Use the Forecasting Workbench

The Forecasting Workbench is where planners review demand forecasts per item, generate or refresh them, and apply human judgment when history alone is not enough.

Steps

1. Go to Supply Chain Planning → Forecasting Workbench.
2. Search for an item (typeahead) or open one from the workbench list (open exceptions and recently configured forecasts).
3. On Detail, Generate a forecast (or wait for the nightly recalculation job).
4. Use Select best fit when you want the system to pick the lowest-error method from backtesting (MAPE / MAD).
5. Assign a seasonality profile when the item is seasonal — see Manage seasonality profiles.
6. For brand-new items, Generate from like item to borrow history from a comparable SKU.
7. Add a forecast override when planners or sales know something history does not — always record a reason.
8. Review Dependent demand when Manufacturing and BOM explosion have contributed component demand — see Run BOM explosion.

Methods at a glance

Biznsbook can use simple / double / triple exponential smoothing (Holt-Winters) and Croston’s for intermittent demand, alongside the base Replenishment Average Daily / Same-Weekday Rolling signals. Best-fit backtests methods per item and selects the lowest error.

Tips

• Intermittent or spare-part items often fit Croston’s better than smooth exponential methods.
• Promotions apply uplift on top of the baseline — keep event dates accurate or forecasts stay high after the promo ends.
• Supply Chain Planning extends — it does not replace — Inventory Forecast Accuracy and the Replenishment demand-signal path. See Plan replenishment.

Next step

Manage seasonality profiles

Build reusable seasonal index sets and assign them to items.

Manage promotions

Add calendar events and per-item uplift factors.