Prediction Constraint Options

Prediction Constraint options enable you to determine whether to include events in predictions and to specify how to handle negative predicted values.

• Include Events—This option is available for planners working with Predictive Planning on forms. When this option is selected, any events defined for the selected calendar are taken into consideration during the prediction. (Planners must first select a calendar. From the prediction area on the form, select Settings, and then select Date Ranges).

  If you include events, historical spikes or declines are also reflected in future predictions. For example, a North American calendar might include an event for Christmas, or an APAC calendar might include an event for Diwali, when sales would typically spike. By including the historical data spikes in the prediction, you see the spikes in the predicted data, so you can plan ahead for volume or to make use of the opportunity.

  Without events, spikes or falls in data are normalized and distributed over the prediction period, potentially leading to less accurate predictions.

• Adjust Invalid Negative Predictions—Specify how to handle negative predicted values. Not all accounts are valid to have negative predicted values, for example, accounts such as headcount or units sold. Other accounts, such as marketing expense, could have negative predicted values. If you select this option, once a prediction is generated, if negative predicted values are found, Predictive Planning uses a process for determining how to handle the negative values and then applies adjustments during the post prediction process if needed. Optionally, if you select Detect non-negative measures using GenAI, the prediction engine uses GenAI when needed to decide how to process values. For details on how Predictive Planning processes negative values, see Handling Decimal Values and Negative Values in Auto Predict and Predictive Planning.