Creating a Forecast or Rolling Forecast Layout

Create a forecast or rolling forecast layout to look back at Actuals data for time periods before a cut-over date, and look ahead to forecast data for subsequent time periods.

Prerequisites

Your story needs to have a planning model. For information on different types of models, see Learn About Models.

The table in your story should have a version with data that you want to use for the forecast periods. If it does not have one, you can use Version Management to create one. For more information, see Creating Versions.

Context

The Forecast Layout tab has the following sections:

  • Layout

    Layout fields Information
    Look back on Select the version to use for looking back.
    Look ahead on Select the version for forecasting or looking ahead.
    Cut-over date
    Options for cut-over date:

    • Today: The current date; this is the default choice.

    • Specific Date: In Select member for <Time>, select the date.

      You can also set a dynamic time filter.

    • Last Booked (Actuals): This means the latest date of data entered for the Actuals version.

  • Timeframe: options include the following:

    Type: Forecast

    Granularity:
    • Quarter
    • Month
    • Week
    		 Range:
    • Year
    • Quarter
    • Month
    Look back additional: number of intervals
    • Year
    • Quarter
    • Month
    • Week
    Look ahead additional: number of intervals
    • Year
    • Quarter
    • Month
    • Week

    Range refers to the timeframe covered in a forecast layout. The granularity value of Look back additional orLook ahead additional is set to be of an equal or lower level than the value of Range. For example, if you set Range to Month, the only options available for Look back additional or Look ahead additional are Month and Week.

    Type: Rolling Forecast

    Look back: number of intervals
    • Year
    • Quarter
    • Month
    • Week
    Look ahead: number of intervals
    • Year
    • Quarter
    • Month
    • Week
  • Calculation: has one field – Sum for – which has the following options:
    • Cut-over Year
    • All
    • Look ahead
    • None
  • Additional Versions: if you have more versions, you can use them in your layout.

Procedure

  1. Select your table.
  2. In the Builder tab, select Start of the navigation pathCross-tab Next navigation step  Forecast LayoutEnd of the navigation path.
  3. In the Layout section, select the versions to look back on and look ahead on, as well as a Cut-over date.
  4. In the Timeframe section, select the Type and the granularity options. If you set the Type to Forecast, you can also select to set the Range as you desire.
  5. In the Calculation section, select a sum option.
  6. Choose Apply.

Results

The table now shows actual and forecast values. The Builder panel displays the Forecast information for Cut-over date and Sum for.