Inventory Planning > Inventory Forecasting > Setup > Options Maintenance

Options Maintenance

You use this program to maintain forecasting options at stock code/revision/release/warehouse level for a single or range of stock items.

Toolbar and menu

Field Description
File  
Batch Update

Select this to use the IO Selections program to indicate the forecasting options for a range (batch) of inventory items.

You can select this option without entering any information in any other fields.
Save Save your selections for the warehouse/stock code combination.
Warehouse Enter the warehouse for the stock item for which you want to maintain the forecasting options.
Stock code

Enter the stock code of the item for which you want to maintain the forecasting options.

A stock item defined as a Phantom part or as a Notional part (Stock Codes) cannot be processed.
Change Rev/Rel

Select this to change the revision/release of the item for which you want to maintain the forecasting options.

When you select this option the ECC Stock Quantities listview is displayed, enabling you to select the rev/rel your require.

This only applies to stock codes which are defined as ECC controlled (Stock Codes).

General

This pane applies to the updating of IO options for an individual stock item.

Field Description
Stock code This displays the code of the stock item you are currently maintaining.
Stock code description This displays the description of the stock item.
Warehouse This indicates the warehouse for the stock item for which you are maintaining the forecasting options.
Warehouse description This displays the description of the warehouse.
Revision/Release This indicates the revision and/or release of the stock item for which you are maintaining the forecasting options. This is only displayed for items defined as ECC controlled (Stock Codes).
ID number This number is automatically generated by the system when you update your Current min/max levels for the stock code/warehouse combination. Current min/max levels can be updated using the IO Stock Levels Modeling (Functions menu - Update Current) and IO Draft Levels Approval programs.
Forecast calendar Indicate the forecast calendar that you want to use for forecasting. If left blank, the company default is used - see IO Stock Levels Modeling.
Forecast algorithm

Indicate the algorithm to use when forecasting this item.

You can select one of the following algorithms:

  • {Use default}

    Select this to default to using the algorithm assigned to the company (Inventory Optimization - Forecast Algorithms Setup).

  • Competition
  • Mean
  • Median
  • Moving average
  • Exponential smoothing with trend
  • Six period weighted average
  • Twelve period weighted average
  • Holt-Winters additive
  • Holt-Winters multiplicative

  • Annual seasonal profiles - unsmoothed

    If you select this option a zero forecast is suggested by the Batch Forecasting and Manual Forecasting programs when declining trend data would cause a negative forecast.
Replenishment item Select this to indicate that the item is a replenishment item. Although your selection here has no effect on forecasting, it can be used as a selection criterion by some programs.
Manual forecast Select this to indicate that the item is forecast manually.
[Note]

Items that are forecast manually, are excluded from batch forecasting by default.
User defined 1 - 6 These are free format fields which you can use to enter whatever additional information you require.

Sales History Proxy

This pane applies to the updating of IO options for an individual stock item. It is used to link an item (typically a new stock item) to an existing item that has history. Usually a new stock item has no history so an existing similar item with demand history can be used to for the new item.

Field Description
Use proxy for sales history

Select this to indicate that a proxy must be used to determine the sales history of the item.

This is typically used for the introduction of a new item where you know that the sales pattern of the item is likely to be similar to that of an existing item that has sales history.

Proxies should also be used for the introduction of new revisions/releases of ECC-controlled items (i.e. the proxy for the new revision/release will be the previous revision/release). To cater for this, proxies may be multi-level.
Stock code Indicate the stock item for which you want to configure proxy details.
Stock code description This displays the description of the stock code entered.
Revision Indicate the revision of the item for which you want to configure proxy details.

This only applies to ECC controlled stock items.
Release

Indicate the release of the item for which you want to configure proxy details.

This only applies to ECC controlled stock items.
Use proxy until Indicate the cut-off date until which the proxy can be used.

This should allow sufficient time for stable sales volumes to be achieved for the item.
Percentage of sales to use Indicate the percentage of proxy sales to use, enabling you to cater for different volumes between the proxy and the new item.
Reduce sales when forecasting proxy Select this when you believe that the introduction of the new item will affect sales of the proxy.

You should probably always select this if the proxy is being used for the introduction of a new revision/release.
Reduce proxy's sales after Indicate the date after which the proxy's sales history (not the sales forecast) should be reduced.

This delay allows the item that is replacing the proxy to reach its potential sales.

The proxy's sales history is reduced by the percentage specified in the Percentage to reduce proxy's sales field, after the date specified in this field.
Percentage to reduce proxy's sales Indicate the percentage by which you want to reduce the sales history of the proxy.

It may be that the replacement item will not replace the proxy entirely.

Algorithm Settings

By default, the algorithm settings used are those defined in the Inventory Optimization - Forecast Algorithms Setup program. The Algorithm Settings are used to design the conditions under which the forecasting formulae run.

Field Description
Override default settings Select this to indicate that the algorithm settings specified against the item should be used rather than the company defaults.

When you select this option, the rest of the options in this pane are enabled.
Competition  
Months to use Indicate the number of months into the past for which forecasts must be generated to compare algorithms. This defaults to 12.
Measure to use Indicate the forecast error measurement that must be used when comparing algorithms. This defaults to Mean Square Deviation.
Mean  
Months to use Indicate the number of months that must be included when calculating the mean. This defaults to 12.
Median  
Months to use Indicate the number of months that must be included when calculating the median. This defaults to 12.
Moving average  
Months to use Indicate the number of months that must be included when calculating the moving average. This defaults to 3.
Exponential smoothing  
Smoothing coefficient Indicate the smoothing coefficient that must be used when calculating forecasts using this algorithm. This defaults to 0.7.
Trend coefficient Indicate the trend coefficient to use when calculating forecasts using this algorithm. This defaults to 0.6.
Six period weighted average
[Note]

Against each weighting forecast, the weightings for all periods added together must equal one.
Weighting forecast minus 1 & 2

Indicate the weighting that should be applied to the two periods immediately prior to the period being forecast. This defaults to 0.5.
Weighting forecast minus 3 &4

Indicate the weighting that should be applied to the third and fourth periods prior to the period being forecast. This defaults to 0.3.
Weighting forecast minus 5 & 6

Indicate the weighting that should be applied to the fifth and sixth periods prior to the period being forecast. This defaults to 0.2.
Twelve period weighted average
[Note]

Against each weighting forecast, the weightings for all periods added together must equal one.
Weighting forecast minus 1, 2 & 3

Indicate the weighting that should be applied to the first three periods immediately prior to the period being forecast. This defaults to 0.45.
Weighting forecast minus 4, 5 & 6

Indicate the weighting that should be applied to the fourth, fifth and sixth periods prior to the period being forecast. This defaults to 0.25.
Weighting forecast minus 7, 8 & 9

Indicate the weighting that should be applied to the seventh, eighth and ninth periods prior to the period being forecast. This defaults to 0.2.
Weighting forecast minus 10, 11 & 12 Indicate the weighting that should be applied to the tenth, eleventh and twelfth periods prior to the period being forecast. This defaults to 0.1
Holt-Winters additive  
Optimize coefficients Select this if you want the system to attempt to find the optimum coefficient values to use when forecasting, instead of the values at the coefficient fields below.

This option is selected by default.
Level coefficient Indicate the level coefficient to be applied when forecasting with this algorithm.

This defaults to 0.
Trend coefficient Indicate the trend coefficient to be applied when forecasting with this algorithm.
Seasonal coefficient Indicate the seasonal coefficient to be applied when forecasting with this algorithm.
Holt-Winters multiplicative
Optimize coefficients Select this if you want the system to attempt to find the optimum coefficient values to use when forecasting, instead of the values at the coefficient fields below. This option is selected by default.
Level coefficient Indicate the level coefficient to be applied when forecasting with this algorithm. This defaults to 0.
Trend coefficient Indicate the trend coefficient to be applied when forecasting with this algorithm.
Seasonal coefficient Indicate the seasonal coefficient to be applied when forecasting with this algorithm.

IO Options Maintenance Batch Update

This screen is displayed when you select the Start Processing option in the IO Selections program (i.e. once you have indicated the range or selection set of items you want to maintain).

Field Description
File  
Manual Maintenance

Select this to manually enter individual stock items against which you want to apply and update the forecasting options.

This enables you to change the forecasting options for individual items.
Update Select this to change the IO options for the batch of selected items according to the options specified in the General and Algorithm Settings panes for batch updates.
Close Select this to exit the program.
Update Select this to change the IO options for the batch of selected items according to the options specified in the General and Algorithm Settings panes for batch updates.
Parameters Select this to use the IO Selections program to change your batch selection.

General (Batch Update)

Field Description
Options to update You use these options to indicate which of the General settings you want to change for the batch of items.

As you select an option in this section, the corresponding option in the General settings section is enabled.

Any of the following options can be selected for change:

  • Forecast calendar

  • Forecast algorithm

  • Replenishment flag

  • Manual forecast flag

  • User define fields

  • Algorithm settings - selecting this enables the Override default settings option in the Algorithm Settings pane.
General settings
[Note]

Only the options you selected in the Options to update section are available for change in this section.
Forecast calendar Indicate the forecast calendar to use for the batch of items.
Forecast algorithm Indicate the forecast algorithm that you want to use for forecasting for the selected items.

You can select one of the following algorithms:

  • {Use default}

    Select this to default to using the algorithm assigned to the company (Inventory Optimization - Forecast Algorithms Setup).

  • Competition
  • Mean
  • Median
  • Moving average
  • Exponential smoothing with trend
  • Six period weighted average
  • Twelve period weighted average
  • Holt-Winters additive
  • Holt-Winters multiplicative

  • Annual seasonal profiles - unsmoothed

    If you select this option a zero forecast is suggested by the Batch Forecasting and Manual Forecasting programs when declining trend data would cause a negative forecast.
Replenishment item Select this to flag the batch of stock items as being replenishment items. Although your selection here has no effect on forecasting, it can be used as a selection criterion by some programs.
Manual forecast item Select this to indicate that the item is forecast manually.

This option is not intended to exclude items from being disaggregated in the Families and Groupings or Batch Forecasting programs.

All the IO programs have the option to include or exclude items which are flagged as Manual forecast.

Items that are forecast manually are by default excluded from batch forecasting.
User defined 1 - 6 These are free format fields which you can use to enter whatever additional information you require.

Algorithm Settings (Batch Update)

Field Description
Override default settings Select this to change the algorithm settings for the batch of items.

One selected, the other options in the Algorithm Settings pane are enabled.

These options are the same as those for manual IO maintenance (see Algorithm Settings).

This option is only enabled if you selected the Algorithm settings option in the Options to update section of the General pane.

Notes and warnings

Coding considerations

  • The settings defined in this program (specifically the options: Forecast calendar, Forecast algorithm, Override default settings and Use proxy for sales history) are also applied in Families and Groupings against any SKU (stock keeping unit) in any collection.

Inserting Application Help

You would typically follow this procedure to display help for the current program in a customized pane that can be pinned to the program window.

Information includes step-by-step instructions for the various functions available within the program, including a brief overview of what the program does, what setup options are required and how to personalize the program.

  1. Open the program for which you want to insert application help into a customized pane.

    This functionality is only available for a program that has panes.

  2. Right-click any form field.

    You can also click the triangle menu icon that appears in the title area of a pane.

  3. Select Insert Application Help from the context-sensitive menu.

    The application help appears in a pane within your program. You can reposition the pane using the docking stickers or pin it to the program window.

Removing the Application Help pane

If you no longer want to display application help in a pane for your current program, you can simply remove it.

  1. Select the Close icon in the right-hand corner of the application help pane.

  2. Confirm that you want to delete the pane.