Quick Summary: The Multi-Item Manual Forecast Adjustment feature enables bulk, manual adjustments to individual item forecasts. Streamline the review and amendment process for large numbers of items simultaneously.
Please note: This feature is only available in the advanced forecasting feature.
How to Access This Feature
To get started with multi-item adjustments, you need to navigate to the correct screen in the app:
Navigate to Forecasts screen > Summary panel > Adjust items (pencil) button. Remember to select a location from the top-right drop-down on the Forecasts screen before adjusting item forecasts.
Recommended Workflow
To use this feature effectively, it is recommended to follow a structured process:
Filter Items: Narrow down the item list to a manageable subset using relevant filters (e.g., supplier, category, or classification).
Review and Adjust: Manually examine each item and make forecast changes where required.
Apply and Freeze: Confirm the changes so the adjusted values are preserved and not replaced by future automated forecast updates.
Re-Process Data: Trigger a data re-process so that your new forecasts are incorporated into the ordering, classification, and status calculations.
Optional Global Adjustment (Before Item-Level)
Before you start making item-level changes, you can perform a preliminary global adjustment.
Click Adjust totals (graph icon) to make a global adjustment (e.g., a percentage increase) to all selected items for specific months.
Model the impact of this change to see what it would look like.
Click Adjust items (graph icon) to review the resulting individual forecasts before applying. This lets you see the broad impact of your change and then fine-tune it item by item.
➜ For more on this topic, read: How To: Adjust Forecasts at Macro/Group Level
The Importance of Filters
The initial forecast summary screen in Netstock displays data for all items, which can be an extensive list. Filtering is a key step to effectively utilize the multi-item adjustment tool.
Navigate to the Forecasts screen > Summary panel.
Click the Adjust items (pencil icon) button to enter the adjustment interface.
Click the "Filter" button and specify your filtering criteria (e.g., Supplier, Category, Product Class, etc).
Click the "Apply" (tick) button to narrow your selection.
The Adjustment Interface
Once you have filtered your list, you'll enter the multi-item manual forecast adjustment interface. This screen displays a list of your items with all the relevant forecast information needed to make an informed decision.
Key elements of this screen include:
Sortable Columns: Click on column headings to sort your item list (e.g., by Risk or Status) to prioritize which items to review first.
Risk: Identifies items with significant forecast uncertainty, allowing for focused review to optimize safety stock.
Status: Highlights items with current or potential stock-outs, ensuring forecast accuracy for critical situations.
Item List: The main panel displays individual items with key data like product details, classification, and forecast history.
Item Details: For each item, a detailed view provides a sales and forecast graph, sales and forecast averages, period-to-date sales, and a set of editable forecast fields.
Summary Panel: Located at the bottom right, this panel shows the net impact of any adjustments you make, with options to view by Cost price, Sell price, Margin, or Units, giving you real-time feedback on your changes.
Action Buttons: The available buttons include Apply (to save changes), Undo (to revert changes), Download (to export the item list), and Upload (to import forecasts).
Adjustment Types
The app allows you to apply two primary types of adjustments to your selected items:
Percentage change: This applies a proportional increase or decrease to the existing forecast (e.g., "+10% uplift" or "-5% reduction"). This is ideal for scenarios where the change is expected to be relative to the existing forecast.
Absolute change: This applies a fixed volume change to the forecast (e.g., "add 100 units per month"). This is useful when you have a specific, known quantity of demand to add, such as a new contract for a fixed volume.
These adjustments can be applied to the selected items’ forecasts for your chosen months.
When a forecast is manually adjusted, the corresponding cell background changes, and the summary panel updates accordingly.
Applying and Freezing Forecasts
Your forecast modifications are not finalized until you click the Apply button.
This action does two critical things:
It saves the adjusted forecasts you have made.
It freezes the adjusted forecasts, preventing them from being overwritten by subsequent system-generated forecasts. The red snowflake icon will appear next to any frozen forecast.
Note: If a manually entered forecast value exactly matches the system-generated forecast for a specific period, it will be automatically unfrozen to allow the system to take over again.
Data Re-Processing
After you have applied and frozen your forecasts, a final step is necessary for them to take effect. You must trigger a data re-process. This re-process is what makes the applied forecast adjustments influence your ordering, classification, and status calculations.
➜ For more on this topic, read: How To: Refresh the App With Your Latest Data
⚠️ Watchouts
Freezing: An applied forecast is automatically frozen. Remember to unfreeze a forecast when the conditions that required the manual change have passed, so the system can resume its automated forecasting.
Broad Changes: Making very broad, un-filtered changes can have unintended consequences. Always filter carefully to ensure you are only impacting the items you intend to.
💡 Tips
Focus on Exceptions: Use the sortable columns and status indicators to focus on items that need your attention the most (e.g., items with a high Risk or in a Stock-out status).
Use the Summary Panel: The summary panel is a powerful tool. Use it to check the overall impact of your changes on total inventory investment before you commit.
Document Your Changes: Capture the reason for each adjustment using the notes field when you apply changes, or add item specific comments by opening the item dashboard and using the Comments tab. This helps other planners understand your decisions and supports future reviews or audits.
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