What is slice and dice?

The ability to slice and dice data is fundamental to a self-service business intelligence platform like Phocas. It empowers users to interact directly with their data, eliminating reliance on complex SQL queries or time-consuming manual processes in Excel. With slicing and dicing, decision-makers can:

• Pinpoint trends and anomalies right down to transactional-level data.
• Analyze performance against industry benchmarks.
• Create custom visualizations like dashboards, charts and graphs to share insights with cross-functional teams.

Analytics, the business intelligence foundation of the Phocas platform, is designed to make slicing and dicing intuitive and accessible for users of all skill levels, not just seasoned data scientists. Here's how Phocas performs this function particularly well:

1. A self-serve interface

Phocas’ grid interface allows you to interact with data dynamically. You can slice data by selecting specific variables, such as customer or branch, and dice it by adding additional dimensions like product or time period. Unlike traditional Excel pivot tables, the interface offers greater flexibility and a more straightforward user experience.

For instance, a financial controller could slice data to review income from a specific customer segment, then dice it further to examine profitability by individual products within that segment. With real-time data updates, you can see the immediate impact of your adjustments and make decisions faster.

2. Drill down for transactional-level insights

Phocas enables you to drill down into transactional-level data, so you can move from high-level trends to granular details effortlessly. For example, you might notice a decline in sales for a particular branch when slicing the data. By dicing it further by product and drilling down, you could uncover that a specific product line is underperforming due to supply chain delays.
This depth of analysis eliminates the guesswork and provides actionable insights, helping businesses optimize operations and improve efficiency.

3. Smooth integration with your existing ERP systems

With its BI data analytics core, Phocas is able to connect seamlessly with big data systems and data warehouses, as well as leading ERPs like Epicor, Sage, Kerridge Commercial Systems and Infor. All your data is automatically consolidated into one centralilzed platform is both secure and easy to everyone to access. This ensures your slicing and dicing efforts draw from the most accurate and up-to-date data, enabling better forecasting, budgeting, and strategic planning.
For example, a CFO using Phocas can slice and dice consolidated financial data from multiple sources to create a comprehensive income statement (profit and loss), benchmark it against industry standards, and identify opportunities for cost savings.

• Financial planning: Break down budgets and forecasts by department, region, or time frame to identify variances and reallocate resources efficiently.
• Sales performance analysis: Explore datasets by product, customer, or sales representative to identify top performers and underperformers, optimizing sales strategies.
• Inventory management: Slice and dice stock levels by location and supplier to prevent overstocking or understocking, reducing waste and improving cash flow.