Kapoq has started to bring unit forecast planning into the UI, with the first stage allowing users to edit settings that have previously only lived within the workbook. Below we've outlined the new Manage and Edit pages, as well as a few additional
callouts.
Today, only SKU Unit Forecasts can be edited within the Kapoq UI. There is now a Manage tab available in that submodule where users can use the Bulk Upload button above the grid to download, edit (or just save), and then upload a new forecast.
It should be noted that the Bulk Upload button above the grid is for new forecasts only. In the next section, we'll explain how to download existing forecasts. Let's take a closer look at the grid for a single forecast line.
This is the edit button, which will take you into the editing page with all of the settings.
This is the download button, which allows you to download this forecast with all of your saved settings. If you make any changes within the editing page, they will show on this download.
Use As Demand will show a checked box if that same setting has been marked as 'Yes' within the workbook. Only one forecast may be used as demand. A new forecast can be uploaded to override another forecast that is being used as demand.
Indicates if the forecast is active. Right now, we do not yet have other status types, but we will in the future.
This is a true delete button. An 'are you sure?' message will pop up, and once selected, the forecast will be deleted for good.
Let's take a closer look at the editing page and the changes that can be made to a forecast.
At the top of the page, the forecast name can be clicked into and updated at any time. If the forecast is being used as demand, you will see the blue message at the top that indicates this and let's you know that once changes are made, the workbook should be reuploaded to make sure the demand per item is properly updated.
Sales Curve is the first setting in the grid that can be changed per item. This setting applies historical sales data, allowing Kapoq to project and recommend units. Sales curves are especially useful for products with seasonality or that do not have much sales history. The Sales Curve chart to the left of this setting supplies a visual aid to the selected curve. With the exception of Last Year For This SKU, all the Sales Curves are for all items in the brand.
Run Rate is the second setting in the grid that can be changed per item. This looks at the historical run rate and is based on the number of months selected. It's recommended to use the trailing number of months based on the amount of data available. For example, for a newer SKU that only has 2 months worth of data, T1M is the best suggested run rate.
And the last piece that can be edited is the Growth Factor Methodology. This applies a percentage growth either at the annual level or monthly level. If Annual is selected, a value should be entered in the Annual Growth Rate column; 5% is the default if it has not been changed. If Monthly is selected, the month columns will become editable and percentage values can be entered.
Multiple items can also be selected in the grid and have their settings changed at the same time using the mass actions menu. This is helpful for larger catalogs, especially when used with the Product column filter.
All edits in the grid are automatically saved and applied to the workbook. Those changes can be viewed by downloading the same workbook on the Manage page, using the download button next to the Forecast Name.
*It's worth noting that at this time, there is not a way to choose which forecast displays for tracking purposes in the Performance tab of SKU Unit Forecasts. Kapoq displays either the forecast that is used as demand or, if one is not used as demand, the most recent.
Editing within the UI is only available at the SKU level. ASIN Unit Forecasts remain workbook-only.