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Discover dashboards

Owned by Denise McGettigan
Last updated: Apr 09, 2024
5 min read

Typically, someone in your organization will create dashboards and share them with you. If you have the Dashboards user permission, you will be able to view these dashboards. If you have the Manage Dashboards permission, you will be able to create your own dashboards.

You can view a list of dashboards you have saved, and any that have been shared with you, in the following ways:

  • In the Phocas menu, click Dashboards to display a list of the dashboards. After you open a dashboard for the first time, that dashboard displays in your Recents list, which you can quickly access via the Recents menu item. Click a dashboard to open it.

  • On your homepage: Dashboard content items are identified by the gauge icon. To filter the grid and see only a list of dashboards, click the All dropdown menu in the Type column header, click Select none, then select the Dashboard checkbox and click out of the filter.

    image-20240409-035612.png

    While each dashboard is different, they all share common elements. If you are viewing a shared dashboard, some of these elements are unavailable.

If the dashboard does not display any data (you get error messages), it means you do not have access to the underlying database. Contact your administrator.

1 Widgets

Each dashboard comprises a collection of widgets containing content such as charts, grids, lists, nested tables, text, images, videos and web content. Most widgets are based on favorites. When the same item, such as a Customer or Product displays in multiple chart widgets, it displays as the same color in each chart, maintaining consistency across the dashboard.

Some grid widgets include a search box, in which case you can search for specific data without having to leave the dashboard.

2 Widget toolbar

When you hover over a widget, the widget toolbar displays. The actions you can take depend on your permissions.

Actions available with the view-only user permission:

  • Query - View information about the selections and settings that were present when the widget was created, including the database, dimension and period. Not available for URL widgets.

  • Minimize - Temporarily minimize the widget to create more space on your dashboard. This option is not available only when the Flex display is selected in the line settings.

Actions that require additional permissions:

  • Delete - Delete the widget permanently. However, if the widget was originally created from a favorite, the favorite will not be deleted.

  • Clone - Make a copy of the widget.

  • Edit - Edit the widget’s configuration on the Widget screen, which is the same screen that displays when creating a new widget. You can change the underlying data, the dashboard line in which it displays, its name or description, whether it is filterable or has a search box, and more. For more information about most of these tasks see Customize a dashboard and Add content to a dashboard.

  • Analyze - Open the widget’s underlying data in the Phocas grid for further analysis or a more detailed view, provided you have permission to see the data. Usually opens in a new browser window.

  • Export - Download the widget’s data in a range of formats, or in the case of a chart, an image (camera icon).

  • Resize - Permanently change the size of the widget. This option does not display in the toolbar; it is in the bottom right corner of the widget. This option is not available when Equal Width display is selected in the line settings.

3 Lines

The widgets on a dashboard are organized into lines.

The ability to customize a line requires additional permission. Hover over a line to display its toolbar, then take the following actions:

  • Move - Drag and drop a line to a different position on the dashboard. As you drag, a blue box displays to indicate the proposed destination. Release and the line snaps to the blue box. 

  • Edit - Change the name or description of the line, or change the way the widgets display in the line.

  • Delete - Permanently delete the line if you do not need it. This action will also delete all the widgets in the line. A warning message displays, as there is no way of recovering a deleted line.

  • Clone - Make a copy of the line, including all of its widgets and place it directly below the original line. Then drag it to a different position on the dashboard, or edit it, as required.

4 Focus and reset options

After you select a specific data item in an interactive widget, you can click the Focus button to filter out the other data. See Filter a dashboard.

The Reset button removes any filters and returns the dashboard to its original state.

5 Dashboard toolbar

The dashboard toolbar on the top right corner allows you to configure the dashboard by adding widgets or lines, setting the refresh frequency or sharing your dashboard with colleagues. The actions you can take depend on your permissions.

Actions available with the view-only user permission:

  • Embed view - Open the dashboard in a new browser tab.

  • Custom - Apply a custom period to the widgets on the dashboard.

  • Refresh - Refresh the data on the dashboard now. If you have permission, you can set a dashboard to automatically refresh on a regular basis.

  • Print - Open the dashboard in a new browser tab, where you have the option to print it in PDF or send it to a printer.

Actions that require additional permissions: