Reference
Glossary
Plain-English definitions for every important term in GreenVee, including confusing pairs and German UI counterparts.
All key terms used in GreenVee, in alphabetical order. Where a term has a German counterpart in the UI, it is noted as (German: …). Cross-cutting concepts, technical abbreviations, and commonly confused pairs are all included.
Agent — An AI assistant configured inside GreenVee to perform automated tasks, answer questions, or assist with workflows. Agents can be connected to external tools via MCP Servers.
Agent Skill — A specific capability registered on an Agent — for example, the ability to query a database or call an API. Not the same as an employee’s HR Skill (see HR Skill vs Agent Skill).
Attachment — A file or link attached directly to a specific record (task, issue, etc.), as distinct from a File in the document library. See Documents vs Files.
Benefit Occurrence — A single recorded instance of a non-monetary or indirect benefit realised on a project. Sits on Spine D. Schema: benefit_occurance (note the schema has a typo — “occurance”).
Booking — see Employee Booking or Equipment Booking.
Budget — The financial plan for a project. Contains Cost Items and is the root of Spine D.
Budget Request — A formal request to increase or create a budget line. Defined as an Issue type in the data model but managed through its own form today.
Calendar Event — A time-bound event recorded on the GreenVee calendar, such as a meeting, deadline reminder, or review. Schema: calendar_object. See also Calendar Event vs Project Event.
Channel — A communication channel inside GreenVee — similar to a chat room. Belongs to the Files & Communication area.
Company — An external organisation in GreenVee. A company can have multiple roles simultaneously: customer, supplier, manufacturer, subcontractor, transporter, or partner.
Contact — An individual person at a Company. Different from an Employee, who is internal.
Cost Item — A line in a project Budget representing a category of expenditure. Parent of Cost Occurrences, Benefit Occurrences, and Earning Occurrences.
Cost Occurrence — A single recorded expense event. Schema: cost_occurance (schema typo — “occurance”).
Decision — A formal recorded decision made during a project. Similar to an Issue but specifically marks that a resolution was reached.
Department — An organisational unit within your company — e.g. Engineering, Finance. (German: Abteilung). Schema: osp_employment_unit.
Document — A rich-text or structured document managed in the GreenVee document library. Different from a File. See Documents vs Files.
Earning Occurrence — A single recorded income or revenue event on a project. Schema: earning_occurance (schema typo — “occurance”).
Employee — An internal person in your organisation. Has a profile, skills, and department. Different from a Contact (external) or a User Account (login identity).
Employee Booking — A confirmed allocation of an Employee’s time to a project or task for a defined period.
Equipment — A physical asset or machine tracked in GreenVee — e.g. a crane, a vehicle, a specialised tool.
Equipment Booking — A confirmed reservation of a piece of Equipment for use on a project or task.
Equipment Unit — A specific, individually tracked instance of an Equipment type. Schema: osp_equipment_unit.
Equipment Usage — A record of Equipment actually used on a task — as opposed to a Booking, which is a plan.
File — A binary or document uploaded to GreenVee’s file storage (not the document library). Files have Versions. See Documents vs Files.
File Version — A specific revision of a File. GreenVee tracks version history so you can return to earlier versions.
Folder — A container for organising Files in the file storage area.
Gate — A formal checkpoint between project phases. A project must satisfy gate criteria before advancing to the next phase. In practice, Risk Actions are often attached to gate criteria. See also Project Phases.
Good — A specific product, material, or consumable tracked in GreenVee’s inventory system. Also called a Material in UI contexts (the terms are used interchangeably in the interface). See Goods vs Materials.
Good Type — The top-level classification of a Good — e.g. raw material, finished good, consumable. Root of Spine E.
Good Usage — A record linking a Good or Variant to a specific Task — documents what was consumed or used.
HR Skill vs Agent Skill — Confusing pair. An HR Skill (just “Skill” in most of the UI) is a human competency belonging to an Employee — e.g. “Welding”, “Project Management”. An Agent Skill is a machine capability registered on an AI Agent — e.g. “Query database”, “Send email”. They share the word “skill” but are completely different things in different parts of the system.
Issue — A trackable work item or problem. Issues have states (backlog → todo → in progress → in review → done/cancelled/duplicate) and types. See Issue Types for the full type list. Different from a Task — see Tasks vs Issues.
Issue Comment — A comment posted on an Issue.
Issue Label — A tag that can be applied to an Issue for filtering and categorisation.
Key Takeaway — A lesson, observation, or recommendation captured at the end of a project. Organised by Takeaway Category and Takeaway Type.
MCP — Model Context Protocol. An open standard that lets AI Agents connect to external tools and data sources in a structured way. GreenVee Agents use MCP to call out to external services.
MCP Server — A configured connection to an external MCP-compatible service. Schema: agent_mcp_server.
MCP Tool — A specific function or action exposed by an MCP Server that an Agent can call. Schema: agent_mcp_tool.
Message — A direct message sent between users inside GreenVee.
Milestone — A significant point in a project timeline — not a task, but a marker that a major outcome has been reached.
OAuth — An industry-standard authorisation protocol. GreenVee uses OAuth to allow users to log in with external identity providers (e.g. Google, Microsoft) without sharing passwords directly.
Opportunity Action — A planned action to exploit or maximise a Project Opportunity. Schema: chance_action. See also Risk Action vs Opportunity Action.
Order — A confirmed purchase or sales order that backs financial occurrences. Sits on Spine D.
Portfolio — The highest level of the WBS — a container for Programs and Projects. Top of Spine A.
Portfolio Risk Factor — A risk dimension tracked at portfolio level, used to aggregate risk scores across multiple projects. Schema: risk_contribution. Not the same as a Project Risk — see Project Risk vs Portfolio Risk Factor.
Portfolio Target — A goal or KPI set at portfolio level. Schema: portfolio_target. Assessed via Target Scores.
Procurement Request — A formal request to obtain a Good from a supplier. Schema: good_procurement_request.
Program — A collection of related Projects that share a strategic goal or a budget envelope. Sits between Portfolio and Project on Spine A.
Project — The primary unit of work in GreenVee. Has a phase, a team, a budget, and a technical structure. The hub of Spines A, B, C, and D.
Project Member — The record that connects an Employee to a Project. Holds their role on the project, allocation, and booking. Schema: project_member. Different from an Employee — see Project Member vs Employee.
Project Opportunity — A positive uncertainty or potential upside identified on a project. Schema: chance.
Project Phase — The current stage of a project’s lifecycle. See Project Phases for the full list.
Project Risk — A negative uncertainty or threat identified on a project. Schema: risk. Not the same as a Portfolio Risk Factor — see Project Risk vs Portfolio Risk Factor.
Project Type — A classification label for a Project — e.g. “Infrastructure”, “Software Development”, “Research”. Helps filter and report across projects of the same kind.
Purchase — A completed transaction to acquire a Good. Schema: good_purchase.
RAG — Retrieval-Augmented Generation. A technique used by GreenVee’s AI Agents to answer questions by searching relevant documents before generating a response, rather than relying solely on the AI model’s training data.
Required Good — A Good specified as needed at a Technical Structure Node. Schema: technical_structure_good. Links Spine B to Spine E.
Required Material — A material-type Required Good — a consumable required at a node. Schema: technical_structure_requirement.
Required Spec — A specification requirement at a Technical Structure Node — defines what the output must meet. Schema: technical_structure_spec_req.
Risk Action — A planned action to mitigate or respond to a Project Risk. Schema: risk_action. Risk Actions can also be attached to Gate criteria.
Risk Factor Score — An assessment of a specific Portfolio Risk Factor for a project. Schema: risk_contribution_assessment.
Segment — A logical subdivision of a Project — often represents a phase, workstream, or geographic area. Contains Task Packages and Tasks.
Skill — A human competency or qualification belonging to an Employee. Organised by Skill Category. Schema: osp_skill_category (for the category). Not to be confused with Agent Skills — see HR Skill vs Agent Skill.
Skill Category — A grouping of related Skills — e.g. “Technical Skills”, “Soft Skills”. Schema: osp_skill_category.
Spec Category — A grouping of related Spec Definitions for a Good Type.
Spec Definition — Defines a specification a Good Type can carry — its name, unit, and data type (text, number, enum, or boolean). Schema: good_type_spec. Grouped by Spec Category.
Spec Value — The actual value recorded for a Spec Definition on a particular Good Variant.
Spine — One of the five structural chains that organise GreenVee’s data. See The Five Spines. Each spine answers a different question about your work: what (A), what physical things (B), who and when (C), money (D), materials (E).
Stammdaten — (German: master data) The foundational reference data that describes your organisation — employees, departments, equipment, good types, companies, skills, and so on. Stammdaten changes rarely and is set up before projects begin.
State Assessment — A snapshot evaluation of a project’s health at a point in time — typically recorded in a State Report.
State Report — A periodic report on a project’s current status. Contains State Assessments and is used to track whether the project is on track.
Stock — The current quantity of a Good Variant held at a location.
Stock Movement — A recorded change in stock quantity — inbound deliveries or outbound usage. Schema: stock_inbound_outbound.
Subtask — The finest level of the WBS — a step within a Task.
Takeaway Category — A grouping for Key Takeaways — e.g. “Process”, “Technical”, “People”.
Takeaway Type — A classification of a Key Takeaway — e.g. “Lesson Learned”, “Best Practice”, “Warning”.
Target Score — An assessment of a Portfolio Target for a specific project. Schema: target_assessment.
Task — An individual piece of work on a project with an owner, dates, and effort estimate. The main unit of daily work. Different from an Issue — see Tasks vs Issues.
Task Comment — A comment posted on a Task.
Task Package — A grouping of Tasks within a Segment. Helps organise related tasks.
Technical Structure — The project’s physical or technical breakdown — a hierarchical structure of Nodes representing assemblies, systems, or components. Root of Spine B.
Technical Structure Node — A recursive element in the Technical Structure. Nodes can contain other nodes to any depth. Each node can have Required Goods and Required Specs attached.
Tenant — A single isolated instance of GreenVee for one organisation. All data within a tenant is completely separate from other tenants. Most users will only ever see one tenant.
Time Entry — A single logged block of time by a Project Member.
Time Log — An aggregated or summarised record of time entries.
Time Tracking Label — A tag applied to Time Entries for categorisation and reporting — e.g. “Design”, “Testing”, “Travel”.
Timer — An active in-progress time tracker. A user starts a Timer to begin logging time; stopping it creates a Time Entry.
User Account — The login identity for a person using GreenVee. Schema: app_user. A User Account may be linked to an Employee record, but they are separate things — an Employee can exist without a login account.
Variant — A specific configuration of a Good — distinguished by properties such as size, colour, or specification. Sits at the crosspoint of Spines B and E. Schema: good_variant.
WBS (Work Breakdown Structure) — The hierarchical decomposition of a project into smaller units of work — Portfolio → Program → Project → Segment → Task Package → Task → Subtask. Spine A of GreenVee’s data model.
Workflow Definition — A configured automation that can be triggered by events in GreenVee — e.g. “when a risk is created, notify the project manager”.
Workflow Execution — A single run of a Workflow Definition. Logs the steps taken and their outcomes.
Workflow Execution Step — A single step within a Workflow Execution’s trace — records its status, timing, and a short summary of what happened. Schema: workflow_execution_step.
Commonly Confused Pairs
Section titled “Commonly Confused Pairs”Tasks vs Issues
Section titled “Tasks vs Issues”| Task | Issue | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | A unit of planned work with an owner and dates | A trackable problem, question, or work item that may be ad-hoc |
| On the WBS? | Yes — sits on Spine A | No — attached to the project but outside the WBS |
| Has a type? | No | Yes — see Issue Types |
| Typical creator | Project Manager during planning | Anyone, at any time |
| Example | “Install electrical wiring in Zone B” | “Supplier hasn’t confirmed delivery date” |
Goods vs Materials
Section titled “Goods vs Materials”In GreenVee’s data model, Good is the technical term for any tracked item — a product, part, raw material, or consumable. The UI often uses Material as a synonym, particularly in the context of project requirements and procurement. They refer to the same underlying entity. When reading this documentation, treat them as interchangeable.
Project Member vs Employee
Section titled “Project Member vs Employee”An Employee is a person in your organisation — their profile, skills, and HR data. A Project Member is the assignment of that Employee to a specific project. One Employee can be a Project Member on many projects simultaneously. Deleting a Project Member record removes the person from the project, but does not delete their Employee record.
Project Risk vs Portfolio Risk Factor
Section titled “Project Risk vs Portfolio Risk Factor”A Project Risk is a specific identified threat on a single project — e.g. “Key supplier may go out of business”. A Portfolio Risk Factor is a standardised dimension used across all projects to enable portfolio-level risk comparison — e.g. “Supply Chain Dependency”. Project Risks are free-form; Portfolio Risk Factors are structured scoring criteria.
Documents vs Files
Section titled “Documents vs Files”Documents are rich-text or structured records created and edited inside GreenVee (similar to a Google Doc). Files are binary uploads — PDFs, images, spreadsheets — stored in the file system. Both can be attached to projects and records, but they live in different areas and serve different purposes.
HR Skill vs Agent Skill
Section titled “HR Skill vs Agent Skill”See HR Skill vs Agent Skill above.
Calendar Event vs Project Event
Section titled “Calendar Event vs Project Event”A Calendar Event (calendar_object) is a time-bound record on the GreenVee calendar — a meeting, review, or reminder. A Project Event refers informally to milestones or gates — significant moments in the project timeline that are tracked on the WBS. Calendar Events are scheduled in time; project events mark achievement of outcomes.
Reports vs Insights
Section titled “Reports vs Insights”Reports (State Reports, State Assessments) are structured data records saved at a point in time — they capture what was true at that moment and can be reviewed historically. Insights refers to the analytics and dashboard area — it aggregates and visualises data from many records to answer what is trending or how are we performing overall. Reports feed Insights.