> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.claret.app/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.claret.app/using-claret/getting-started/key-concepts.md). # Key Concepts This page explains the core ideas and terminology you'll encounter across Claret. Each section is self-contained — you can read them in any order or jump to the one that's relevant to you. ## Modules Claret is organized into four main areas that reflect the flow of a supply chain: * **Sell** — modules focused on demand planning and sales forecasting. Includes Sales Collaboration, Forecast Workbench, Long Term Planning, and Inventory Workbench - Partner. * **Make** — modules focused on production planning. Includes Make Planning. * **Pack** — modules focused on internal inventory balancing. Includes Inventory Workbench - Internal. * **Farm** — modules focused on raw material and crop supply planning. Includes Crop Supply Planning. Data flows from Sell (demand) through Make (production) and Pack (inventory) to Farm (raw materials). For example, a sales forecast entered in Sales Collaboration feeds into Make Planning as demand, and Make Planning's production requirements feed into Crop Supply Planning as crop demand. Not every organization uses all modules. Your admin configures which modules are active for your workspace based on what your organization has purchased. ## Hierarchies Hierarchies define how data is organized and grouped in Claret. They let you view data at different levels of detail — from a high-level summary down to individual items or customers. Claret uses several hierarchy types: | Hierarchy Type | What It Organizes | Example | | ---------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- | | **Item Hierarchy** | Your products (finished goods, WIP items, crop items) | All Wine > Red > Pinot Noir > 2022 Pinot Noir | | **Customer Group Hierarchy** | Your customers and distribution channels | All Customers > Domestic > Retail > ABC Wines | | **Crop Location Hierarchy** | Your growing regions and vineyards (Farm modules) | All Regions > Marlborough > Estate Vineyard > Block A | Each hierarchy has **levels**. When you select a higher level, you see aggregated data for everything beneath it. When you drill down to a lower level, you see more granular data. Different modules use different hierarchy structures. For example, Sell modules typically use Item and Customer Group hierarchies, while Farm modules use Crop Location hierarchies. Your admin sets up the hierarchy structures that are appropriate for your organization.

[Screenshot placeholder: example of an Item hierarchy with expanded and collapsed levels]

{% hint style="info" %} Hierarchies affect what you see in views. If your view is configured with a particular Item Hierarchy type, you'll only see items organized within that hierarchy structure. {% endhint %} ## Views Views control what data you see and how it's displayed in each module. A view is a saved configuration that defines the columns, time periods, filters, layout and data types for a module page. There are two types of views: * **Workspace views** — set up by your admin and available to all users. These are marked with a "(w)" after the name. Start with these when you're new. * **Personal views** — created by you for your own use. Only you can see your personal views. Each module has its own views. A view you create in Sales Collaboration won't appear in Make Planning. To switch views, click the view name in the top-right of the page and select a different one from the dropdown. To create or edit views, use the Configure option in the view menu.

The view selector in the top-right of a module page

For more on working with views, see [Managing Views](/using-claret/getting-started/managing-views.md). ## Calendars and Time Periods Calendars in Claret define your fiscal year structure and determine how time periods appear in grids and charts. Key calendar concepts: * **Fiscal Year** — your organization's financial year. This may not match the calendar year (e.g., your fiscal year might run April to March). * **Calendar Definitions** — specify the start and end dates for each fiscal year. Your admin configures these. * **Timing Intervals** — some modules let you view data in weekly or monthly buckets. The interval is configured per view or per forecast configuration. When you select a calendar in a view, it determines which time periods (columns) appear in the grid. Different views can use different calendars, letting you compare data across fiscal years. {% hint style="info" %} Default calendars are set up for new Claret tenants. Your admin may have adjusted them to match your organization's fiscal year. Check with your admin if the dates look unexpected. {% endhint %} ## Sale Types and Supply Types Claret categorizes the data flowing through your supply chain into two broad families: **sale types** on the demand side and **supply types** on the supply side. These categories are how Claret keeps different streams of data separate, comparable, and ready to flow between modules. ### Sale Types A **sale type** labels a stream of demand data so Claret knows what it represents and how to treat it. Each row of sales data in a Sell module belongs to a sale type. Common sale types fall into a few groups: * **History / Actuals** — what actually happened, such as real shipments or invoiced sales. * **Forecast** — projected future demand, whether generated statistically in the Forecast Workbench or entered manually. * **Plan / Budget** — user-entered targets and commitments, such as an annual budget or agreed sales plan. In modules like Sales Collaboration and Long Term Planning, you configure views to show separate rows for different sale types. This lets you compare, for example, your budget against actual history and forecasted sales side by side. Sale types are also the connector that links demand data across the Sell modules — a forecast created in one place can be referenced consistently elsewhere because it carries the same sale type. ### Supply Types A **supply type** is the supply-side equivalent: it labels a stream of supply data so Claret knows what it represents. Supply types describe things planned or actual production and incoming shipments, and they are used by the Make, Pack, and Farm modules. Just as sale types let you compare different views of demand, supply types let you compare different views of supply — for instance, planned production against actual production, or available inventory against a supply plan. ## Reconciliation Reconciliation is the process by which data entered at a higher hierarchy level flows down to the detail level. This is a key concept in Sales Collaboration and Long Term Planning. **How it works:** If you enter a sales plan at the "All Domestic" customer group level, Claret distributes that quantity down to the individual customer groups beneath it, proportionally based on existing data patterns or evenly if no pattern exists.

Simple example showing how reconciliation works in Sales Collaboration (and Long Term Planning)

This allows different team members to plan at the level that makes sense for them: * A sales manager might enter forecasts at the regional level * A supply chain planner needs data at the individual Item @ Customer Group level * Reconciliation bridges the gap, flowing higher-level plans down to the detail level automatically {% hint style="info" %} Reconciliation runs automatically when data is saved at a higher hierarchy level. The reconciled values appear at lower levels and are used by downstream modules like Make Planning. {% endhint %} ## Data Flow Between Modules Understanding how data moves between modules helps you see how your work fits into the bigger picture: 1. **Sales data** (from Sales Collaboration, Forecast Workbench, or Long Term Planning) represents demand — what your organization expects to sell. 2. **Make Planning** takes that demand data and combines it with inventory and recipes to determine what needs to be produced. Recipes define how finished goods are made from work-in-process (WIP) items. 3. **Crop Supply Planning** takes Make Planning's production requirements and uses recipes to determine what raw materials (crops) are needed and whether supply meets demand. 4. **Inventory Workbench** modules sit alongside this flow — Inventory Workbench - Partner tracks inventory at partner (distributor) locations using sales forecasts and shipment data, while Inventory Workbench - Internal tracks inventory at your own locations using supply plans and production data. ## Deltas and Variance Several modules display calculated differences to help you identify gaps between supply and demand. These variance indicators help planners identify where action is needed — whether that's adjusting production plans, revising forecasts, or sourcing additional supply. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.claret.app/using-claret/getting-started/key-concepts.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.