Yarken Glossary

Use this glossary to understand terminology used across the Yarken platform, Help Center, product guides, reports, planning workflows, FinOps processes, TBM models, and AI capabilities.

Terms are listed alphabetically. Some Yarken terms have different meanings depending on where they appear. Those entries include location-specific definitions so users can identify the intended meaning.

Terms with context-specific meanings

When a term has more than one meaning, use the product area or navigation path shown in the relevant article to determine which definition applies.

INDEX

A

Account

A financial classification used to organize spend, budgets, forecasts, workforce costs, and reporting values. Accounts may be arranged in a hierarchy and used in allocation, planning, analytics, and P&L reporting.

Account distribution

A rule that assigns a percentage of a cost to one or more financial accounts. In Workforce Planning, it determines how calculated workforce costs become account-level budget or forecast entries.

Account hierarchy

A structured grouping of financial accounts into parent and child levels. It supports detailed and aggregated reporting, including account-based P&L views.

Account permission

A data access control that limits a user to authorized financial accounts. Ask Yarken and other governed experiences respect these permissions.

Actuals

Recorded financial or operational results for a completed or current period.

Actual versus budget

A comparison between recorded spend and the approved budget for the same reporting scope.

Actual versus forecast

A comparison between recorded spend and the latest forecast for the same reporting scope.

Addback

An amount added back to an expense or earnings calculation to show an adjusted financial result.

Admin

A Yarken user role with broad administrative access, including settings, user management, configuration, reporting, analytics, and access controls.

Agent SOP

A Standard Operating Procedure that defines how Ask Yarken should handle a recurring analytical request, including data, filters, calculations, reasoning steps, output structure, and guardrails.

Agentic reasoning

The ability of Ask Yarken to interpret intent, assess context, select an analysis approach, use governed tools, and determine when an answer is complete.

Allocation

The process of assigning spend or cost from a source to one or more destinations based on rules, mappings, percentages, usage, or another approved method.

Allocation rule

A configured instruction that determines how source spend is distributed across target structures.

Ambiguous match

A situation where a name entered by a user could refer to more than one indexed value.

Analytics

The Yarken area used to explore, filter, compare, and report on financial, cloud, planning, contract, allocation, and operational data.

Application

A software product, platform, or business application associated with technology spend, usage, ownership, contracts, or reporting.

Approval workflow

A controlled process used to submit, review, approve, reject, or return governed items.

Ask Yarken

Yarken’s AI-powered technology finance assistant. It answers natural-language questions using governed enterprise data.

Asset

A technology resource or financial object that can receive, hold, or distribute cost.

Asset allocation

The process of distributing asset cost across selected targets using a configured method.

Azure AD roles

A tenant setting that allows Yarken roles to be assigned through Microsoft Entra ID.

B

Base compensation

The annual cost rate assigned to a workforce role. Yarken uses it to calculate monthly and total workforce cost.

Base currency

The primary currency used by the Yarken environment for storing and reporting financial values.

Billed cost

The cloud cost value available for analysis after applicable conversion into the system currency.

Billing currency

The currency associated with the billed cloud cost available in the governed cloud dataset.

Budget

An approved financial plan for a defined period.

Budget Contributor

A Yarken role that reviews, updates, comments on, and submits assigned budget or forecast items.

Budget Process Owner

A Yarken role responsible for creating and managing budget or forecast processes, assigning contributors, reviewing submissions, and approving or rejecting plans.

Budget variance

The difference between actual spend and budget for the same reporting scope.

Business case

A structured financial assessment used to evaluate a proposed investment, change, initiative, or scenario.

Business consumer

A business unit, function, department, product, service, or other recipient that consumes a technology service or receives an allocated cost.

Business unit

An organizational grouping used for ownership, reporting, allocation, planning, or analysis.

C

CapEx

Capital expenditure. A financial classification for costs treated as capital investment under the organization’s accounting policy.

Chargeback

A process that assigns technology costs to consuming business units or cost owners for financial recovery, accountability, or internal billing.

Chargeback Approver

A Yarken role that reviews and approves chargeback outputs.

Chart

A visual representation of data.

Cloud Cost Owner

A Yarken role responsible for overseeing cloud-related costs and budget alignment.

Cloud Engineer

A Yarken role focused on managing cloud infrastructure costs for assigned services, applications, or products.

Cloud forecast

A forward-looking estimate of cloud cost based on historical usage, expected growth, planned changes, or other assumptions.

Cloud provider

A company that supplies cloud infrastructure or platform services.

Cloud spend

Costs associated with cloud services, providers, accounts, subscriptions, projects, usage, commitments, and marketplace charges.

Cloud spend analysis

Analysis of cloud cost using governed cloud data and supported FinOps or FOCUS-aligned fields.

Companion metric

A configured measure used with another financial result, such as an addback used to calculate EBITDA.

Connection

A configured link between Yarken and a third-party system, application, database, storage location, API, or data source.

Consumer

A target in the TBM model that represents who or what consumes a technology service or cost.

Consumption

The use of a technology service, resource, application, or capability by a business consumer.

Contract

A commercial agreement with a vendor that defines pricing, terms, commitments, renewals, or obligations.

Contracts analysis

Analysis of contract data across available dimensions and measures.

Conversion-only currency

A configured currency that can be used for conversion but is not available as a reporting currency.

Copilot

A contextual AI capability embedded in a specific Yarken screen, chart, or workflow.

In Admin Settings: Primarily refers to Graph Explanation Copilot configuration.

In AI Studio: Refers to configurable or system-managed contextual modes, including chat, wizard, and investigative experiences.

See Terms with context-specific meanings.

Cost allocation

The assignment of spend from one financial or operational structure to another.

Cost center

An organizational unit responsible for a cost.

Cost center permission

A data access control that limits users to authorized cost centers.

Cost pool

A TBM classification that groups technology spend by broad purpose or financial category.

Cost transparency

The ability to trace technology spend from source transactions through allocations, services, consumers, plans, and reports.

CPI variable

A Consumer Price Index assumption that may be applied in budget or forecast planning.

Cube

A multidimensional analytical data structure used to organize measures and dimensions.

Cube partition

A defined segment of a cube that can be processed or refreshed independently.

Cube refresh

A process that updates analytical cube data after source data or configuration changes.

Currency conversion

The process of converting a value from one currency into another using an exchange rate.

Custom dashboard

A dashboard created or configured for a specific user, team, role, or reporting requirement.

Custom model

An additional financial model created for a specific planning, comparison, reporting, or scenario purpose.

D

Dashboard

A collection of charts, tables, measures, and filters used to monitor and analyze Yarken data.

Dashboard Only

A restricted Yarken role that provides view-only access to the assigned Home dashboard.

Data source

A system, file, report, API, database, cloud platform, or application that supplies data to Yarken.

Data Tool

A governed AI component that exposes an approved Yarken report or dataset to Ask Yarken or a sub-agent.

Default dashboard

The dashboard shown on the Home page when a user signs in.

Default entity

The baseline entity included in a Yarken environment.

Default model

A system-provided model used for a standard purpose such as Spend, Budget, or Forecast.

Dimension

A descriptive field used to organize, filter, group, and analyze measures.

Dimensions index

The indexed set of business values that helps Ask Yarken resolve names.

Direct spend

Spend directly assigned to a target without an intermediate allocation step.

Distribution percentage

The percentage of a cost assigned to a selected target, account, or dimension.

Draft

A workflow status indicating that an item is still being created or edited.

Driver

A factor that explains a financial or operational result.

E

EBITDA

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization.

Employee planning

Workforce planning for an internal employee.

Entity

A legal, financial, regional, or reporting unit used to separate data, permissions, planning, analysis, and ownership.

Entity permission

A data access control that limits users to authorized entities.

Expense type

A financial classification applied to a cost, such as CapEx or OpEx.

Exchange rate

The conversion factor used to translate one currency into another.

Extended attribute

A configurable dimension used to add organizational context beyond standard fields.

F

Financial model

A structured data framework that organizes Spend, Budget, Forecast, rules, mappings, and related reporting outputs.

Financial year

The organization’s configured annual reporting period.

FinOps

A discipline that brings financial accountability to cloud operations through shared ownership, visibility, allocation, forecasting, and cost management.

FOCUS

FinOps Open Cost and Usage Specification. A standard format for cloud billing data.

Forecast

A current estimate of expected financial results for a future period.

Forecast variance

The difference between actual spend and forecast, or between two forecast versions.

Foreign amount

The original transaction amount recorded in a non-base currency.

Foreign currency

A currency other than the environment’s base currency.

Full-screen view

The expanded Ask Yarken workspace used for longer analysis and conversation management.

G

General ledger

The accounting record that contains financial transactions.

GL entry

An individual general ledger transaction or uploaded spend record.

Governed data

Data managed through approved sources, models, mappings, permissions, and controls.

Graph Explanation Context

Administrator-defined guidance used by the Graph Explanation Copilot when a widget does not provide its own instructions.

Graph Explanation Copilot

A focused AI capability that explains a dashboard chart or table using widget metadata, data, and active filters.

H

Headcount

The number or allocation of workers planned for a period.

Headcount-to-budget automation

The automatic conversion of planned headcount into account-level budget or forecast entries.

Hierarchy

A parent-child structure used to organize dimensions.

I

In Progress

A workflow status indicating that an item is under review or contribution.

Index refresh

The process of rebuilding indexed dimension values so Ask Yarken can recognize new or changed names.

Infrastructure tower

A TBM grouping that represents a category of technology infrastructure or capability.

Integration

A connection that allows Yarken to ingest, exchange, or process data from another platform or system.

Internal tool name

A system-safe identifier used for a Data Tool, Skill, or sub-agent.

Invite Only

A tenant access setting that requires users to be explicitly invited before they can sign in.

IT finance

The practice of planning, managing, governing, and explaining technology-related financial performance.

ITFM

IT Financial Management.

J

Journal date

The date on which a transaction is recorded in the accounting journal.

Journal ID

A unique identifier for a journal entry or transaction grouping.

K

Knowledge Base

A term with two location-specific meanings in Yarken.

Admin > Settings > AI > Knowledge Base: The dimensions index used by Ask Yarken to resolve business names to the correct data filters. It is not a document repository.

Admin > AI Studio > Knowledge > Knowledge Base: The document-based knowledge area used to upload and manage approved reference material that an agent can search and cite.

See Terms with context-specific meanings.

L

Line description

Descriptive text associated with a financial transaction or journal line.

Locked month

A financial period protected from editing by governance controls.

LPI variable

A Labour Price Index assumption that may be applied in budget or forecast planning.

M

Mapping

A configured relationship that connects source values to a Yarken structure.

Marketplace spend

Cloud charges associated with third-party products or services purchased through a cloud provider marketplace.

Master data

Core reference data used across Yarken.

Measure

A numeric value used in analysis.

Model

A governed structure used to organize spend, budget, forecast, rules, mappings, and analytical outputs.

Model comparison

The analysis of two or more models side by side.

Model export

The process of downloading selected model data, rules, and mappings.

Model import

The process of loading exported model data into a selected model and year.

Month-to-date

A reporting period from the start of the current month through the selected date.

MTD

Abbreviation for Month-to-date.

Multi-currency

The ability to ingest, convert, store, analyze, and report values in more than one currency.

Multi-entity

The ability to manage data, access, planning, and reporting across multiple entities.

Multi-model publishing

The ability to publish cloud spend or planning data to a selected model.

N

Natural-language analysis

The ability to ask analytical questions in everyday language.

No Role

A user state with no assigned platform permissions.

Non-destructive analysis

Analysis that reads and explains governed data without changing source records.

O

OpEx

Operating expenditure.

Organization Context

Administrator-defined guidance that Ask Yarken applies when interpreting questions and shaping responses. It does not override governed data.

Original currency

The currency in which a source transaction was originally recorded.

Original value

The amount recorded in the source currency before conversion.

P

P&L report

A profit and loss report that summarizes financial performance.

Period

A defined reporting interval such as day, month, quarter, or year.

Planning exchange rate

An exchange rate maintained specifically for budget and forecast calculations.

Playbook

A reusable set of instructions that guides an AI workflow or recurring analysis. In Ask Yarken Admin Settings, Playbooks may include Agent SOPs. In AI Studio, Playbooks form part of the broader AI configuration and automation framework.

Power User

A Yarken role with access to reports, analytics, and selected planning capabilities, without full administrative privileges.

Preferred reporting currency

The currency selected by a user for viewing converted values.

Provider Name

A cloud data field that identifies the cloud provider associated with a charge.

Publish

The action that makes approved data available for downstream reporting and analysis.

Publishing model

The selected model that receives data during publishing.

Q

Quarter-to-date

A reporting period from the start of the current quarter through the selected date.

QTD

Abbreviation for Quarter-to-date.

R

Rate

A configured cost value used in planning or calculation.

Recommendation

A suggested action based on analysis. Recommendations should be reviewed by the appropriate owner.

Refresh Pending Partitions

A cube action that processes all partitions currently marked as pending.

Reporting currency

The currency used to display converted financial results to a user.

Reserved capacity

Cloud capacity purchased or committed in advance.

Rightsizing

Adjusting cloud resources to better match workload requirements.

Role

A term with two common meanings in Yarken.

User Management and access configuration: A permission set assigned to a user that controls features, actions, and data access.

Workforce Planning settings: A standardized job definition with a role code, role name, description, and annual rate.

See Workforce role and User role.

Role Account

A Workforce Planning configuration that maps a workforce role to financial accounts and distribution percentages.

Role-based planning

A workforce planning method that uses standardized job roles and rates.

Row-level authorization

A Data Tool control that limits returned rows to authorized data.

Rule

A configured instruction used to classify, map, allocate, transform, or distribute data.

S

SaaS

Software as a Service.

Schema introspection

A process used by an analytical agent to inspect available dimensions and measures before running a query.

Search lookup

An Ask Yarken capability that searches indexed dimensions to identify the intended business value.

Search Lookup: Agent chooses best match

An ambiguity setting that allows Ask Yarken to select the most likely indexed value.

Search Lookup: Ask for clarification

An ambiguity setting that asks the user to confirm the intended value when multiple matches are found.

Service category

A grouping used to organize cloud or technology services.

Share conversation

An Ask Yarken action that makes a conversation available to other authorized users.

Showback

A reporting approach that shows consumers the technology costs attributed to them without necessarily transferring the cost.

Sidebar view

The compact Ask Yarken panel.

Skill

A reusable set of instructions that controls how Ask Yarken or a sub-agent structures, formats, and presents a response.

SKU

Stock Keeping Unit. An identifier for a specific product, service, rate, or charge item.

Solution

A TBM layer that represents a technology service, product, application group, or business-facing capability.

Solution offering

A detailed service or offering within the solution layer.

SOP

Standard Operating Procedure. See Agent SOP.

Spend

Financial value associated with purchased, consumed, allocated, or planned technology resources and services.

Spend model

The default or selected model used to organize and report actual spend.

Split by Spend

An allocation method that distributes cost proportionally according to underlying spend.

Standard dashboard

A system-provided dashboard available based on access and configuration.

Stop response

An Ask Yarken control that cancels an active response.

Sub-agent

A specialized AI agent configured for a specific domain, persona, or analytical task.

Sub cost pool

A lower-level category within a cost pool hierarchy.

Sub tower

A lower-level category within a tower hierarchy.

System currency

The configured currency used by the environment for governed calculations and storage.

T

TBM

Technology Business Management. A discipline and model for connecting technology cost, consumption, services, and business value.

Tenant

An organization-specific Yarken environment containing users, settings, permissions, data, and configurations.

Tenant ID

The identifier associated with the organization’s Microsoft Entra ID tenant.

Total expense

The calculated workforce cost for the selected headcount and planning period.

Tower

A TBM classification that groups technology cost by infrastructure or capability area.

Transaction date

The date on which a financial transaction occurred.

Trend analysis

Analysis that identifies how a measure changes across time.

U

Unpublish

The action that removes previously published data from a selected destination when supported.

Usage spend

Cloud charges associated with service consumption.

User Management

The Yarken administration area used to add users, assign roles, set default dashboards, activate or deactivate access, and manage user records.

User role

A permission set assigned to a user. See Role.

V

Value stream

A sequence of activities, products, or services that delivers value to a customer or business outcome.

Variance

The difference between two comparable values.

Variance driver

A financial or operational factor that explains a variance.

Vendor

A supplier that provides a technology-related product or service.

Vendor planning

Workforce planning for contractors or external vendor resources.

Viewer

A Yarken role that can view authorized content but cannot modify data, reports, or settings.

Voice-to-text

An Ask Yarken input option that converts a spoken question into text.

W

Workforce cost

The calculated financial impact of planned employees, contractors, or vendor resources.

Workforce Planning

A Yarken capability that connects role-based headcount plans with budgets and forecasts.

Workforce role

A standardized job function with a configured code, name, description, and annual rate. This is different from a user access role.

Workato

An integration platform used by Yarken to connect with third-party systems and ingest data.

Workflow status

A label that indicates where an item is in its lifecycle.

Y

Yarken

A unified IT spend management platform that brings TBM, FinOps, planning, SaaS, cloud, AI, governance, and analytics into one system.

Year-to-date

A reporting period from the start of the current financial or calendar year through the selected date.

YTD

Abbreviation for Year-to-date.

Related content

• Start Here: Yarken Overview

• Platform Capabilities

• Technology Business Management

• Workforce Planning Concepts & Terminology

• Ask Yarken: AI-Powered Financial Intelligence

• Admin, Users, and Settings

• Knowledge Base

• AI Studio - Knowledge Base

• Copilots

• AI Studio - Copilots