Glossary
Learn the common terms used in Phocas, including key implementation and data validation terminology.
This page explains common terms used in and around Phocas. Where relevant, it also includes the Business Intelligence (BI) equivalent term.
Some terms are product terms you’ll use regularly. Others come up mainly during implementation and data validation. Those entries say so explicitly.
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | L | M | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | W
A
Administrator
An administrator is a Phocas user who has permission to access the Administration module to manage user accounts, manage shared content such as favorites and folders, and configure the functionality of your Phocas site.
In the Budgets & forecasts module, there are other types of administrators: budget administrator and headcount administrator.
Advanced search
Advanced search is a rules-based search tool available in the Analytics module used to locate specific data, typically to create a report or favorite.
Aging brackets (buckets)
Aging brackets are categories that show how overdue a payment is. For example: “Current”, “30 Days Overdue”, “60 Days Overdue”. They are used in AR/AP validation.
You’ll mainly hear this term during the implementation stage, rather than in everyday use of Phocas.
Activity filter
In the Analytics module, the activity filter is a menu in the toolbar used to filter the data in the grid to see data that either did or didn't have transactions in the selected period. It's useful for identifying inactive customers (those who aren't buying) or products that aren't selling.
In the Financial Statements module, you can use the activity filter to identify active or inactive items.
Alert
An alert is a type of favorite you can set to appear on your homepage as a color-coded summary that automatically updates. It's useful for monitoring performance against pre-defined targets.
Analytics
Analytics is a Phocas module you use to analyze data in operational (non-financial) databases. Visit www.phocassoftware.com for more information.
B
Bulk update
The Bulk Update feature allows administrators to assign the same permissions and settings to a group of users simultaneously.
C
Chart
A chart is a visual representation of your data. Chart types in Phocas include Bar, Bullet, Column, Area, Bubble, Line, Pie, and Gauge. The chart types available depend on the module you are using and the analysis you are doing. Charts are available in the Analytics, Financial Statements, and Budgets & Forecasts modules.
See
Analytics > Visualize your data in a chart
Analytics > Flex Modes > View your data in a chart
Financial Statement > View financial information in a chart
Budgets & Forecasts > View budget information in a chart
Column
A column is a vertical section in a grid. It can represent a dimension, a measure, or a property. For example, a column might show Region, Sales, or Customer Name.
In data terms, a column in a table is often called a field.
Column header
In a grid, the column header is the label at the top of a column. It shows the column name and sometimes gives you access to actions.
In BI terminology, a column header can represent a dimension attribute. For example, Product Name, Region, or Date.
Configuration
Configuration is a general term used throughout Phocas to describe the setup or composition of an item. The Configuration page in the Administration module contains sections related to various Phocas functionality.
CRM
CRM is a Phocas module you can use to manage your customer relations. It integrates with the Analytics module. Visit www.phocassoftware.com for more information.
Custom mode
Custom mode is available in the Analytics module. It allows you to get a customized view of your data by editing and rearranging the existing columns in the grid, and creating new columns and calculations.
Custom period
A custom period is a temporary date range you apply to your current analysis in Analytics.
D
Database
In Phocas, a database is a collection of raw data sources organized into streams, dimensions, measures, and properties, to provide a structure for analysis. They're built using Designer within the Administration module and refreshed at set intervals.
Common types of databases are Sales, Purchases, Inventory, Finance, and General Ledger. A finance database is a special type of database that brings consolidated financial statements into Phocas for analysis.
Although the term database is used throughout Phocas, in BI terminology it's technically a data cube. A data cube is structured for fast, multi-dimensional data analysis, while a traditional database is optimized for transactional storage.
Discrepancy
A discrepancy is a mismatch between ERP data and Phocas data. It is most often caused by different filters, update times, or how reports calculate values.
You’ll mainly hear this term during the implementation stage, rather than in everyday use of Phocas.
Dashboard
A dashboard presents a visual summary of your most important information. You can have many dashboards, including those you created yourself and those shared with you by other users.
Default period
The default period is the time period you see first when you open a database. This is initially set by your administrator (when they give a user access to a database) but you can change it for your own account, so that each time you open the database, that date range is applied.
Defined period
A defined period is a dynamic time period (date range) specific to a database, such as Current Month or Rolling Months. Defined periods are displayed in the Period menu in the Analytics and Financial Statements grids and are the easiest way of adjusting a date range. They are based on a period type, such as Year or Month, and are typically set up by administrators. If you have permission, you can add your own defined periods. See Periods.
Designer
Designer is an administration tool that allows you to design and build your own database in Phocas.
Dimension
A dimension is a category used to organize or group data. A dimension contains individual items called dimension entities.
In Phocas, dimensions include Customer, Product, Supplier, or Branch. You use them to slice your data. For example, “Sales by Customer” or “Inventory by Product.”
Dimension entity
A dimension entity is a specific item within a dimension. It represents one distinct element in your data. For example, a single customer, product, supplier, or branch is a dimension entity.
Drill down
Drill down is a technique that allows you to move from a summary-level view to a more detailed view of your data, often by clicking on a data point to reveal underlying data. In BI terminology, this is called drill-down analysis.
E
Entity
An entity can refer to either a trading entity or a dimension entity, depending on the context.
A trading entity represents a business unit or company that records and reports financial transactions.
A dimension entity is a specific item within a dimension that categorizes those transactions (see dimension and dimension entity definitions above).
ERP
ERP stands for Enterprise Resource Planning system. It is your source system of record and the software Phocas gets your data from, such as invoices, POs, inventory, and financials. See also ETL.
Export
The Export feature converts data into another format for use in other applications. You can export from several modules in Phocas.
Extract
Extract is the process of pulling data out of your ERP. It is often referred to as sync or syncing. Phocas uses extracts to bring your data into its platform for analysis. See also ETL.
ETL
ETL stands for Extract, Transform, Load. It describes the process of getting data from your ERP into Phocas: first it is extracted, then transformed, then loaded.
F
Favorite
A favorite is an analysis point, often a chart, that has been saved for quick access. Favorites are listed on your homepage. They can be shared with other users or placed in folders for others to access.
Field
A field is one piece of information in a table. It describes one aspect of a record. For example, Invoice Date, Customer Name, or Sales Amount.
In a Phocas grid, that information is typically shown in a column.
You’ll mainly hear this term during the implementation stage, rather than in everyday use of Phocas.
Financial Statements
Financial Statements is a Phocas module you can use to analyze the data in a financial database, which is usually based on General Ledger data, viewable within the Profit and Loss (P&L), Balance Sheet, Cash Flow and Trial Balance statements.
Filter
A filter is a way to limit or focus the data you're viewing. For example, you might filter for "Last 12 months" or "Only Customer A" to check specific data.
Although the term filter is used throughout Phocas, in BI terminology it's technically slice and dice. Instead of simple filtering, you can break down data into different views and perspectives.
Fixed date
Fixed dates are static. They do not update or rollover according to today's date, unlike offset dates.
Focus
The Focus tool, spelled differently to Phocas, allows you to concentrate on specific rows of data.
Folder
A folder is used to share information in Phocas. You might have access to various folders containing dashboards and/or favorites.
G
Grid
A grid is a general term used across several Phocas modules. It is sometimes called the Phocas grid, statement grid, results screen, or query screen.
It is the workspace where you view, interact with, and analyze data. It contains columns and rows.
In BI terminology, the grid is technically an interactive data table or a pivot table, depending on the available actions. A data table displays data dynamically, allowing you to sort and filter within a structured table format. Whereas, a pivot table allows you to reorganize and summarize data dynamically; pivot dimensions, change aggregation methods (sum, average, count), and analyze data from multiple perspectives without modifying the underlying dataset.
Gross margin
Gross margin is the difference between sales revenue and the cost of goods sold. It is often validated in Sales reports.
You’ll mainly hear this term during the implementation stage, rather than in everyday use of Phocas.
H
Home dashboard
A home dashboard is a dashboard that you have set to use as your homepage.
Homepage
The homepage is the first screen you see when you sign in to Phocas. It shows the dashboards, favorites, alerts, and databases that you have access to. Clicking the Phocas logo from anywhere in the product will return you to the homepage.
L
Load
Load is typically the final step, where data is added into Phocas so you can analyze it.
Together, ETL describes how data gets from your ERP into Phocas, although the process is not always that linear.
Landed cost
Landed cost is the full cost of an item, including freight, duties, and other charges.
It is important when validating inventory value.
You’ll mainly hear this term during the implementation stage, rather than in everyday use of Phocas.
M
Matrix
A matrix is a different view of your data in the grid, whereby the dimensions become the columns (rather than the default period columns). It is a similar concept to a pivot table.
Measure
A measure is a numeric value that can be added up or calculated. It is the data you analyze across dimensions.
In Phocas, measures are typically shown as columns of numbers. For example, Sales Value, Quantity Sold, Profit Margin, or Inventory On Hand.
Mode
A mode is a pre-defined view of data that displays particular columns in the grid in the Analytics module. The modes that are available depend on your permissions and current analysis. They include Period mode, Moving mode, Matrix mode, and Variance mode.
Month to date
Month to date is an option in the Analytics module that you can use to compare values in the current calendar month with values in the corresponding month in a previous year. It includes transactions for the earlier month only up to the same date as the current day.
O
Offset
Offset dates relate to periods. It's an option that allows you to set a date (or date range) based on today's date, so that rather than entering a fixed date range (such as Start: January 2024 and End: March 2024), you can define a dynamic date range such as Year to Date or Last month.
On hand vs available inventory
On hand means everything in the warehouse, whether committed or not.
Available means what’s left after subtracting allocated or held stock, which is what you can actually sell.
You’ll mainly hear this term during the implementation stage, rather than in everyday use of Phocas.
Open item
An open item is an invoice, PO, or other document that hasn’t been fully paid or completed.
These are active records still being tracked, such as unpaid customer invoices.
You’ll mainly hear this term during the implementation stage, rather than in everyday use of Phocas.
Owner
An owner is the creator of a particular dashboard or favorite. If you created it, then you are the owner.
In Budgets & Forecasts, the owner is the person who initially created the budget or forecast, or was subsequently given the responsibility to manage it.
P
Period
A period is a unit of time, or a date range, for which data is displayed. This is a core concept in Phocas.
Permissions
Permissions affect what you can see and do in Phocas. There are user permissions and database permissions, both of which are managed by your administrator.
Property
A property is descriptive information about a dimension or its dimension entities. It helps identify or describe the item rather than measure it.
For example, the Customer dimension might have properties such as Name, Address, or Phone Number.
R
Record
A record is a single entry in a table. In Phocas grids, a record appears as a row.
See Row (or record) below.
Record count
The record count displays at the bottom right corner of many of the grids in Phocas. It's the number of rows on all pages.
Restrictions
Restrictions are applied by Administrators to users and databases, usually in combination, as part of managing permissions, i.e., access to data and functionality in Phocas.
The CRM module has its own restrictions.
Row (or record)
A row is a single entry in a table. In data terms, it's also called a record and, in BI terminology, sometimes a tuple.
In Phocas grids, each horizontal row represents one record. The values across its columns, such as dimensions, measures, and properties, describe that record. For example, a row might represent one sales invoice line or one inventory item.
Q
Query
In Analytics, Flex Modes, and Financial Statements, you use the tools in the grid to search, filter, and shape the data you want to see. The result of those actions is sometimes called a report.
In BI terminology, that request to retrieve specific data from a dataset is called a query. More specifically, because you use tools rather than write SQL, it is a user query.
S
Search
There are search boxes in several places in the Phocas modules. Typing a search term into a search box is the simplest way to find specific data, but some modules offer more advanced search functionality. Searching is sometimes referred to as filtering, as the action filters out data that doesn't match your search term.
Share
Sharing information in Phocas is a means of collaborating. You can share a dashboard or a favorite with someone, or put the information in a folder to be accessed by others. Who you can share with is determined by permissions.
Snapshot
A snapshot is a freeze-frame of data at a point in time.
For instance, Phocas often takes a snapshot of Accounts Receivable as it looks today. This helps with real-time visibility, but it doesn’t show historical aging changes unless configured to do so.
You’ll mainly hear this term during the implementation stage, rather than in everyday use of Phocas.
Status bar
The status bar is a bar above the Analytics and Financial Statements grids that displays the selections and settings you have applied to your analysis. It's sometimes incorrectly called breadcrumbs by users due to its appearance.
Stream
A stream is a single data series in a database, usually from your ERP or another source.
For example, a Sales stream shows sales transactions, while an Inventory stream shows stock balances. A database can contain multiple streams, such as Sales, Orders, and Budget.
See
Analytics > Change the stream
Financial Statements > Change the streams and scenarios
Administration > Designer > Add (connect) data to a database
Subscribe
You can subscribe to favorites, dashboards, and alerts to stay up-to-date with all the latest changes to those items.
Summary view
Summary view is the first screen you see in Analytics or Financial Statements after selecting a database, giving you a high-level view of data.
T
Table
A table is a structured set of data, similar to a spreadsheet. It contains rows, which are records, and columns, which are fields.
Phocas pulls data from ERP tables to build reports. You’ll mainly hear this term during the implementation stage, rather than in everyday use of Phocas.
Total
The Phocas grids often contain a Total column or row that contains the aggregation of the measures. For example, total profit or total sales.
In BI terminology, the total is technically an aggregated measure.
Transaction
In Phocas, a transaction represents the most detailed record of an event, such as an invoice line, that forms the basis of aggregated data. The transactional data comes directly from your ERP system.
Although the term transaction is used throughout Phocas to refer to an individual business event, in BI terminology it's technically a fact stored in a fact table. A fact represents a measurable recorded business event, such as a sale, whereas a transaction generally refers to an individual event in an operational system.
See
Analytics > Drill down into your data (view transactions) and Transaction mode
Flex Modes > Transaction view
Financial Statements > View transactions
Budgets & Forecasts > View comparison data transactions
Rebates > View the transactions
Transform
Transform is the process of adjusting extracted data to make it useful. For example, you might rename fields, calculate profit, or exclude deleted records. See also ETL.
The Transform feature in Designer allows administrators to create a new column containing a simple calculation, and join or duplicate columns.
U
User
A user is someone who has a Phocas account. Each user might have different permissions in different sections of Phocas. Typically, only administrators can add and manage users.
User-defined period
A user-defined period is a date range added to the Period menu in Analytics or Financial Statements by a user for their own personal use. It's retained for future use, in comparison to a custom period (see above) which is temporary. Learn more about periods in Phocas.
Administrators can set defined periods for a database that are available for all users of that database.
User account page
The User account page, sometimes called the user maintenance form, is available to administrators. It's used to create new user accounts and to view and change details, permissions, and other settings for existing user accounts.
This page is different from an individual user's Account settings page.
W
Widget
Widgets are individual items that make up a dashboard. Common widgets include charts and favorites.
Last updated