Integrating With a Third-Party Forecast Planning Application

To define forecast sets, use the Forecast Sets (FORECAST_SETS) component.

With PeopleSoft Inventory, you can download the demand data to third-party demand forecasting software applications. The inventory demand history data is loaded into intermediate files and then transferred using standard file transfer technology to the third-party forecast planning application database. Forecast and inventory planning information from the third-party forecast planning application can then be uploaded to PeopleSoft system tables.

Use the Download Forecasts process (INS9080) to generate a flat file containing the demand history data to pass to the third-party demand forecasting system for analysis. With the Upload Forecasts process (INS9081), you can upload a flat file with the same format containing the forecast data from the third-party demand forecasting system.

Third-Party Demand Forecast File Formats

PeopleSoft Inventory background processes generate a flat file containing the data to be analyzed for demand forecasting. This flat file is passed to a third-party demand forecasting system that performs the analysis and then generates a flat file to be returned to PeopleSoft in the same format.

The files to which you download and from which you upload must conform to these rules:

The file name length must be eight characters or less.
An extension of .dwn is automatically appended to downloaded file names.
The system expects the file that is read by the upload process to have a .upl extension.

Download File Formats Based on Booked Orders

If the system includes PeopleSoft Order Management and you selected the Bookings option on the Download Forecasts process page, PeopleSoft Inventory creates a download file based on demand history for sales orders in this layout:

Field	Format	Description
PROD_ITEM.INV_ITEM_ID	Char 18	Item
ORD_SCHEDULE.SHIP_FROM_BU	Char 5	Business Unit
MASTER_ITEM_TBL.DESCR	Char 30	Item Description
ORD_LINE.PRODUCT_ID	Char 18	Product ID
ORD_SCHEDULE.SHIP_TO_CUST_ID*	Char 15	Customer
CUSTOMER.NAME1*	Char 40	Customer Name
ORD_SCHEDULE.QTY_SCHED_ORIG	Nbr 11.4	Demand Quantity
ORD_SCHEDULE.REQ_SHIP_ORIG	YYYYMMDD	Demand Date
MASTER_ITEM_TBL.INV_ITEM_GROUP	Char 15	Item Group
MASTER_ITEM_TBL.INV_PROD_FAM_CD	Char 10	Family
PROD_PRICE.LIST_PRICE	Nbr 11.4	Unit Price
BU_ITEMS_INV.DFLT_ACTUAL_COST for actual-costed items; CM_PERPAVG_COST.CM_UNIT_COST for perpetual average-costed items; BU_ITEMS_INV.AVERAGE_COST for periodic average-costed items; CM_STDCOSTD_VW.TL_COST for standard cost items	Nbr 10.4	Unit Cost
BU_ITEMS_INV.PLANNER_CD	Char 12	Planner
BU_ITEMS_INV.UTILIZ_CD	Char 4	ABC Classification

* See field-specific notes.

Field Specific Notes for the Customer and Customer Name

This is included only if you selected the Include Customer Detail check box on the Download Forecasts page.

Download File Formats Based on Shipped Orders

If you selected the Shipments option on the Download Forecasts process page, PeopleSoft Inventory creates a downloaded file based on demand history for shipped orders in this layout:

Field	Format	Description
IN_DEMAND.INV_ITEM_ID*	Char 18	Item
IN_DEMAND.BUSINESS_UNIT	Char 5	Business Unit
MASTER_ITEM_TBL.DESCR	Char 30	Item Description
IN_DEMAND.PRODUCT_ID	Char 18	Product ID
IN_DEMAND.CUST_ID*	Char 15	Customer
IN_DEMAND.CUST_NAME*	Char 40	Customer Name
IN_DEMAND.QTY_SHIPPED	Nbr 11.4	Demand Quantity
IN_DEMAND.SHIP_DTTM	YYYYMMDD	Demand Date
MASTER_ITEM_TBL.INV_ITEM_GROUP	Char 15	Item Group
MASTER_ITEM_TBL.INV_PROD_FAM_CD	Char 10	Family
PROD_PRICE.LIST_LIST PRICE	Nbr 11.4	Unit Price
BU_ITEMS_INV.DFLT_ACTUAL_COST for actual-costed items; CM_PERPAVG_COST.CM_UNIT_COST for perpetual average-costed items; BU_ITEMS_INV.AVERAGE_COST for periodic average-costed items; CM_STDCOSTD_VW.TL_COST for standard cost items	Nbr 10.4	Unit Cost
BU_ITEMS_INV.PLANNER_CD	Char 12	Planner
BU_ITEMS_INV.UTILIZ_CD	Char 4	ABC Classification

* See field-specific notes.

Field-Specific Notes for Items

If you performed an item substitution on the Material Picking Feedback page, the Download Forecasts process downloads the substitute item rather than the original one.

Field-Specific Notes for the Customer and Customer Name

This is included only if you selected the Include Customer Detail check box on the Download Forecasts page.

Upload File Formats

The upload file created by the third-party forecasting application must have this layout:

Field	Format	Description
FORECAST_INV.FORECAST_SET	Char 20	Forecast Set
FORECAST_INV.INV_ITEM_ID STOCK_PERIOD_IN.INV_ITEM_ID	Char 18	Item
FORECAST_INV.BUSINESS_UNIT STOCK_PERIOD_IN.INV_BUSINESS_UNIT	Char 5	Business Unit
FORECAST_INV.FORECAST_DATE STOCK_PERIOD_IN.START_DT	YYYYMMDD	Start Date
STOCK_PERIOD_IN.END_DT	YYYYMMDD	End Date
FORECAST_INV.QTY_FORECAST	Nbr 11.4	Forecast Quantity
STOCK_PERIOD_IN.DESIRED_SAFETY	Nbr 9.0	Desired Safety Stock

Page Name	Definition Name	Usage
Download Forecasts Page	RUN_INS9080	Download demand history to a third-party forecasting application.
Upload Forecasts Page	RUN_INS9081	Establish process request parameters to transfer forecast and inventory data produced by the third-party forecasting application to PeopleSoft system tables.

Use the Download Forecasts page (RUN_INS9080) to download demand history to a third-party forecasting application.

Navigation:

Inventory > Forecast Items > Download Forecasts > Download Forecasts

The system calculates demand history, or past market demand, for each business unit-item combination. This history is based on request dates, shipped quantities, and requested quantities for sales orders or material stock requests.

Forecast Selection

Field or Control	Description
Bookings	Select to extract data from sales orders entered through PeopleSoft Order Management.
Shipments	Select to extract data from shipped orders. These are the orders in the demand fulfillment table (IN_DEMAND) with a fulfillment state (IN_FULFILL_STATE) between 60 (shipped) and 70 (depleted). Since work orders from PeopleSoft Maintenance Management are kept in the pending state until complete, these demand lines are only selected in the depleted state. Note: If you performed an item substitution on the Material Picking Feedback page, the Download Forecasts process extracts data for the substitute item rather than for the original one.

Field or Control

Description

Bookings

Select to extract data from sales orders entered through PeopleSoft Order Management.

Shipments

Select to extract data from shipped orders. These are the orders in the demand fulfillment table (IN_DEMAND) with a fulfillment state (IN_FULFILL_STATE) between 60 (shipped) and 70 (depleted). Since work orders from PeopleSoft Maintenance Management are kept in the pending state until complete, these demand lines are only selected in the depleted state.

Note: If you performed an item substitution on the Material Picking Feedback page, the Download Forecasts process extracts data for the substitute item rather than for the original one.

Customer Option

Field or Control	Description
Include Customer Detail	Select to extract data by customer. This enables the third-party application to forecast by customer.

Forecast Period

Field or Control	Description
Initial	Select for the first data transfer to the third-party forecast application. The initial download transfers demand history up to the past 36 months, if available. If you have some historical data, but less than 36 months, you can perform the initial download; however, forecasts will not be as precise. If no historical data is available, or if PeopleSoft Order Management is not part of the installation, enter descriptive information for each item into the third-party forecasting application manually.
Monthly	Enter the month and year for which customer sales orders are currently being placed. Demand history is downloaded for the previous month.
Demand Source	If you are using the Shipments forecast option, you can select All demand sources or a Specific source. If you selected Bookings as the forecast option, the demand source is assumed to be PeopleSoft Order Management.
Planner Code	Select to extract only those items associated with a planner code. Planner codes are established on the Planner Code page and can be associated with an item on the Define Business Unit Item - Planning: General page.
File Name	Enter the full path and file name for the file.

Use the Upload Forecasts page (RUN_INS9081) to establish process request parameters to transfer forecast and inventory data produced by the third-party forecasting application to PeopleSoft system tables.