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Refreshing a Forecast

Managers' forecasts can contain subordinates' forecasts that are not up-to-date, because subordinates can add revenue records to their forecasts after the manager creates the forecast.

However, a manager can see which forecast contains subordinate's updated forecasts by means of the Refresh Alert column in the Forecast List view. (A Refresh Alert flag is set for the forecast containing the subordinate's updated forecasts.) The manager can drill down on such a forecast and navigate to the Subordinate view. In the Subordinate view, the Forecast Updated field contains a check mark for each subordinate forecast that is updated. The manager can then click the Refresh button in the Subordinate view to update the forecast. The Forecast Updated field is then unchecked and the Refresh Alert flag is reset indicating that the refresh of the forecast is completed. The entire forecast is not re-created; it is only updated with the changed revenue records. The refresh process flow is shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2. Refresh Process Flow

The refresh functionality is applicable only to the first level subordinate in the hierarchy. Therefore, a manager can refresh forecasts belonging to direct subordinates but not the subordinate's subordinate forecasts. When a manager refreshes the forecast, the manager's manager sees that the forecast is updated and that manager must refresh the forecast in turn.

If the manager has made any adjustment to the subordinate's revenue forecast, the adjusted values are not preserved after the refresh. The manager must then re-evaluate the newly-created records and adjust accordingly.

The refresh function works differently depending on whether the updated forecast is a Revenue Details or Summary Only type of forecast.

In a Summary Only forecast, the new revenue records are automatically pulled into the manager's Details view even before the manager clicks the Refresh button. However, the manager's forecast does not actually reflect the changes until the manager clicks the Rollup button to align the Summary and Details views. Siebel Forecasting rolls up from the Summary view, or subordinate, and the changes in the Details views are discarded if not aligned with the Summary. Clicking the Refresh button:

• Performs a rollup operation to align the Summary and Details views
• Resets the flag for the Refresh Alert column

In a Revenue Details forecast, the new revenue records are not automatically pulled into the manager's forecast. First, the alert flag is set so that the manager is aware of the subordinate's forecast revenue changes. So clicking the Refresh button:

• Pulls in the data from the subordinate's forecast into the manager's forecast
• Performs a rollup operation to align the Summary and Details views
• Resets the flag for the Refresh Alert Column

NOTE:  The refresh functionality does not work if a user deletes a forecast record and then recreates it. This generates a new row ID for the record and therefore breaks the association with the manager's forecast. The manager can then no longer see the subordinate's record, making a refresh impossible.

Refreshing a Forecast

A manager uses the following procedure when the manager notices that one of the forecasts contains subordinate's updated forecasts as indicated in the Refresh Alert column in the Forecast List view.

To refresh a forecast

1. In the Forecasts list, drill down on a forecast that contains a red flag in the Refresh Alert column.
2. Navigate to the Subordinates view.

   The Forecast Updated field contains a checkmark for each subordinate forecast that is updated.

3. Select the subordinate forecasts that have been updated.
4. Click the Refresh button.