Phocas has a new user documentation site. This site will be retired soon.

Use dynamic and interactive dashboards

Owned by Former user (Deleted)
Last updated: Jan 19, 2024 by Denise McGettigan
3 min read

Dashboards in Phocas typically have dynamic, interactive content that refreshes regularly to keep the latest and most relevant information at your fingertips.

Focus on an item to filter a dashboard

When you select one or more segments of a chart, or rows in a grid, on the dashboard the Focus button (at the top of the page) becomes active, allowing you to filter the dashboard data.

Apply a custom period to a dashboard

You can adjust the period for all the widgets on a dashboard, so they show data for the same period. Like all custom periods in Phocas, this is temporary and cannot be saved with the dashboard.

In the dashboard toolbar, click the Custom (period) button, then set the custom dates as required and click Apply.

After you apply the period, a message at the top of the screen tells you how many widgets were updated. Some widgets might not update, for example, if they are not filterable or their date range is outside of the dates you want to see.

The period displays in the status bar. Click the X or the Reset button to remove the custom period.

Refresh a dashboard

In the dashboard toolbar, click the Refresh button to update the dashboard with any new data.

If you have the Timed Refresh dashboard permission, you get additional refresh options.

Your selected refresh interval is not saved with the dashboard and is reset if you move away from the dashboard.

  • Automatic - Updates the dashboard automatically whenever there is new data. This option is particularly useful for dashboards that progressively build throughout the day, and if your dashboard is displayed on a big screen, for example, in a warehouse or office. The dashboard widgets flash briefly each time the underlying data is updated (when the database builds and if the value has changed). Summary chart query widgets with a change in data will flash the updated color. For example, if the data update moves their status from green to red, red to green, and so on. In the following dashboard, the Sales widget on the top line has flashed green to signify that a) the database has been built and b) the updated data has moved into the green range.

  • Now - Updates the dashboard immediately.

  • 15 Minutes or 1 Hour - Updates the dashboard every 15 minutes or hour.

  • Stop - Stops the dashboard from refreshing. 

Open a linked dashboard  

Some grid widgets have blue links in the Code column, indicating there is an active link to another dashboard. Click a link to open the linked dashboard in a new tab. The dashboard opens, already filtered by the selected code.