> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.solya.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Core concepts

> How Solya is organized — the three layers, plans, and the moving parts you'll work with every day.

Solya helps buyers and merchandisers manage the full inventory lifecycle. Everything
in the product fits into **three layers** that build on each other.

Here's how data flows through the system:

```mermaid theme={null}
flowchart TB
    subgraph DL["Data Layer"]
        direction LR
        DS["Data sources<br/>(POS, APIs, file upload)"]
        IS["Ingestion spec<br/>(parse, transform)"]
        IR["Ingestion run<br/>(track execution)"]
        DS --> IS --> IR
    end

    subgraph IL["Intelligence Layer"]
        direction LR
        BR["Business rules<br/>(block/warn)"]
        BU["Budgets<br/>(OTB limits)"]
        SC["Size curves<br/>(distributions)"]
        SC2["Supplier constraints<br/>(MOQ, packs)"]
        FC["Forecasts &<br/>recommendations"]
    end

    subgraph AL["Action Layer"]
        direction LR
        PL["Plans<br/>(restock, rebalance, etc.)"]
        AL2["Alerts<br/>(risk signals)"]
        WF["Workflows<br/>(automation)"]
    end

    DL --> IL --> AL
```

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Data layer" icon="database" href="/en/data-layer/overview">
    Brings your retail data in — data sources, ingestion specs, ingestion runs.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Intelligence layer" icon="brain" href="/en/intelligence-layer/business-center">
    Turns data into guard-railed decisions — business rules, budgets, forecasts.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Action layer" icon="boxes-stacked" href="/en/inventory-plans/overview">
    Where you act — inventory plans, alerts, and workflows.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## The three layers

<Steps>
  <Step title="Data layer — get clean data in">
    Activate your **data sources** (POS systems such as Polaris and Kezia, or file
    uploads). Each incoming file is interpreted by an **ingestion spec** and every
    import is tracked as an **ingestion run**. The result feeds Solya's analytics
    (the Databricks-backed gold/silver layers).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Intelligence layer — shape decisions">
    Solya computes risks, forecasts and recommendations, and lets you define
    **business rules** that **block** or **warn** when a plan would breach a policy
    (budget caps, capacity limits, size curves, supplier constraints…).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Action layer — execute">
    You build **inventory plans** (restock, rebalance, markdown, pre-season, supplier
    return/exchange), respond to **alerts**, and automate repetitive flows with
    **workflows**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Key building blocks

| Concept                     | What it is                                                                                        |
| --------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Organization**            | Your tenant. All data is scoped to your organization; users only ever see their org's data.       |
| **Data source**             | A system Solya imports from (POS, API, file upload).                                              |
| **Ingestion spec / run**    | The contract that reads an incoming file, and the record of each import.                          |
| **Plan**                    | A unit of work on inventory (restock, rebalance, markdown, pre-season, supplier return/exchange). |
| **Business rule / ruleset** | A constraint that guards plan actions; rulesets group rules and one is the org default.           |
| **Alert**                   | A monitored condition that raises a signal when a metric crosses a threshold.                     |
| **Tag**                     | A label on products/variants, applied manually or automatically by tagging rules.                 |
| **Workflow**                | An automation that reacts to data and runs actions (create a plan, add items, send an email…).    |
| **Dashboard / KPI**         | Configurable charts and summary metrics over your analytics.                                      |

<Note>
  Not sure about a term? See the [Glossary](/en/getting-started/glossary). For who
  sees what, see [Navigation & roles](/en/getting-started/navigation-and-roles).
</Note>