Ask One, our AI assistant, a spend question in plain words and get the answer as a table, a chart or a full dashboard, without building a report or a spreadsheet. Download it as Excel, PDF or PowerPoint to share it, or save the dashboard in Analytics if your access allows it.

Ask a spend question

Overview

One reads the expenses you're allowed to see (your team, a legal entity or the whole company) and says so in its answers. It can total, rank and compare by category, team, cost centre, legal entity, project or expense type, and it converts amounts to one currency before adding them up.

How to use

1. Open One from anywhere in Factorial.
2. Ask your question, for example "Top 10 spenders this year" or "Spend by cost centre, last 6 months". One answers with a table or a chart.
3. Refine it with a follow-up, for example "only travel" or "show it in pounds".

Build a dashboard

Overview

A dashboard puts several metrics, charts and tables on one canvas, with a date selector to change the period. Dashboards work on the web only.

How to use

1. Ask One, for example "Build a dashboard of expenses by category and team this quarter."
2. One builds the dashboard. Change the period with the date selector.
3. To keep it and share it, save it to Analytics (where your company's shared dashboards live) with Save in Analytics or Save to share, if you see these buttons.

Download a file

How to use

1. Ask One for the file, for example "Export my team's Q3 expenses to Excel" or "Make a PDF report of travel spend this year."
2. One creates the file (Excel, PDF, PowerPoint or Word) for you to download.
3. On a table One shows you, you can also use Data export to get the data behind it.

Tips and Best Practices

Troubleshooting and FAQ

Troubleshooting

One says it found no expenses, or the totals look low.
One only reads the expenses you're allowed to see, so an empty answer doesn't mean there are none. Check the period and filters in your question, or ask an admin about your access.

I asked for a dashboard and got text.
Dashboards work on the web only. On the mobile app and in other assistants connected to One, the answer is text. If you're on the web and still get text, you may not have permission to use dashboards: ask your admin.

One says the dashboard can't be shared.
Dashboards built from data that isn't available in Analytics can't be shared. One tells you when that's the case.

FAQ

1. What can I ask One about spend?

Totals, rankings, trends and breakdowns by category, team, cost centre, legal entity, project or expense type. For example: "Which expenses were paid in October?", "Which categories have the most alerts?", "Which budgets are over?".

2. What does "my team" mean to One?

One counts only the expenses you can see, and says so in the figures. To be sure who's included, name the people or team in your question, for example "my direct reports" or "the Sales team".

3. How does One handle expenses in different currencies?

One converts amounts to one currency before adding them up, using the exchange rate for the expense's date. To be sure, name the currency in your question, for example "show it in pounds".

4. Can One check budgets?

Yes. Ask how your expense budgets stand, for example "Which budgets are over?" or "How much is left in the Marketing budget?".

5. Is analysing expenses with One included in my plan?

That depends on your plan, and questions, dashboards and files may count toward what it includes. Your account manager can confirm.

6. Can I use dashboards on the mobile app?

No. On the mobile app One answers in text. Open One on the web to build or see a dashboard.

7. Is a file from One the same as the expense export?

No. One builds the file from your question. For the full list of expenses with every column, use the export in Spending > Employee expenses. See How do I export expenses?.