Validate Forecasts with UDF Launchpad 
The Unified Demand Forecast Launchpad (UDF Launchpad) is an optional visualization tool that supports statistical analysts and data analysts in validating the forecasts generated with UDF. To do this, you can compare historical key performance indicators (KPIs), modeled KPIs, and forecasted KPIs.
The UDF Launchpad consists of two parts:
Overview Launchpad
The Overview Launchpad is the central entry point. It provides a collection of buttons by default and can be enhanced with third party or other tools that also support forecast validation. From here, you can launch the View Time Series dashboard to validate the forecasts.
View Time Series dashboard
The View Time Series dashboard allows you to visualize the actual units, modeled units, and forecasted units in comparison to each other and across other KPIs. You can aggregate and filter the data to any level of the product and location hierarchies.
Features
Overview Launchpad
Central entry point
Customizable
Link to other dashboards, tools, and reports as needed
Launch the View Time Series dashboard
View Time Series Dashboard
Compare and contrast historical sales data for selected products and locations
Visualize the year-over-year effects for any time series
Analyze differences in sales history
Visualize demand modeling and forecasting results and compare them to historical sales
Filter the data to be displayed from a range of options (such as Logical System, Product Hierarchy, Location Hierarchy)
Aggregate to different levels of the product hierarchy and the location hierarchy (such as Department, Category, and Subcategory)
Customize the labels of the hierarchies
View time series as a graph or a table
Scale the time series graph vertically and horizontally
Save dashboard scenarios locally
Implementation Considerations
The use of the UDF Launchpad is optional. You can download it from the SAP Store in the SAP Community Network at 
http://scn.sap.com/
.
Note
There is no product support for the tool and the user interface is only available in English.
Please also note that there are additional hardware requirements for using the tool and that you must plan your system landscape accordingly. For more information about those requirements, see the UDF Launchpad Installation Guide, which you can find in SAP Note 1836357.
For more information about installing and configuring the UDF Launchpad, see the following sources:
Administrator's Guide, Demand Data Foundation (DDF) with Unified Demand Forecast (UDF) on SAP HANA and Common Installation Guide for SAP Customer Activity Repository, SAP Assortment Planning for Retail, SAP Promotion Management for Retail. You can find both guides on SAP Service Marketplace at
http://service.sap.com/instguides
Installation & Upgrade Guides Industry Solutions Industry Solution Guides SAP for Retail SAP Customer Activity Repository SAP Customer Activity Repository 2.0 <your support package> .SAP Ramp-Up Knowledge Transfer (RKT) content for UDF
Process
You can validate forecasts as follows:
You enter the View Time Series dashboard from the top left icon on the Overview Launchpad. You can then select the data that you want to display from the following options:
Logical System
Log on to the desired logical system. Note that initially you get all products and locations.
Default setting: First logical system on the hardware that the dashboard is configured to look at.
Product Hierarchy
Select from a merchandise hierarchy, multiple article hierarchies, or product groups.
Default setting: First product hierarchy listed.
Location Hierarchy
Select from a location hierarchy or location groups (for example, from SAP ERP).
Default setting: First location hierarchy listed.
Assign Level
Select the desired hierarchy levels to filter or aggregate from. Note that you can customize the level labels.
This configuration is available for both the product hierarchy and the location hierarchy.
Default setting – Product Hierarchy:
Level 1: Department
Level 2: Category
Level 3: Subcategory
Default setting – Location Hierarchy:
Level 1: Banner
Level 2: Region
Level 3: State
Product Hierarchy – level selections
For each of the three levels that have been configured with the Assign Level option, you can do the following: select a specific hierarchy node, display aggregated data, or drill down to a particular product within the selected node.
Example: You can display a time series for an entire category. If you find a category of concern, you can easily switch to a particular product within that category to review.
Default setting:
Level 1: ALL
Level 2: ALL
Level 3: ALL
Location Hierarchy – level selections
For each of the three levels that have been configured with the Assign Level option, you can do the following: select a specific hierarchy node, display aggregated data, or drill down to a particular location within the selected node.
Example: You can display a time series for an entire region. If you find a region of concern, you can easily switch to a particular location within that region to review.
Default setting:
Level 1: ALL
Level 2: ALL
Level 3: ALL
Begin Date / End Date
You can specify the period to be displayed on the x-axis of the time series graph.
A maximum of 120 points can be displayed. The date displayed is based on the begin date.
Default setting:
Begin Date: Today minus 365 days
End Date: Today plus 90 days
Granularity
You can select the time granularity for the time series display. Note that only daily granularity is supported at this time.
Default setting: Daily
Demand Data Type
You can select which demand data type you would like to view. The options available depend on the data types persisted in Demand Data Foundation (DDF).
Supported demand data types:
Point-of-sale (POS) data
Default setting: Point of Sale
KPI Selection for Time Series Graph
The x-axis is defaulted to time. You can display any values persisted over time.
The dashboard is flexible and allows you to visualize multiple key performance indicators (KPIs) on the two y-axes. You can select from the following:
Units
Price
Revenue
Margin
Offers
Example: You can compare units against offers. Or you can compare revenue against price.
Default setting:
Y1 Axis: Units
Y2 Axis: no preselection
Show Current and Previous Year
You can display the year-over-year effects for any time series.
This function considers your begin date and end date, then subtracts 365 days to determine the year-over-year range.
Example: You want to display the effects of the Christmas holiday year over year.
Table View
You can display the data from the time series graph as a grid. The table view can be particularly helpful to detect patterns within the data.
Note
To see your changes in the time series graph, choose the refresh button on the top right.