Glossary
Get definitions for the terminology used in Phocas.
This page lists some of the common terms associated with the different Phocas modules products.
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | M | O | P | 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. See 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. See Perform an advanced search.
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 customers who are not buying or products that are not selling. See Use the activity filter.
In the Financial Statements module, you can use the activity filter to identify active or inactive items. See Change the rows (activity filter).
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 set targets. See Use alerts.
Analytics
Analytics is a Phocas module you use to analyze the data in an operational (non-financial) database. Visit www.phocassoftware.com for more information.
B
Bulk update
The Bulk Update feature allows administrators to assign collective permissions and settings to a group of users simultaneously. See Update users in bulk.
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 type of charts that are available depend on the module you are using and the analysis you are doing. Charts are available in the Analytics, Financial Statements and Budgets & Forecast modules.
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 a number of sections, each relating to an aspect of 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 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. See Periods, Analytics > Apply a custom period and Financial Statements > Apply a custom period.
D
Database
A database is populated with raw data, refreshed at set intervals. Databases are built using Designer within the Administration module. Common databases are sales, purchasing, inventory, finance and general ledger. A finance database is a special type of database that brings consolidated financial statements into Phocas for analysis.
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, Change the period (in Analytics) and Change the period (in a financial statement).
Designer
Designer is an administration tool that allows you to design and build your own database in Phocas.
Dimension
A dimension is a data set comprising individual data elements from a database, for example customers, products, sales reps. Dimensions are used in multiple Phocas modules in different ways, such as:
Analytics > Filter data (use dimensions), Add levels to the grid and Compare data with Matrix mode.
Financial Statements > Filter the financial information, View financial information in a matrix, and Manage dimension groups
Budgets & Forecasts > Filter a worksheet, Add a level, and Create filtered budgets.
E
Export
The Export function converts data into another format, ready for use in other applications. You can export from several modules, see Analytics > Export data, Financial Statements > Export a financial statement, and Budgets & Forecasts > Export a workbook.
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.
Financial Statements
Financial Statements, they will not update or roll over 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.
Fixed date
Fixed dates are static. They do not update or rollover according to today's date, unlike offset dates.
Focus
The Focus tool (spelt differently to Phocas) allows you to concentrate on specific rows of data. See Analytics > Focus on data and Financial Statements > Select and focus on 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 refers to the workspace you see when you open a Phocas module. It is sometimes called the Phocas grid, statement grid, results screen or query screen. The grid displays columns of data, including numerical values (measures)and descriptors such as names, companies, and products.
H
Home dashboard
A home dashboard is a dashboard that you have set to use as your homepage.
Homepage (home screen)
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.
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. See Analytics > Use Matrix mode and Compare data with Matrix mode, and Financial Statements > View financial information in a matrix (change column groups).
Measure
Measures are data values displayed as columns of numbers. Selecting certain measures to view for a particular dimension will display columns of data relating to that dimension. See Analytics > Change the measures and Financial Statements > Change the measures.
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 move, 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.
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 a piece of information stored about a dimension. For example, a customer address or phone number. See Analytics > Change the properties and Financial Statements > Change the properties.
R
Record count
The record count displays at the bottom right corner of the grid. It is 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. See Managing access to data.
S
Search
There are search boxes in several places in the Phocas modules. Typing a search term into the search box is the simplest method of finding 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. See Analytics > Search for data and Search mode, and Budgets & Forecasts > Filter by keyword (search for an item).
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.
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. Databases can be made up of multiple streams from different sources. For example, a Sales database might have Orders and Budget streams in addition to the Sales stream. Streams are used in multiple Phocas modules in different ways, such as:
Analytics > Change the stream and Stream mode.
Financial Statements > Change the current data.
Budgets & Forecasts > Publish a budget, forecast or data in another worksheet tab.
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
Transform
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 user. It is retained for future use, in comparison to a custom period (see above) which is temporary. Administrators can set defined periods for a database that are available for all users of that database. See Getting started > Periods, Analytics > Change the period and Financial Statements > Change the period.
User maintenance form
The User maintenance form is available to administrators. This form is used to create new user accounts and to view and change settings and permissions for existing user accounts.
W
Widget
Widgets are individual items that make up a dashboard. Common widgets include charts and favorites.
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