Simple lead forecasting optimizes the forecasting parameters to minimize the error measure between the historical data and the fit values, offset by a specified number of periods (lead). Use this forecasting technique when a forecast for some future time period has the greatest importance, more so than the forecasts for the previous or later periods. For example, single lead forecasting can be used if your company must order extremely expensive manufacturing components two months in advance, making any forecast for two months out the most important.