Forecast editor

Important

This module is only available in the Enterprise Edition.

The forecast editor provides a convenient way to review and edit forecast values. It allows easy navigation across the item, location and time hierarchies.

Forecast editor screen

The panel is split in two areas:

  • The top section of the screen allows to select a specific forecast.
    The buttons to the right let you choose if you want to see in quantity or in value. You can also select your time buckets (ie weeks, months, quarters or years).
    The order of the top panels define the hierarchy of the selection. There is a dropdown menu where you can choose this order.
    When you click on a line in a panel this line will be selected and expand if there are other records inside it (or collapse if it is already expanded), then the panels to the right will reset their selections.
    Forecast editor selection panels
  • The bottom of the screen has 4 tabs.
    The Attributes tab will present addicional information about the current selections of the top panels.
    The Forecast tab displays the graphic of the selected forecast, a table where forecasts can be tunned (fields are described bellow), and a dropdown where the forecast method can be selected. After changes are made the Recalculate button will be active. By pressing recalculate a simulation of the forecast will be performed. Only after pressing Save will the changes be stored on the database.
    The Comments tab allows comments to be added for the currently selected Item, or Location, or Customer or Item-Location.
    The History tab shows the changes that were made to the current selections.
    Attributes of selections Forecast graph and table Comments for selections History of changes in selection

The table in the forecast tab is for forecast tunning. Adjustments can be made and will have an immediate impact on the graph above the table.

Here is a description of the fields on the forecast table:

Field

Description

Total Orders

Quantity of orders in the time bucket, includes both open and closed orders.

Open Orders

Quantity of open orders in the time bucket.

Orders Adjustment

Manual adjustment added to the total order quantity.
This adjustment can be applicable for a) removing exceptional demand outliers from the demand history, or b) intializing the forecast for a new product with the demand history of a similar, existing product.
The forecast calculations add the order adjustment and the total orders as the demand history input for the calculation.

Forecast Baseline

Statistical forecast generated by the system.

Forecast Override

Manual adjustment of the forecast.
If a value is entered in this row, it completely replaces the baseline forecast proposed by the system.

Forecast Total

Sum of the baseline forecast and the forecast adjustment.

Forecast Net

Forecast quantity not yet consumed by orders.

Forecast Consumed

Forecast quantity already consumed by orders.

Planned Orders

Quantity of orders planned in this time bucket.

Planned Net Forecast

Quantity of net forecast planned in this time bucket.

Past Forecast

The total forecasted quantity for past periods. It allows a forecast-versus-actual comparison that is important for reviewing and measuring the forecast accuracy.
The forecast snapshot for a certain past period was taken right before that period became the current period.