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Creating a Departmental Forecast Series


The departmental forecast can be used as a supplement to other forecasting methods mentioned in this chapter. In many companies, the global forecast is only be available to a few individuals. The departmental forecast provides divisional or departmental managers with a way of taking a snapshot of their revenues for historical or analytical purposes. The departmental forecast is an example of a corporate snapshot type of forecast.

The departmental forecast:

  • Allows an individual user to take a snapshot of each departmental revenue at once
  • Requires no user or management intervention
  • Captures each revenue that meets the forecast series criteria, including partner and third-party related revenues
  • Avoids a lengthy and involved adjustment process as forecasts are rolled from manager to manager to executive

Compared to the personal forecasts, the departmental forecast requires a very low amount of overhead and almost no administration. It gives timely information with no requirement for intervention and adjustment.

Example: At company DEFG, there is an overlay sales group for every product line. The managers of these sales groups need periodic snapshots of their product specific revenues. Although each manager runs a small business, no individual manager is allowed to see how the other product lines are doing. When the managers do not think a revenue item is realistic, they ask the user to change it. The user's committed forecast total is equal to the sum of each of their revenues that meet the company's forecasting rules.

Use the departmental forecast if:

  • One manager wants to forecast for an entire team
  • Periodic snapshots of data are necessary

Do not use the departmental forecast if:

  • Data needs to be rolled up, or different levels of management need access to the snapshot
  • You do not need a mid management view of forecasting

To create a departmental forecast series

  1. Navigate to the Administration - Forecast screen, then the Forecast Administration view.
  2. Create a forecast series.

    For information, see Creating a Forecast Series.

  3. In the new forecast series, from the Visibility drop-down list, select My Team's Revenues.

    This causes the manager's view to include each of the subordinates' revenue records.

  4. Click the Forecast Series Dates tab and add forecast dates.

    For information about adding dates, see Defining Forecast Series Dates.

  5. Click the Forecast Series Participants tab and add a few forecast series participants, including only one level of the hierarchy.

    For information about adding participants, see Adding Forecast Series Participants.

  6. Click the Aggregation tab and add the required aggregation levels.

    For information about adding aggregation levels, see Adding Aggregation Levels.

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