αβ • Alpha Beta Planning

Forecast Services

• Statistical Modeling for Existing Products

  • Causative Models (see the article on the strategic benefits of causal forecasting)

  • Time Series Models

  • Specialized modeling for advertising and promotion evaluation

• New Product Forecast Development

• Sales Forecasting for Mergers and Acquisitions

• Forecast Process and Organization Evaluation

Forecast Analytics Approach

• Business problem driven

  • Review of business objectives

    • How does forecast improvement drive business improvement?

      • Long term strategic needs or shorter term operating management needs

    • Who uses the forecast?

      • Finance?

      • Supply chain?

      • Marketing?

      • Sales Quotas?

• Gathering the right data from both internal and external sources

  • Shipment vs sell-through?

  • Key business driver assessment

  • Reconciling incomplete or incompatible data

  • But, data is not enough

• Analytical insight

  • Use the forecast process as tool for managing your business

  • Appropriate & cost effective techniques

  • But, technique is not enough

• Support for processes, people and information flow

• Training the players for independence

• Understanding the sources and costs of variability

  • Cost benefit assessment for data acquisition and management & forecast solution options

Copyright © 2004, 2005, 2006 Alpha Beta Planning
Last modified: 07/19/06