This glossary provides a brief explanation of the main terms used to describe the STEM software.
10. Calculation framework explains a variety of specialist telecoms terms and provides alphabetic lists of all of the STEM inputs, modelling features and results. The easiest way to find a description of a telecoms term is to flick through the alphabetical lists in 10. Calculation framework.
| C-STEM |
Conventional STEM, as opposed to distributable STEM (D-STEM). |
| Configuration |
Defines which results are visible in the STEM Results program, and stores derived-result definitions, graph definitions and results-table definitions. |
| Data dialog |
One of a number of dialogs, associated with each element in a STEM model and accessed from a pop-up menu on an icon, which allows you to enter and review data for that element. Global data dialogs are accessed from the Data menu. |
| Defaults |
Initial values for the data fields of an element when it is created, or inherited from another element or an external file through a formula for the whole element. |
| Derived Result |
A result calculated on demand from a result definition with reference to primitive results and the model input data. |
| Drag and Drop |
A standard technique where you click, for example, on an icon, and then keep the mouse button pressed whilst dragging the icon across the screen. This technique is used for moving icons and, with the <Ctrl> key pressed, for copying them or creating links, and allows you to build models very quickly. |
| D-STEM |
Distributable STEM, a premium licence agreement authorising the distribution of run-time models and software components. |
| Element |
The building blocks of a STEM model, representing different aspects of the business that is being modelled (such as Service demand, equipment and staffing) or mechanisms that can be used to influence the way the model and its finances evolve over time (such as Cost Indices and Transformations). They are shown as icons in the STEM Editor. |
| Field |
The numbers, text and time series which make up the input data for an element, e.g., Capacity and Physical Lifetime for a Resource. The names and values of fields are displayed in the central grid of a data dialog. |
| Formula Bar |
The area in a STEM data dialog where you enter data and formulae, similar in operation to that in Excel and other spreadsheet packages. |
| Freeze |
Replace a formula and any unset values with explicit values. |
| Icon |
Used to represent an element within a view of a STEM model, and provides access to the icon menu and associated data dialogs. |
| Notes |
STEM lets you annotate input data throughout the modelling process. Notes are stored with the model, and are drawn to the attention of anyone looking at the data. |
| Primitive Result |
A result drawn directly from the results calculated when a model is run. |
| Rubber banding |
A standard technique for selecting icons within a view, where you hold down the left mouse button and drag across the view, stretching out a temporary dotted rectangle which indicates which icons will be selected. |
| Run-time model |
A model which can be re-run – in principle by anyone – using distributable run-time software components that do not require a soft licence. |
| Toolbar |
A set of buttons on the left-hand side of the main STEM Editor window, which you use to create, select and link model elements. |
| Tool tip |
A floating window explaining what a button does or summarising the data within a model element. |
| Unit Label |
A textual input which has no mathematical effect on the model, but which is used to label the y-axis on results graphs, e.g., Capacity Unit or Global Currency Unit. |
| Unset |
Restore a field which has been previously set with a value or a formula to its default value. |
| View |
A window in the STEM Editor workspace in which model elements are represented as icons and relationships between elements are indicated by coloured lines between those icons, providing an illustration of the model structure and an intuitive user-interface to the model data. |
| Workspace (1) |
The working area of the STEM Editor and Results programs, used to display views and graphs respectively (also known as the application desktop). |
| Workspace (2) |
The set of results files loaded into the STEM Results program, together with the current configuration and any defined results views, which can be saved and then opened at a later date, as a shorthand for opening the results and configuration separately. |
| Zoom Window |
Occupies the top-left corner of a view window and represents a scaled-down image of the entire, logical view. Each icon in the view is shown as a small black dot. The image in the zoom window contains an inner rectangle, which indicates the position of the visible portion of the view. You can drag this inner rectangle with the mouse to move around the view. |