation**, then configure column 1 (**Average profit over the last 6 months**): Type the name '*Av profit 6 months*'. Define variable **a** as the average profit over 6 months: 1. Click the **Add Measure** (plus) button > **Measure**. 2. Define the measure: Click the **Measure** button and select **Stream**> **Sales** and **Measure** > **Profit**. On the **Period** tab, select the **Custom (Month)** time unit, select the **Offset** checkboxes and set start to -6 and end to -1. Click **Apply**. Define the expression: Enter ‘*a/6*’ in the **Expression** box to calculate the average profit over the 6 months. Click the green **New Column** button > **Measure**, then configure column 2 (**Profit last month**): 1. Type the name '*Difference*'. 2. Click the **Measure** button and select **Stream**> **Sales** and **Measure** > **Value**. 3. Click the **Period** tab and select the **Custom (Month)** time unit, select the **Offset** checkboxes and set start and end to 0. 4. Click **Apply**. Clone column 1 to create column 3 (**Difference between the average and this month**), then configure column 3: 1. Edit the name to be '*Sales This Month*'. 2. Define variable **a** as the total profit over 6 months: Nothing to do here as the cloned configuration is sufficient. 3. Define variable **b** as the total profit this month: Click the **Add Measure** (plus) button > **Measure**. Define the measure: Click the **Measure** button and select **Stream** > **Sales** and **Measure** > **Profit**. On the **Period** tab, select the **Custom (Month)** time unit, select the **Offset** checkboxes and set start and end to 0. Click **Apply**. 4. Define the expression: Enter ‘*b-(a/6)*’ in the **Expression** box to calculate the difference between the average profit over the 6 months and the profit this month. Review your new column configurations and click **Apply**. The grid updates to display the new columns, as illustrated in the image below. In this example, the **Customer** dimension has been selected and the **Difference** column was sorted in **descending** order. This will display the customers with above average profit at the top of the list.Select the best Calculated Total option
When it comes to selecting the best (most suitable) way to calculate the total, consider the type of measure that is used. **Sum Total v Calculated Total v Average** The most common method to calculate the total is Sum Total. It adds up all the values in the column and returns the total. This is suitable for calculating the total sales value or quantity. However, it is useless when the column contains percentages, such as the margin, as the result is meaningless. Therefore, Calculated Total or Average are better options when dealing with percentages. In the following image, there are three versions of the **July** column, which contains the margin values. In each version, a different method is used to calculate the total and as a result, the values in the **Total** row are different. As you can see, the Sum Total does not make much sense, so Calculated Total or Average would be better options.Add Measure columns to compare sales values
Use Custom mode in the Sales database to add four new Measure columns in the grid: **Sales Last Month**, **Sales This Month**, **Budget This Month** and **Sales Year to Date** to analyze the Sales Rep performance. In the **Custom Mode** window, delete (clear) all the existing columns. Click the green **New Column** button > **Measure**, then configure column 1 (**Sales Last Month**): 1. Type the name '*Sales Last Month*'. 2. Define the measure: Click the **Measure** button, then select **Stream** > **Sales** and **Measure** > **Value**. 3. On the **Period** tab, select the **Custom (Month)** time unit, select the **Offset** checkboxes and set start and end to -1 and click **Apply**. 4. Click the **Format** button and select the **1,235** option to remove decimal places. Clone column 1 to create column 2 (**Sales This Month**), then configure column 2: 1. Edit the name to be '*Sales This Month*'. 2. Click the **Measure** button > **Period** tab, edit the start and end to 0 and click **Apply**. Clone column 2 to create column 3 (**Budget This Month**), then configure column 3: 1. Edit the name to be '*Budget This Month*'. 2. Click the **Measure** button > **Stream** > **Budget** and click **Apply**. Clone column 2 again to create column 4 (**Sales Year to Date**), then configure column 4: 1. Edit the name to be '*Sales YTD*'. 2. Click the **Measure** button > **Period** tab, clear the **Offset** checkbox for the start date and select January, then click **Apply**. Review your new column configurations and click **Apply**. The grid updates to display the new columns, as illustrated in the image below. Save this view as a favorite. Because offset dates were used, it will automatically update.Add a Variance column to calculate the difference between sales and budget values
Use Custom mode in the Sales database to add a variance column in the grid showing the **% variance** between sales and budget, and two corresponding Measure columns showing the **Sales** and **Budget** values to compare the Sales Rep performance. In the **Custom Mode** window, delete (clear) all the existing columns. Click the green **New Column** button > **Variance**, then configure column 1 (**% variance**). Type the name '*% variance*': 1. Define variable **a**: Click the **Measure** button and select **Stream**> **Sales** and **Measure** > **Value**, then click **Apply**. 2. Define variable **b**: Click the **Measure** button and select **Stream**> **Budget** and **Measure** > **Value**, then click **Apply**. 3. Click **a - b** button to switch to **a % b** calculation. The calculation used is; *((a-b)/b)\*100*. 4. Click the **Format** button and select the **1235%** option to display the variance calculation result as a percentage. Click the green **New Column** button > **Measure**, then configure column 1 (**Sales**): 1. Type the name '*Sales*'. 2. Click the **Measure** button and select **Stream**> **Sales** and **Measure** > **Value**, then click **Apply**. 3. Click the **Format** button and select the **1,235** option to remove decimal places. Clone column 2 to create column 3 (**Budget**), then configure column 3: 1. Edit the name to be '*Budget*'. 2. Click the **Measure** button > **Stream** > **Budget** and click **Apply**. Review your new column configurations and click **Apply**. The grid updates to display the new columns, as illustrated in the image below. You can see sales expressed as a percentage of budget in the new **%variance** column. Because you didn't define any periods, the default period has been used.Add Calculation columns to get insights on the average profit
Use Custom mode in the Sales database to add three new columns in the grid to display the results of the following calculations: average profit over the last 6 months, profit this month and the difference between the two (to show whether last month is ahead of or behind the average profit). In the **Custom Mode** window, delete (clear) all the existing columns. Click the green **New Column** button > **Calculation**, then configure column 1 (**Average profit over the last 6 months**): 1. Type the name '*Av profit 6 months*'. 2. Define variable **a** as the average profit over 6 months. Click the **Add Measure** (plus) button > **Measure**. Define the measure: Click the **Measure** button and select **Stream**> **Sales** and **Measure** > **Profit**. On the **Period** tab, select the **Custom (Month)** time unit, select the **Offset** checkboxes and set start to -6 and end to -1. Click **Apply**. 3. Define the expression: Enter ‘*a/6*’ in the **Expression** box to calculate the average profit over the 6 months. Click the green **New Column** button > **Measure**, then configure column 2 (**Profit last month**): 1. Type the name '*Difference*'. 2. Click the **Measure** button and select **Stream**> **Sales** and **Measure** > **Value**. 3. Click the **Period** tab and select the **Custom (Month)** time unit, select the **Offset** checkboxes and set start and end to 0. 4. Click **Apply**. Clone column 1 to create column 3 (**Difference between the average and this month**), then configure column 3: 1. Edit the name to be '*Sales This Month*'. 2. Define variable **a** as the total profit over 6 months: Nothing to do here as the cloned configuration is sufficient. 3. Define variable **b** as the total profit this month. Click the **Add Measure** (plus) button > **Measure**. Define the measure: Click the **Measure** button and select **Stream**> **Sales** and **Measure** > **Profit**. On the **Period** tab, select the **Custom (Month)** time unit, select the **Offset** checkboxes and set start and end to 0. Click **Apply**. 4. Define the expression: Enter ‘*b-(a/6)*’ in the **Expression** box to calculate the difference between the average profit over the 6 months and the profit this month. Review your new column configurations and click **Apply**. The grid updates to display the new columns, as illustrated in the image below. In this example, the **Customer** dimension has been selected and the **Difference** column was sorted in **descending** order. This will display the customers with above average profit at the top of the list.Example 1: Add properties to identify the Territory and Sales Rep for each customer in Australia
Example 2: Use properties to help pinpoint information
Suppose you want to identify the 10 customers who are declining the most in the year to date, and get some useful details (properties), such as their contact details. 1. Click the **Customer** dimension, then click **Mode > Variance**. 2. Sort the **Variance** column in ascending order. The worst performing (declining) customers display at the top of the list. 3. Select and focus on the 10 worst performing customers (top 10 in the list). 4. Add the **City**, **Zip** and **Telephone** properties (see above). The new property columns display in the grid, so you can now see the contact details of those declining customers.Example 3: Use properties to create a new dimension
A property can be used as if it is a dimension, to display a subset of data that was not previously available via the dimensions list on the left of the grid. For example, suppose you want to analyze the Sales data according to the suburbs in which your customers are located but you do not have a Suburb dimension. 1. Click the **Territory** dimension, then select and focus on the territory you are interested in (California in the USA). 2. Click the **Customer** dimension. 3. Add the **Suburb** property and remove all other properties. All the customers are now grouped into their respective suburbs. You can now continue with your analysis from this point forward. Watch the video at the top of the page: Narrow your search by entity or property| Filter | Description |
|---|---|
| Activity | Displays items for which there have been transactions in a period and where the result is not zero. Usually the default view in a Sales database. Hint: You can exclude items where positive and negative sales transactions have the net effect of summing to zero, such as refunds or giveaways, by selecting the Show net zero option in the Options menu. |
| No Activity | Displays only items where there were no transactions in a period. All items with no sales are highlighted in green. Results depend on how up-to-date your source data is. For example, you might see customers that have long since ceased trading or products that have been discontinued. |
| All | Combines the other two options; displays all items, regardless of whether a transaction has occurred. Note: Selecting Show net zero in the Options menu will affect the results so that All might not necessarily return the same number of rows as if you simply combined those two options. |
Example 1: Find customers who are not buying products
Use the activity filter in the Sales database to identify customers who have not purchased from Harry this calendar year-to-date (YTD). 1. Click **Periods** > **Financial YTD**. 2. Click the **Sales Rep** dimension. 3. Search for, then select and focus on Harry. 4. Click the **Customer** dimension to display customers who have bought from Harry this calendar YTD. 5. Click **Activity Filter** > **No Activity**. The grid updates to display the 123 customers (highlighted in green) who have previously bought from Harry but have not bought from him this year so far.Example 2: Identify products that aren't selling
Use the activity filter in the Sales database to identify which product categories your number one customer is not buying. 1. Click the **Customer** dimension. 2. Sort the **Total** column in descending order. 3. Select and focus on the customer at the top of the list (the number one customer). 4. Select the **Product Category** dimension. The grid updates to display the product categories that the customer has been buying. 5. Click **Activity Filter** > **No Activity**. The grid now displays the product categories that the customer is not buying, highlighted in green.Example: Compare the daily average sales
In the Sales database, change the format to help you compare the daily average sales for February, March and April. 1. Click the **Customer** dimension. 2. Apply a [custom period](/analytics/customize-your-view-analytics/change-the-period-analytics): Start in February and end in April. 3. Click **Format > Daily Average**. In this example, there are no working day calendars to select from\*. The grid updates to show the daily average in each month based on the total number of work days in each respective month. The number of work days displays in brackets in each column heading.Example: View what percentage each customer contributes to profit
In the Sales database, change the format to view what percentage each customer contributes to the profit. 1. Click the **Customer** dimension. 2. Click **Measure** > **Profit**. 3. Click **Format** > **% Share**. The grid updates to show the percentage share for each customer, with the values in each column adding to 100%.Example: Analyze performance against budget
In the Sales database, change the format to help you analyze how four states are performing against the budget for the year. 1. Click the **Country** dimension, then select and focus on the US. 2. Click the **Territory** dimension, sort by local value in descending order, then select and focus on the top four states (CA, TX, FL and MA). 3. Click **Mode** > **Stream**, then click **Stream** > **Sales** and **Variance Stream** > **Budget**. 4. Click **Period** > **Rolling 12 months**. As expected with Stream mode in a filtered view, the  **Budgets** variance columns display the variance and percentage variance, so you can see how each state is performing against the budget. For example, you can say that California achieved -0.79% of its budget. This is difficult to judge, so you want to see this variance from a different perspective…Example 1: View a range of months
Apply a custom period in the Purchases database to identify customers who have purchased products during the summer season (in the northern hemisphere). 1. Select the **Customer** dimension. 2. Ensure you are in Period mode, then click **Period** > **Custom**. 3. In the **Custom Period** window, select **Month** and set the Current period start date to June and the end date to August. The Previous period will default to June to August in the previous year. 4. Click **Apply**. The grid updates to display only customers who purchased products during the summer. The columns will be June, July and August, from left to right (unless you selected the **Reverse** option) and the date range displays in the status bar.Example 2: Compare data for sections of months
Apply a custom period in the Sales database to compare products sales for the first half of October compared with the first half of September. 1. Select the **Product** dimension. 2. Ensure you are in Period mode, then click **Period** > **Custom**. 3. In the **Custom Period** window, select **Day**. 4. Set the Current period start date to 1 October 2022 and the end date to 16 October 2022. 5. Set the Previous period start date to 1 September 2022 and the end date to 16 September 2022. 6. Click **Apply**. The grid updates to display all products sold during the first half of October (Current Period column) and the first half of September (Previous Period column) and the date range displays in the status bar.Example 3: View one month at a time
To view a single month, the start and end need to be the same, as illustrated in the image below.Example 1: Answer a question - what is the reason for the decrease in sales revenue?
You are analyzing your Sales database and see there is a decrease in revenue compared to last year. Firstly, you want to find out which Sales Reps are performing worse this year compared to last year. 1. Click the **Sales Rep** dimension to filter the data by Sales Rep. 2. Click **Mode** > **Variance** to change the grid into **Variance** mode. 3. Click the **Variance** column two times to sort the data by the variance in descending order.Example 2: Get insights on customers to see if their pattern of behavior is changing
You want to find out if there are any customers whose pattern of behavior is changing, in particular, declining monthly sales (buying less products month on month). Firstly, you want to find out if there are any such customers. 1. Ensure the grid is in **Period** mode (click **Mode** > **Period**). 2. Click the **Customer** dimension to filter the data by customer. You have over 13,700 customers, so you need to narrow down the list before you can find the pattern of behavior. You can filter the data in the grid by condition. 1. Scroll across to the **November** (current month) column and right-click > **Nov 2022 LESS THAN** > **Oct 2022**.| Option | Description | Use |
|---|---|---|
Converts the data currently on your screen into a print-friendly format. Only data can be printed. The status bar displays automatically. | Select Export > Print. Then follow your usual printing process. You can also select Options > Monochrome exports to export and print in 'black only'. | |
| PDF | Exports as a PDF. Only the data is exported. Selections or period ranges may not be visible in the exported file. Formatting, such as red data for negative values, carries across. | Select Export > PDF. Different browsers will handle an exported file differently. You may be prompted to open or save the file, or it may appear at the bottom of your screen or in your downloads folder. |
| XLSX | Exports as a Microsoft Excel worksheet Only the data is exported. Formatting such as red data for negative values carries across. Sheet 1 of the worksheet contains the data and Sheet 2 contains information relating to the export such as selections and period ranges. | Select Export > XLSX. You may be prompted to open or save the file, or it may appear at the bottom of your screen or in your downloads folder. See note on this page about limits on number of rows and columns.
|
| CSV | Exports as a CSV (Comma Separated Value) file, a file format commonly used as an alternative import/export format. | Select Export > CSV. You may be prompted to open or save the file, or it may appear at the bottom of your screen or in your downloads folder. See note about limits on number of rows and columns. |
Emails your current analysis (data, chart or map) to a specified recipient. Only users with a valid username and password will be able to open the hyperlink to view the data. Permissions also apply, i.e., if a user is emailed data they would not normally have permission to view, they won't be able to open the hyperlink. The 'from' name will be your username and the reply address your email address. Administrators may need to add SMTP settings for this feature to function correctly. | Select Export > Email. A screen will appear containing your own email address – you can replace this with another recipient's email address or enter multiple email addresses separated by a semicolon. | |
| KML | Exports as a KML (keyhole markup language) file, a format used to display geographic data in an Earth browser or open source map. Use this option when exporting a map chart. | From a map chart, select Export > KML. |
| Image | Exports a chart as an image file. | From any chart, select Export > Image. |
| Embed View | Generates a link for embedding a favorite into another website (such as an intranet, or another product) for authenticated users to view. | From any favorite, select Export > Embed View. A new browser window opens with a unique embeddable URL, which can be copied and shared. |
| Name and description | Example | Result from example |
|---|---|---|
Asterisk (*) Multiple character wild-card search | *steel (product name) | Locates products whose names contain any number of characters before the text 'steel'. For example, Mildsteel and Stainless Steel would display but Steel Piping would not.
|
Question mark (?) Single character wild-card search | XYZ? (product code) | Locates products whose codes begin with 'XYZ' and end with another character. |
Semi-colon (;)
| HA;DA (Sales Rep code) | Locates exactly the two Sales Reps whose code is HA and DA. In our example, Harry and Daisy. |
Entity rule
An entity is a row of data within a [dimension](/analytics/use-dimensions), such as customer, sales rep, product, vendor, account, and so on. The Entity rule is based on a selected entity (or multiple entities) and it returns the same result as the action of selecting and focusing on data in the grid. The Entity rule is the most basic of the advanced search rules, as you are not entering information, just making selections. For example, Brand = ACME, or Rep = Harry and Daisy. Therefore, the search type options are restricted to Equal To and Not Equal To. Typically, you use an Entity rule to supplement other rules; you would not use it in isolation. If you select and [focus](/analytics/focus-on-data-analytics) on data before starting your advanced search, the Entity rule is already populated for you, which is faster than manually creating it. After adding the rule, start by selecting a search type. Next, click the dimension button to display an alphabetical list of all available entities within that dimension. You can filter the entity list by typing a keyword into the text box or browse the list of entities, then select the required entities. Example: View data for all territories, except for the seven territories in Australia:Property rule
A [property](/analytics/customize-your-view-analytics/change-the-properties-analytics) is a type of information stored about a dimension. Properties display as columns in the grid when you select a dimension. The properties that are available in the Properties rule depend on the dimension that you select. For example, the Product dimension might have the Code and Name properties only, whereas the Customer dimension might have Code, Name, Address, Sales Rep, Customer Type and more. After adding the rule, click the default property button (usually this is **Code**) to view a list of the available properties and select the required property, then select the search type and enter a search term or value. Example: Get a list of all customers whose zip (post) code is between 2000 and 2100.Measure rule
A [measure](/analytics/customize-your-view-analytics/change-the-measures-analytics) is a type of numerical data, such as value, quantity, profit, margin. The Measure rule allows you to create a rule based on the measures in your current database. This rule contains various settings you can use to define the measure, including the ability to select a period type and specify dates. As it includes period information, the Measures rule is more advanced than the Property and Entity rules. After adding the rule, click the default measure (usually something like **Sales Local Value**) button to open the **Measures** window and proceed to [define the measure](/analytics/customize-your-view-analytics/change-the-measures-analytics#changethemeasures-defineameasure). Then select the search type and enter a value. A common mistake is to assume that a measure-based advanced search is automatically filtered by selections made either before entering advanced search or subsequently. For example, using a measure rule to find all customers with a sales value greater than $1m will return all customers with sales over that value. If you then focus on another dimension, such as Product Group and display the customers, it is quite probable that the list will include rows where the sales value is less than $1m. This is because the selection of customers based on their total sales is acting independently of the filtered display. If you want to only see the customers with total sales greater than $1m for a specific Product Group, you need to edit the rule and add the selection via the **Selections** tab. See [Define the measure](/analytics/customize-your-view-analytics/change-the-measures-analytics#changethemeasures-defineameasure) to learn how to do this. Example: Identify the sales reps who earned sales revenue of less than $100,000 in the financial year to date.Variance rule
The Variance rule uses a simple algebra to make a comparison between two variables, ‘a' and 'b’. The Variance rule allows you to compare two different [measures](/analytics/customize-your-view-analytics/change-the-measures-analytics). For example, you might want to find sales reps who are performing below the budget level. After adding the rule, click the measure button for variable a to open the **Measures** window and [define the measure](/analytics/customize-your-view-analytics/change-the-measures-analytics#changethemeasures-defineameasure). Repeat for variable b. Next, create the rule to determine the difference between those variables. By default, the operation a - b (the value of measure a minus the value of measure b) applies but you can click the **a - b** button to switch to a % b (the value of measure a minus measure b expressed as a percentage of measure b). Then select the search type and enter a value. Example 1: Identify sales reps who are performing better than budget This basic example uses one Variance rule to identify sales reps whose sales were more than 10% over the budget.Calculation rule
The Calculation rule allows you to use basic mathematical operations to write your own rule based on a number of variables ('a',' b', 'c' and so on) that you define as measures or numerical properties. After adding the rule, click the **Add** (plus) button > **Measure** to add a variable, then click the measure button to open the **Measures** window and [define the measure](/analytics/customize-your-view-analytics/change-the-measures-analytics#changethemeasures-defineameasure). Repeat this step to add and define the other measures. Next, enter the relevant mathematical expression, in which you can use plus, minus, multiply, divide, brackets and numbers. The standard order of operations is followed, where multiplication and division operations are processed before addition and subtraction, regardless of position in the expression. You can use brackets to override that order. Lastly, select the search type and enter a value. **Example 1: Identify customers whose average profit for a period is more than a certain amount** This example uses one Calculation rule with two variables to identify the customers whose average profit for January (variable ‘a') and February (variable 'b’) is more than $1000.Example 1: Identify customers located in London with revenue more than $100,000
In this basic example, a property and measure rule were created for the **Customer** dimension using the AND condition. It returns a result of 14 customers located in London who generated revenue of more than $100,000.Example 2: Locate declining customers who spent a particular amount
This example combines several search rules to locate Harry’s declining customers (over the past 3 months) who have spent more than $1000 this year. **Step 1** In the Sales database, access the advanced search. **Step 2** Set up rule 1: 1. Select 'Reps' from the dimension dropdown box. 2. Select **Plus** > **Entity**. 3. From the Entity button choose 'Harry' from the list.Learn more...
This option is available: * For defined periods that are based on the Month period type. Typically, **Month to Date** is used when your period range (both current and previous) is set to a single month. This option is also available if your period range spans several months, however, the range must not exceed 12 months, and the range must not project into the future. * In Summary view only (when no dimension is selected): Period and Stream modes. Both the current and previous periods need to include the same month for each respective year. * When a dimension is selected: Variance, Stream, Period Stream, Period Variance, and Matrix Variance modes. The displayed periods need to include the current month. This option has the following impacts on the grid: * When it is turned OFF (default\*; checkbox is clear), the data in the current calendar month (**Current** column) is based on the transactions so far, up to today. Whereas, the data in the corresponding month in the previous year (**Previous** column) is based on the transactions for the whole of that month. In this case, a *like-for-like* comparison is difficult. \*Administrators might set the **Month to date** option to be turned on by default. * When it is turned ON (checkbox is selected), the data in the corresponding month in the previous year (**Previous** column) updates; only the transactions up to the same day of the current month are included. In this case, a *like-for-like* comparison is easy. For example, if today is the 7th of the month, the data in the **Current** column would typically include transactions from the 1st to 6th of the month. In the first image below, the **Month To Date** option is turned off, so the data in the **Previous** column is based on the full month of transactions. Whereas, in the second image below, the **Month To Date** option is turned on, so the data in the **Previous** column includes only the transactions from the 1st to 6th of the month. The values in the two columns are now more comparable.Example: Compare data for part of a month
Use the **Month To Date** option to compare data for the first few weeks of February with the same part of the month in the previous year. Assume today's date is 16 February 2017. You want a like-for-like comparison with the first 15 days in February last year (2016). 1. Set your date range to display data from this February and last February: Click **Period** > **Custom**, then set the Current Period to start and end in February 2017. The Previous Period automatically changes to start and end in February 2016. Click **Apply**. 2. Click the **Customer** dimension. 3. Click **Mode** > **Variance**. The grid displays results for the entire month of February 2016, and the first 15 days of February 2017. The image below highlights the disparity in these results.Troubleshooting: You can’t see the Month to Date option
If you cannot see the Month to Date option in the **Options** menu: * Check with your administrator that you have permission to use this feature. * Ensure you are using a period that is based on the Month period type: * Administrators can check this via the database’s page > **Defined Periods** tab in Administration, where the period type is specified in the **Type** column. * Other users can check it themselves, if they have permission to apply custom periods. When the period is applied to the grid, click the **Period** menu and select **Custom**. The **Custom Period** window displays the period type in the top left corner. Click **Close** to return to your analysis.Learn more...
The **Show Others** option is only useful when you have selected and focused on some rows in the selected dimension. It displays the total of the unfocused rows below the total of the focused rows. When this option is turned on (checkbox is selected), a new row displays at the top of the grid (below the **TOTAL** row) to show the sum total of all the 'unfocused' rows in each column. As you can see in the first image below, zeros will display in this row if you have not focused on some rows. When you focus on some rows, the total of the other (unfocused) rows displays.Learn more...
When this option is turned on (checkbox is selected), it adds up all the values in the column and returns the total in a new **SUM** row at the top of the grid (below the **TOTAL** row). Click **Options** and select the **Show Sum** checkbox. The additional row, **SUM**, displays underneath the standard **TOTAL** row.Learn more...
When this option is turned on (checkbox is selected), a new row displays at the top of the grid (below the **TOTAL** row) to show the average of the data in each column. Click **Options** and select the **Show Average** checkbox. The additional row, **AVERAGE**, displays underneath the standard **TOTAL** row.Learn more...
In Period mode, the first column after the Properties column(s) shows the total value for the selected period. This makes sense for streams that have cumulative data, such as *Sales Invoices* but in streams that hold a snapshot of data showing the variance over time, such as *Stock on Hand*, the total is meaningless. For these types of streams, you can display the period total as an average, rather than a sum of the periods. For example, in the image below, the **Total Value** column displays the cumulative value of three month's worth of sales. This is the typical (default) view.| Type of chart | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Bar | Displays several variables together, in horizontal bars. Useful for displaying simple comparisons, such as revenue each month. | |
| Column | Same as the Bar chart but displays the variables in vertical bars (columns) instead. | |
| Combo | Displays a combination of a Column chart and Line chart. Useful for making comparisons, such as sales vs budget. | |
| Pareto | Shows the relative importance of differences between large sets of values. Useful for root cause analysis. | |
| Waterfall | Displays an overview of positive and negative changes to a value over time. Useful for getting a clear picture of growth or decline in performance, such as that if your Sales Reps. | |
| Line | Plots performance over time. Useful for making comparisons, such as sales this year vs. last year. | |
| Area | Plots performance over time, displaying data as a shaded ‘area’ that falls below a set of points connected by straight lines. Useful for visualizing comparisons, such as product profit over time. | |
| % Area | Same as the Area chart but the shaded areas are based on percentages rather than amounts. Provides a different way to view proportional areas and has tooltips that display data details. | |
| Pie | Displays the percentage share of a number of variables in a pie shape, where each segment is proportionate to the percentage value. Useful for visualizing comparisons, such as revenue by region. | |
| Donut | Same as the Pie chart but displays the data in the shape of a donut rather than a pie. | |
| Gauge | Displays performance against a range. Useful for tracking performance against a target, such as Sales Rep performance, as illustrated in the dashboard image below. | |
| Bullet | Displays results in a single column. Looks similar to a Column chart but has more in common with a Gauge chart. Useful for tracking performance against a target. | |
| Summary | Displays just one number, either alone or with an icon, on a card. Useful for displaying large numerical values, such as your total sales for the month. | |
| Ring Summary | Same as the Summary chart but displays the value and other elements within a ring. | |
| Bubble | Displays color-coded circles (bubbles) plotted on an X and Y-axis to represent measures. Useful for comparing measures, such as cost v revenue. | |
| Radar | Plots variables by providing an axis for each variable, arranged radially (like bicycle spokes) around a central point. Useful for charting matrix results, in other words, such as sales by product class and customer type. | |
| Map | Displays a map with data points identified by a marker, circle or colored heat map. Useful for locating data points of interest on a map. |
| Summary view | Focused view | |
| Contents | There are bars for each time unit (month/day/year) in the period (or stream). The current period has a blue bar and the previous period has a red bar. | There is a bar for each of the focused items. |
| X-axis | The X-axis displays the total, which starts at zero. | The X-axis displays the total, which starts at zero. |
| Y-axis | The Y-axis displays the time units of your current period. | The contents of the Y-axis depends on the mode. In Period and Moving mode, it displays the time units of your current period. Whereas, in Variance, Stream and Total mode, it displays each focused item. |
| Example |
Example 1: Use a Bar chart to compare the performance of Sales Reps
In the Sales database, create a Bar chart to compare the performance of the top five Sales Reps for the current financial year to date (YTD) with the previous year. Firstly, prepare the data in the grid: 1. Select the **Sales Rep** dimension, then select and focus on the top five Sales Reps. 2. Select **Mode** > **Variance**. 3. Select **Period** > **Financial YTD**. Then, click the **Chart** button in the top right toolbar above the grid. The Bar chart type displays by default. You can now compare the sales for each of the five Sales Reps this year to date (blue bars) with that of last year (red bars).Example 2: Crete a Column chart
1. Prepare the data in the grid. 2. Click the **Chart** button in the top right toolbar above the grid. 3. Click the **Bar** chart category button and select the **Column** option.| Summary view | Focused view | |
| Contents | There is a blue column for the current period (or stream) and a red line for the previous period (or other stream). | There is a column/line for each of the focused items. |
| X-axis | The X-axis displays the time units of your current period. | The X-axis displays each focused item. |
| Y-axis | The Y-axis displays the total, which starts at zero. | The Y-axis displays the total, which starts at zero. |
| Example |
Example: Create a Combo chart
{% hint style="success" %} **Related pages** You can take the following actions with your chart: [Configure the chart options](/analytics/visualize-your-data-in-a-chart/configure-the-chart-options) | [Select and focus on a chart segment](/analytics/visualize-your-data-in-a-chart/select-and-focus-on-a-chart-segment) | [Use the chart legend](/analytics/visualize-your-data-in-a-chart/use-the-chart-legend) | Save the chart as a favorite | Add the chart to a dashboard | [Export a chart as an image](/analytics/visualize-your-data-in-a-chart/export-a-chart-as-an-image) See also the main page: [Visualize your data in a chart](/analytics/visualize-your-data-in-a-chart) {% endhint %} In the Sales database, create a Combo chart to compare the performance of all Sales Reps for the current financial year to date with the previous year. Firstly, prepare the data in the grid: 1. Select the **Sales Rep** dimension. 2. Select **Mode** > **Variance**. 3. Select **Period** > **Financial YTD**. Then, click the **Chart** button in the top right toolbar above the grid. The Bar chart type displays by default. Click the **Bar** chart category button on the left of the chart and select the **Combo** option.Example 1: Use a Pareto chart to analyze sales revenue
In a Sales database, create a Pareto chart to see at a glance where the bulk of your revenue comes from. 1. Prepare the data in the grid: Select the **Customer** dimension, select **Mode** > **Total**, and select **Period** > **Financial YTD**. 2. Click the **Chart** button in the top right toolbar above the grid. The Bar chart type displays by default. 3. Click the **Bar** chart category button on the left of the chart and select the **Pareto** option.Example 2: Use a Pareto chart to identify the cause of a decline in sales
As a Sales Executive, you have been alerted to a decline in sales over a three-month period. You want to find the major contributors to the decline, initially at a customer level and then drilling further into region or product information. 1. Prepare the data in the grid: Select the **Customer** dimension, then select and focus on the customers with sales of less than 200,000. Select **Mode** > **Total**, then select **Period** > **Financial YTD**. 2. Click the **Chart** button in the top right toolbar above the grid. The Bar chart type displays by default. 3. Click the **Bar** chart category button on the left of the chart and select the **Pareto** option. The columns display revenue for individual customers, while the pareto line charts the cumulative total. You can hover over a data point on the pareto line to view the entity name, cumulative value and cumulative percent of overall revenue. Now you have the customer overview, you can further slice and dice the data for a particular region, customer, product group or even product. | Summary view | Focused view | |
| Contents | The first (left) column is always 'previous' and the last column (on the right) is always 'current'. These columns show the sum of values for the respective period, including any filters you have applied on the grid. For the columns in the middle, columns with positive values start at the height of the previous columns and go up proportionally to the variance; columns with negative values start at the height of the previous columns and go down proportionally to the variance. These also include any filters you have applied. | |
| X-axis | The X-axis displays the time unit (month/day/year) of your current period. | The X-axis displays each focused item. |
| Y-axis | The Y-axis displays the total, which starts at zero. | The Y-axis displays the total, which starts at zero. |
| Example |
Example: Create a Waterfall chart
In the Sales database, create a Waterfall chart to get a visual overview of results for the quarter Oct-Dec 2022, compared with the same period in 2021. 1. Prepare the data in the grid: In Period mode, in Summary view, apply a [custom period](/analytics/customize-your-view-analytics/change-the-period-analytics) for the October to December quarter. 2. Click the **Chart** button in the top right toolbar above the grid. 3. Click the **Bar** chart category button on the left of the chart and select the **Waterfall** option.| Summary view | Focused view | |
| Contents | There is a blue line for the current period (or stream) and a red line for the previous period (or other stream). | There is a line for each of the focused items. |
| X-axis | The X-axis displays the time units of your current period. | |
| Y-axis | The Y-axis displays the total or value of each measure, which starts at zero. | |
| Example |
Example 1: Create a Line chart
In the Sales database, create a Line chart to compare the sales of a particular product this year compared to last year. 1. Prepare the data in the grid: In Period mode, select the **Product** dimension, then select and focus on the top ten products (highest sales). Select **Period** > **Rolling 12 months**, then click the **Summary** button to view the total of the selected products across the period. 2. Click the **Chart** button in the top right toolbar above the grid. 3. Click the **Line** chart category button on the left of the chart and select the **Line** option.Example 2: Create a line chart that displays data for working days only
If you create a working day calendar in Phocas and select a *day* period type in the grid, you can apply a working day calendar to the Line chart. For example, suppose your business operates from Tuesday to Saturday each week. Sunday and Monday are non-working days.| Summary view | Focused view | |
| Contents | There is a blue area for the current period (or stream) and an orange area for the previous period (or other stream). | There is a colored area for each of the focused items. |
| X-axis | The X-axis displays the time units of your current period. | |
| Y-axis | The Y-axis displays the total amount, which starts at zero. | |
| Example |
Example 1: Use an Area chart to visualize product profitability
In the Sales database, create an Area chart to visualize the profitability of four key product categories, this year to date. 1. Prepare the data in the grid: In Period mode, select the **Product Class** dimension, then select and focus on the four product classes. Select **Measures** > **Profit**, select **Period** > **Year to date**, then click the **Summary** button. 2. Click the **Chart** button in the top right toolbar above the grid. 3. Click the **Line** chart category button on the left of the chart and select the **Area** option.Example 2: Create a % Area chart
1. Prepare the data in the grid. 2. Click the **Chart** button in the top right toolbar above the grid. 3. Click the **Line** chart category button and select the **% Area** option.Example: Use a Pie chart to visualize the profit share of each country
In the Sales database, create a Pie chart to visualize the profit share of each country this month. Prepare the data in the grid: 1. In Period mode, select the **Country** dimension. 2. Select **Measures** > **Profit**. 3. Select **Period** > **Current Month**. Click the **Chart** button in the top right toolbar above the grid, then click the **Pie** chart category button on the left of the chart and select the **Pie** option. The chart displays the profit share of each country this month.Example 2: Create a Donut chart
1. Prepare the data in the grid. 2. Click the **Chart** button in the top right toolbar above the grid. 3. Click the **Pie** chart category button and select the **Donut** option.Example 1: Compare the margin and value of selected product classes
In the Sales database, create a Bubble chart to visualize the high-margin low-value products, and vice versa. Specifically, you want to chart the Value, Value/Item and Margin measures for items in the Product sub class dimension. Prepare the data in the grid: 1. Select the **Product Sub Class** dimension, then select and focus on a number of sub-classes. 2. Select **Mode** > **Total**. 3. Specify the first two measures: Select **Measures** > **Local value** and **Local Value/Item**. Click the **Chart** button in the top right toolbar above the grid, then click the **Bubble** chart category button on the left of the chart and select the **Bubble** option. The chart displays and all bubbles are the same size.Compare the total performance of product classes
Using the Bubble chart in the above example, click the **Summary** button. The chart updates to display a bubble for each time unit within the selected period, which in this case is Financial YTD and each bubble displays the total performance of the selected product classes for each month so far. | Summary view | Focused view | |
| Contents | The lines depend on the mode:
The circumference labels are each time unit (month/day/year) in the current period. | The contents depend on the mode:
|
| Example |
Example: Compare Product Groups against Sales Reps
In the Sales database, create a Radar chart to display a matrix of Product Groups vs Sales Reps. 1. Prepare the data in the grid: 1. Select the **Product Group** dimension, then select the product groups (A, B, C and D) and click **Matrix**. 2. Select the **Sales Rep** dimension, then select and focus on the top five Sales Reps. 2. Click the **Chart** button in the top right toolbar above the grid. 3. Click the **Radar** chart category button on the left of the chart and select the **Radar** option.Example: Track Sales Rep performance against budget
In the Sales database, create a Gauge chart to visualize whether a Sales Rep is tracking against the budget. Prepare the data in the grid: 1. Select the **Sales Rep** dimension, then select and focus on a particular rep (Bert). 2. Select **Period** > **Year to date**. 3. Select **Mode** > **Stream**, **Stream** > **Sales** and **Variance Stream** > **Budget**. Click the **Chart** button in the top right toolbar above the grid, then click the **Gauge** chart category button on the left of the chart and select the **Gauge** option.Example: Track Sales Rep performance against budget
In the Sales database, create a Bullet chart to visualize the Sales Rep performance against the budget. Prepare the data in the grid: 1. Select the **Sales Rep** dimension, then select and focus on the top ten performing Sales Reps. 2. Select **Period** > **Year to date**. 3. Select **Mode** > **Stream**, **Stream** > **Sales** and **Variance Stream** > **Budget**. Click the **Chart** button in the top right toolbar above the grid, then click the **KPI** chart category button on the left of the chart and select the **Bullet** option.Example 1: Display the monthly sales total with a smiley icon
In a Sales database, create a Summary chart that shows monthly sales and apply conditional formatting so that as the monthly sales targets are met, the color on the chart changes from red, through to yellow and then to green. Prepare the data in the grid: In Period mode, select the **Customer** dimension, then select **Period** > **Current Month**. Click the **Chart** button in the top right toolbar above the grid, then click the **KPI** chart category button on the left of the chart and select the **Summary** option.\ The default Summary chart displays in grey color with the count of customers in the month. This does not meet the requirements, so you need to configure the chart.Example 2: Display the monthly sales total with an emoji icon
In a Summary chart, use an emoji for each value range, instead of a more traditional traffic light color scheme or smiley. Notes: Windows 7 does not support this feature, as it has no built-in emoji picker. Starting with the Summary chart in the above example, select **Summary Type** > **Emoji**. For each emoji: 1. Select and insert an emoji. You can copy and paste an emoji from elsewhere or insert one using the built-in emoji picker, as follows: * On Windows, use the Windows key + semi colon ( ; ) * On a Mac, use Control + Command + Space bar 2. Enter the **From** and **To** value range into the emoji boxes to set the conditional formatting, so when sales are between 0 to $2m, a frowning face displays, for sales $2m to $4m a thinking face displays, and for sales $4m to $6m a party celebration face displays.Example: Create a Ring Summary chart
1. Prepare the data in the grid. 2. Click the **Chart** button in the top right toolbar above the grid. 3. Click the **KPI** chart category button and select the **Ring Summary** option.| Map chart | Description | Example |
| Marker | A red 'pin' marker is placed at the address. In the example, the locations of three customers are marked in New York's Manhattan region. | |
| Circle | A circle or dot is placed at the address. The size of the circle represents the total. The larger the circle, the higher the number. In the example, a customer in lower Manhattan has the highest sales. | |
| Heat | A heat map is created around multiple addresses. The hotter the color (heading towards red), the higher the number in that general vicinity. There are two options:
In the example, there is a lot of activity on the US west coast, as well as in the south. |
When designing your database, you should consider the following points related to Map charts:
Map properties in the following order: Address, suburb, zip, state and then country (in other words, from fine to coarse levels of data). For best results, concatenate into a single property named 'full address', as shown:Auto Axis Scale
Charts: Bar, Column, Combo, Waterfall, Line, Area, and Bubble. Scales the chart based on the values graphed rather than starting at zero. The chart axis starts from the lowest data point in the chart, rather than zero. This starting point creates a more meaningful chart when all values are high. **Example - A simple chart with auto axis scale** In the image below, the **Auto Axis Scale** checkbox is NOT selected, therefore, the Y-axis of the chart starts at zero. As a result, the difference between the high values can be difficult to determine.Color Palette
Charts: Bar, Column, Combo, Waterfall, Line, Area, % Area, Pie, Donut, Bubble, and Radar. Allows you to change the colors in the chart.Dual Axis Chart
Charts: Bar, Column, Combo, Waterfall, Line, Area and Bubble. Visually compares two measures with different measurement scales, such as value and margin. Typically, the left Y-axis displays the first measure and the right Y-axis displays the second measure. **Example - Add a second axis to a chart** 1. Select **Total** mode. 2. Select two measures. 3. Switch to the chart view. 4. Select the **Dual Axis** checkbox. In the image below, the **Dual Axis** checkbox has been selected to display financial YTD sales value and profit on the same chart for a group of sales reps.Filter by calendar
Chart: Line. Applicable only when you select a *day* type of period from the **Period** menu, allows you to apply a working day calendar to the data in the chart to remove data for non-working days. See [Create a line chart that displays data for working days only](/analytics/visualize-your-data-in-a-chart/line-chart#example-2-create-a-line-chart-that-displays-data-for-working-days-only).Legend position
Options for repositioning the legend or hiding the chart from view. See [Use the chart legend](/analytics/visualize-your-data-in-a-chart/use-the-chart-legend).Prefix | Suffix
Chart: Summary, Ring Summary. Descriptive text that displays on the chart, either before or after the number, gives the number more context.Range
Chart: Gauge. The lower and upper limits that you want the range to span. The range is 0 and 100 by default, but you can change this.Red | Yellow | Green
Chart: Summary, Ring Summary and Gauge. Conditional color coding that you can apply to the chart. By default, there is no color coding applied but you can enter a range for each color. For example, on a Gauge chart, the pointer might be in the red or yellow zone until a target is met or exceeded, at which point it will be in the green zone. In a Summary chart, the summary might display in red or yellow until a target is met or exceeded, at which point it will turn green. If you are saving the chart as an alert, to ensure that the alert updates, select a defined period (a period containing [offset dates](/basics/getting-started/periods/offset-dates)).Show Current/Previous
Chart: Gauge, in Variance and Period Variance mode only. Displays extra details on the chart. For example, you might want to display the figures behind an improvement or decline in performance. When this option is selected, the actual and variance or target values are displayed underneath the chart. This is particularly useful on a dashboard, as you can see the figures behind an improvement or decline in performance, without needing to open the widget. When this option is not selected, you get a basic gauge that displays only the variance amount.Show Data Labels
Charts: Bar, Column and % Area. Displays the data point values inside the chart, so you don’t need to hover over the data points to display the values.Show Full Label Name
Charts: Bar, Column, Combo, Waterfall, Line, Area, % Area, Pie, Donut, Bullet, Bubble, and Radar. Useful when the legend title has long text, as you can opt to display the full text or not.Show Single Tooltip
Charts: Bar, Column and % Area. Displays only one tooltip at a time when you hover over a data point in the chart. This is a good feature if you want to focus on a single data point and view more details about a single value.Smart formatting
Charts: Gauge, Summary and Ring Summary Removes decimal places and automatically abbreviates large values, making numbers easier to read. This is especially useful when adding such charts to dashboards; you can show cleaner, bolder numbers while still conveying the same information.Stacked
Charts: Bar, Column and Radar. Depicts the values stacked on top of each other rather than side by side. Groups all selected dimensions into a single bar. **Example - View percentage split for products** The stacked option is particularly useful when viewing a matrix share. In the image below the **Stacked** checkbox has been selected. As a result, you can see the percentage split for products in three categories is displayed on top of each other.Straight Line
Chart: Radar only. Renders the lines between each point as straight rather than curved.Summary
Chart: Summary, Ring Summary and Gauge. The type of result that you want to appear in the chart. The options that are available in the **Summary** menu depend on the selected mode and other settings but the full list is as follows: * **Count**: Total number of focused items. * **Sum**: Total of the first non-property column (unless margin or other percentage measure is selected, and then average is used). * **Average**: Sum divided by count. Average data does not need to display in your grid; it will be calculated and charted automatically. * **Minimum**: Minimum value in the first non-property column. * **Maximum**: Maximum value in the first non-property column. * **Current**: Total of the 'Current' columns (only in Variance mode). * **Previous**: Total of the 'Previous' columns (only in Variance mode). * **Stream**: Value of the 'Stream' column (only in Stream mode). * **Variance**: Total variance. * **% Variance**: Total percentage variance. * **Limit** **Rows**: Filters the records to either the 'top 10' or 'bottom 10' records. If you are creating a Gauge or Summary widget from the dashboard and you have selected the **Limit Rows option**, then **Count** will be the only option available in the **Summary** menu.Summary Type
Chart: Summary, Ring Summary. Adds visual elements to the chart which are used alongside the conditional color coding you apply. You can select from the following options: **Smiley**Trend Line
Charts: Bar, Column, Line, and Area. Superimposes a line on a chart revealing the overall direction of the data. Depicts a momentum indicator for each series. **Example - View trends in product sales** In the image below, the **Trend Line** checkbox has been selected. As a result, the trendline shows the general direction of sales for two product classes over a rolling 12-month period.Use Cumulative
Chart: Combo, Line and Area (each in Summary view only). Charts the accumulated total rather than individual values. In other words, rather than charting current vs. previous for each time unit, Phocas charts current cumulative vs. previous cumulative for each time unit. **Example - View cumulative data** In the following image, the **Use Cumulative** checkbox is selected and as a result, the accumulated total value is displayed for each month.Use Totals
Chart: All charts in a focused view, in Period mode. Charts the sum rather than individual values. Summarises period values into a single bar. In other words, the total for each period is charted rather than all focused items. **Example - Simplify a chart by showing totals only** A Column chart was created based on 11 focused customers over 12 months. The **Use Total** checkbox is NOT selected and as a result, the customers are each shown as different colored bars in each month.# Save and share favorites Save your Analytics analysis points and insights as favorites and share them with your team. {% hint style="success" %} [Favorites](/basics/favorites/view-and-save-favorites) and [dashboards](/basics/dashboards/use-dashboards) are two of the key features of Phocas. Related information: Add an analysis point as a widget on a dashboard. {% endhint %} {% hint style="info" %} User permissions: * To save favorites: **Favorites** > **Save**. * To share favorites: **Collaboration** > **Share with Folders** and/or **Collaboration** > **Share with Users** {% endhint %} When you change your view of the grid, filter the data, or create a chart during your analysis, you can save that view as a favorite. You can save multiple favorites and easily switch from one to another for quick access to the information that you need. {% embed url="
Saving a new favorite from an existing one
- Everything you are focusing on
These functions:
- Mode (back to the default)
- Properties (back to the default)
- Measures (back to the default)
- Activity Filter (back to the default)
- Format
- Kind (back to the default, i.e. resetting from a chart or nested grid will revert to standard grid)
- Search (basic and advanced)
- Quick Filter
These options:
- Show Average
- Hide Status
- Hide Dimensions
- Favorites and alerts. That is, it doesn't take you back to the original favorite or alert - instead it removes the favorite /alert title and replaces it with the title of the relevant database, and then follows all the other rules in these lists.
These functions:
- Period
- Stream
- Locked selections
- Text in the search box
- Dimension (i.e. reset leaves you in your current dimension and doesn't take you back to the summary dimension)
These options:
- Monochrome Exports
- Show Others
- Show Sum
- Month To Date
- Hide Total
- Show Net Zero
- Totals as Average
- Additional Transaction mode properties
| Keys | Action |
|---|---|
Ctrl/Cmd+K | Toggle Command Palette |
Ctrl+B | Toggle sidebar (show/hide dimension panel) |
F | Focus selection (drill-down into selected rows) |
↑ ↓ ← → | Move cell selection |
Ctrl/Cmd + Arrow | Jump to edge (first/last row or column) |
Home / End | Jump to first / last column |
Enter | Move down one row |
Shift+Enter | Move up one row |
Tab | Move right one column |
Shift+Tab | Move left one column |
Shift + Arrow | Extend selection |
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + Arrow | Extend selection to edge |
Shift+Home / Shift+End | Extend selection to first / last column |
Escape | Clear / reset selection |
Ctrl/Cmd+C or Ctrl+Insert | Copy selected cells |
Summary view of Period mode
Dimension view of Period mode
Using the Select dates feature to apply a custom date range
Daily sales of each product class in June 2026
Comparison period options
Summary view of Variance mode
Dimension view of Variance mode
Period breakdown columns in Variance mode
Comparison of a customer's sales in the current year against the previous year
Sales comparison including monthly breakdown for current year
Summary view of Total mode
Dimension view of Total mode
Quantity of each product sold in the financial year to date
Summary view of Stream mode
Dimension view of Stream mode
Comparison of current month's sales against the budget
Code and Name property columns displaying in the grid
Customer name, Country and Sales Rep name property columns displaying in the grid
Country and contact details displaying alongside the customer data
Customers grouped by suburb, as if you had selected a Suburb dimension
| Measure | Data or value displayed | Data source |
|---|---|---|
| Value | Value of sales (sales value) | Raw data |
| Cost | Cost of sales (cost price) | Raw data |
| Quantity | Quantity of items sold | Raw data |
| Profit | Profit as a dollar or pound value (Value – Cost) | Calculated |
| Margin | Margin as a percentage (Profit / Value) | Calculated |
| Value/Item | Average sales value per item (Value / Quantity) | Calculated |
| Cost/Item | Average cost per item (Cost / Quantity) | Calculated |
| Lines | Number of transaction lines imported into the database | Raw data |
Value, Cost and Quantity columns displaying in the grid
Count column showing the number of products bought by each customer.
Hiding decimal places from a measure
Sales database, Sales Invoices stream (Summary view)
Sales database, Budget stream (Summary view)
Dimensions in a Forecast stream
Dimensions in a Stock on Hand stream
The current month's local values displaying for each sales rep
Selecting a fixed date range
Sales data for the selected date range
Example 1: Last month
Suppose today is in the month of September and you want to view the Sales performance of the previous month. Next month (October), you'll want to see September's sales values, and so on. 1. Select the **Month** period type. 2. Click **Use dynamic dates** at the bottom of both the **Start** and **End** calendars. By default, the **Relative** dynamic option is selected for both. 3. Leave **Last month** selected for the **Start** and change the **End** to **Last month**. 4. Click **Apply**.Example 2: Rolling 12 months
Suppose you want to view sales data for the current month and previous 11 months. Going forward, you want this 12-month period to update automatically. 1. Select the **Month** period type. 2. Click **Use dynamic dates** at the bottom of both the **Start** and **End** calendars. By default, the **Relative** dynamic option is selected for both. 3. Change the **Start** to **11 months ago** and the **End** to **This month**. 4. Click **Apply**.Example 3: Last 3 years
Suppose today is in the month of September and you want to view the sales data for the last 3 years. Going forward, you want to see the current year and previous 2 years' sales data on any given day. 1. Select the **Year** period type. 2. Click **Use dynamic dates** at the bottom of both the **Start** and **End** calendars. 3. Change the **Start** to **2 years ago** and the **End** to **This year**. 4. Click **Apply**.Example 4: Last 7 days
Suppose today is September 29 and you want to view the sales data for the last week (7 days). Going forward, you want to see the past weeks' sales data on any given day. 1. Select the **Day** period type. 2. Click **Use dynamic dates** at the bottom of both the **Start** and **End** calendars. By default, the **Relative** dynamic option is selected for both. 3. Change the **Start** to **6 days ago** and leave the **End** as **Today** (default). 4. Click **Apply**.Example 5: Financial year-to-date
Suppose your financial year runs from April to March and you want to see this year's financial performance so far (September). Going forward, you want to see data for the financial year to date on any given day. 1. Select the **Month** period type. 2. Click **Use dynamic dates** at the bottom of both the **Start** and **End** calendars. By default, the **Relative** dynamic option is selected for both. 3. Select **Recent** > **Most recent** > **April** for the **Start**. 4. Leave **Relative** > **This month** (default) selected for the **End**. 5. Click **Apply**.Example 6: Yesterday
Suppose you want to quickly review the previous day's data on any given day. 1. Select the **Day** period type. 2. Click **Use dynamic dates** at the bottom of both the **Start** and **End** calendars. By default, the **Relative** dynamic option is selected for both. 3. Select **Special** > **Match yesterday** for both the **Start** and **End**. 4. Click **Apply**.List of customers who haven't bought products from the selected sales rep in the last 3 months
EXAMPLE: Compare focused items with all OTHER items
Suppose you filter the grid to show data for the UK, where the total revenue for all regions is $24,092,358.35.EXAMPLE: Group OTHER items in a chart
**Show others** can also help simplify a chart when there are too many items to display clearly. For example, you can focus on ten Sales Reps and turn on **Show others**. In a pie chart, the focused Sales Reps display individually and all remaining Sales Reps are grouped into an **Others** segment. This keeps the chart easier to read while retaining the contribution of the unfocused items.Different starting points for applying a filter to the grid
Filter tag in the search bar
Three filters applied to the grid with AND conditions
Using the right-click menu to quickly focus on a cell or selection of rows