Forecast 
Use
With the
automatic planning method Forecast, you can forecast plan values on the basis of existing reference data. 
Note that you have to call up the planning method for the target planning package in which the forecast data is to be set.
Features
The forecast function for sales and profit planning is essentially the same as that for sales and operations planning (SOP). The system supports a number of
forecast models, including constant, trend and seasonal models. The models and
forecast parameters are specified in forecast profiles that you define in Customizing for Profitability Analysis under Planning ®
Planning Aids ®
Forecast Profile. Predictions can be made for any time periods and on the basis of both planning and actual data. For more information on this topic, see the following sections in the SOP documentation:
Selection of Models (and the subordinate chapters)
Forecast Formulas
Selection options
In the parameter set, you can specify the following:
- You specify whether the forecast is to occur on the basis of a universally valid forecast profile or on the basis of a segment-specific forecast profile via an access key. By choosing
, you can jump to the appropriate Customizing transaction and display the settings for the forecast profile or access key at hand. From there, you can switch to the change mode and create a new forecast profile or access key if required.
- You specify the time frame for the reference data that is to be used as the basis for executing the planning method. There are two ways of doing this:
- On the one hand, you can have the system automatically determine periods that fall before (or after) the periods at the planning level or those in the planning package. Under Period closing, you enter the number of periods that the system should count back. (If the reference data is to fall in the future, enter a figure with the negative sign.) You can display the current fiscal year variant in order to enter an appropriate value.
- On the other hand, you can enter the periods for the reference data directly under Period from/to. The interval that you enter is not dependent on the period interval for the currently selected planning package.
- You specify whether the data to be used as reference data is actual data or data from the plan version for the planning package or from a different plan version that is yet to be specified.
- You can use the values for a different characteristic value as reference data for the forecast. For example, you can use the values for a given customer to forecast the values for a different customer. For this, use the Transform characteristic values function.
- By making the appropriate setting, you specify, on the one hand, whether the forecast is to be executed in a test run or in an update run, or, on the other hand, whether this decision is to be postponed until the point of execution of the parameter set.
- You can jump to a background processing screen.
- In the Value fields tab page, you specify which specific value fields are to be changed.