Multi-item manual forecast adjustment
Please note: This feature is only available in the advanced forecasting module.
Easily make forecast adjustments to larger numbers of individual item forecasts, when navigating to each individual item will take too long. When using this functionality, it is recommended that you:
Select a filter to get to a manageable list of items.
Manually review and amend forecasts, where appropriate.
Apply the changes, and freeze the forecasts.
The importance of filters
When you click on the Forecast menu option, the forecast summary page displays the sales and forecast graphic for the entire location. This may mean that there are hundreds, or even thousands, of items in that location contributing to the overall summary picture. This would make it impractical to drill through and manually modify individual item forecasts.
Filters should be used to narrow down the number of items displayed to a more manageable list before opening up the multi-manual forecast functionality.
After clicking on the Forecast menu option, click on the Filter button to enter the criteria to hone in on the forecast group you wish to review/amend:
Specify the criteria to filter by.
Click the Apply (tick) button to apply filter.
To use the multi-item manual forecast adjustment
Click the Adjust items (pencil) button to review the individual forecasts, make any required amendments, and apply them. This will navigate directly to the multi-item manual forecasting adjustment functionality so that changes can be made to individual item forecasts.
Prior to navigating to the multi-item manual forecasting adjustment functionality, you may want to make (but not apply) a global forecast adjustment for the selected group of items. If so:
First, click the Adjust totals (pencil) button, make the required change to the month(s) in question and model the change.
Then, click the Adjust items (graph) button to review the resultant individual adjusted forecasts prior to applying changes.
List of all items for review
The list of all items is displayed, enabling you to scroll down reviewing each item, and making manual forecast adjustments where appropriate.
This screen contains:
The column headings, each of which are clickable to sort the list of items in that order.
The list of individual items.
A summary of the items listed (bottom right), including the net result of any adjustments made.
A selector enabling you to view the summary by Cost price, Sell price, Margin or Units.
The buttons to Apply the manual forecast adjustments, or to Undo the changes made.
The buttons to Download the list or Upload forecasts.
Click on the column headings to sort the list in that order, for example sorting the list by:
Risk to highlight items with significant forecast risk. Focusing on improving the forecasts of these items will reduce forecast risk and optimise safety stock levels.
Status so you can review forecasts for items that have stock-outs and potential stock-outs, to ensure the forecasts are accurate and the extent of the stock-out or potential stock-out is realistic.
For each item, information is provided to assist with reviewing the forecast and deciding on whether a manual adjustment is necessary, including:
Product and grouping information.
Classification of the item.
The sales and forecast graphic.
Sales and forecast averages, period to date sales, the age of the item.
Sales history, the computer forecast and a place to make your forecast adjustment.
When forecast changes are made, the cell background color changes. Additionally, the summary table (bottom) reflects the impact of those changes.
Any forecast changes made are not “live” until you click the Apply button, which applies the adjusted forecasts to the live data. The adjusted forecasts are then "frozen" so they are not overwritten by the computer generated forecast the next time it is calculated.
NOTE: If the manually adjusted forecast equals the computer generated forecast for a period, that forecast will be unfrozen.
A final step to re-process the data is required to have those forecast adjustments impact ordering, classification and status determination.
You may be interested in the following articles to learn more about each function of the Advanced Forecasting Module: