FireandRain
New Member
- Joined
- Jun 10, 2014
- Messages
- 1
Hello,
I am a total newbie at forecasting and have a question about the forecasting function.
I have three months worth of sales data for 8 SKUs. I need to predict the next six months of sales for these SKUs. Would the =FORECAST(x, known_y's, known_x's) function work for me here?
Here's the set up I have with some dummy numbers. So I need to predict April to Sept-17 sales data:
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I used the =FORECAST(x, known_y's, known_x's) function to get the following answers:
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</tbody>
These are the formulas behind the numbers:
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</tbody>
Is this an appropriate way to use the forecast function? Is my use of the month in question the right "x" (cells Q2, R2,S2, T2,U2, V2) and the months I have data for the right "known_x's" (N2:P2)?
I can send this excel sheet if that is helpful. I REALLY appreciate your help! Thank you!
I am a total newbie at forecasting and have a question about the forecasting function.
I have three months worth of sales data for 8 SKUs. I need to predict the next six months of sales for these SKUs. Would the =FORECAST(x, known_y's, known_x's) function work for me here?
Here's the set up I have with some dummy numbers. So I need to predict April to Sept-17 sales data:
SKU | Jan-17 | Feb-17 | Mar-17 | Apr-17 | May-17 | Jun-17 | Jul-17 | Aug-17 | Sep-17 |
1 | 1,111 | 2,222 | 3,333 | ||||||
2 | 2,222 | 3,333 | 4,444 | ||||||
3 | 3,333 | 4,444 | 5,555 | ||||||
4 | 4,444 | 5,555 | 6,666 | ||||||
6 | 5,555 | 6,666 | 7,777 | ||||||
7 | 6,666 | 7,777 | 8,888 | ||||||
8 | 7,777 | 8,888 | 9,999 |
<tbody>
</tbody>
I used the =FORECAST(x, known_y's, known_x's) function to get the following answers:
SKU | Jan-17 | Feb-17 | Mar-17 | Apr-17 | May-17 | Jun-17 | Jul-17 | Aug-17 | Sep-17 |
1 | 1,111 | 2,222 | 3,333 | 4480 | 5646 | 6775 | 7942 | 9108 | 10237 |
2 | 2,222 | 3,333 | 4,444 | 5591 | 6757 | 7886 | 9053 | 10219 | 11348 |
3 | 3,333 | 4,444 | 5,555 | 6702 | 7868 | 8997 | 10164 | 11330 | 12459 |
4 | 4,444 | 5,555 | 6,666 | 7813 | 8979 | 10108 | 11275 | 12441 | 13570 |
6 | 5,555 | 6,666 | 7,777 | 8924 | 10090 | 11219 | 12386 | 13552 | 14681 |
7 | 6,666 | 7,777 | 8,888 | 10035 | 11201 | 12330 | 13497 | 14663 | 15792 |
8 | 7,777 | 8,888 | 9,999 | 11146 | 12312 | 13441 | 14608 | 15774 | 16903 |
<tbody>
</tbody>
These are the formulas behind the numbers:
SKU | 42766 | =+EOMONTH(N2,1) | =+EOMONTH(O2,1) | =+EOMONTH(P2,1) | =+EOMONTH(Q2,1) | =+EOMONTH(R2,1) | =+EOMONTH(S2,1) | =+EOMONTH(T2,1) | =+EOMONTH(U2,1) |
1 | 1111 | 2222 | 3333 | =FORECAST($Q$2,N3:P3,$N$2:$P$<wbr>2) | =FORECAST($R$2,$N3:$P3,$N$2:$<wbr>P$2) | =FORECAST($S$2,$N3:$P3,$N$2:$<wbr>P$2) | =FORECAST($T$2,$N3:$P3,$N$2:$<wbr>P$2) | =FORECAST($U$2,$N3:$P3,$N$2:$<wbr>P$2) | =FORECAST($V$2,$N3:$P3,$N$2:$<wbr>P$2) |
2 | 2222 | 3333 | 4444 | =FORECAST($Q$2,N4:P4,$N$2:$P$<wbr>2) | =FORECAST($R$2,$N4:$P4,$N$2:$<wbr>P$2) | =FORECAST($S$2,$N4:$P4,$N$2:$<wbr>P$2) | =FORECAST($T$2,$N4:$P4,$N$2:$<wbr>P$2) | =FORECAST($U$2,$N4:$P4,$N$2:$<wbr>P$2) | =FORECAST($V$2,$N4:$P4,$N$2:$<wbr>P$2) |
3 | 3333 | 4444 | 5555 | =FORECAST($Q$2,N5:P5,$N$2:$P$<wbr>2) | =FORECAST($R$2,$N5:$P5,$N$2:$<wbr>P$2) | =FORECAST($S$2,$N5:$P5,$N$2:$<wbr>P$2) | =FORECAST($T$2,$N5:$P5,$N$2:$<wbr>P$2) | =FORECAST($U$2,$N5:$P5,$N$2:$<wbr>P$2) | =FORECAST($V$2,$N5:$P5,$N$2:$<wbr>P$2) |
4 | 4444 | 5555 | 6666 | =FORECAST($Q$2,N6:P6,$N$2:$P$<wbr>2) | =FORECAST($R$2,$N6:$P6,$N$2:$<wbr>P$2) | =FORECAST($S$2,$N6:$P6,$N$2:$<wbr>P$2) | =FORECAST($T$2,$N6:$P6,$N$2:$<wbr>P$2) | =FORECAST($U$2,$N6:$P6,$N$2:$<wbr>P$2) | =FORECAST($V$2,$N6:$P6,$N$2:$<wbr>P$2) |
6 | 5555 | 6666 | 7777 | =FORECAST($Q$2,N7:P7,$N$2:$P$<wbr>2) | =FORECAST($R$2,$N7:$P7,$N$2:$<wbr>P$2) | =FORECAST($S$2,$N7:$P7,$N$2:$<wbr>P$2) | =FORECAST($T$2,$N7:$P7,$N$2:$<wbr>P$2) | =FORECAST($U$2,$N7:$P7,$N$2:$<wbr>P$2) | =FORECAST($V$2,$N7:$P7,$N$2:$<wbr>P$2) |
7 | 6666 | 7777 | 8888 | =FORECAST($Q$2,N8:P8,$N$2:$P$<wbr>2) | =FORECAST($R$2,$N8:$P8,$N$2:$<wbr>P$2) | =FORECAST($S$2,$N8:$P8,$N$2:$<wbr>P$2) | =FORECAST($T$2,$N8:$P8,$N$2:$<wbr>P$2) | =FORECAST($U$2,$N8:$P8,$N$2:$<wbr>P$2) | =FORECAST($V$2,$N8:$P8,$N$2:$<wbr>P$2) |
8 | 7777 | 8888 | 9999 | =FORECAST($Q$2,N9:P9,$N$2:$P$<wbr>2) | =FORECAST($R$2,$N9:$P9,$N$2:$<wbr>P$2) | =FORECAST($S$2,$N9:$P9,$N$2:$<wbr>P$2) | =FORECAST($T$2,$N9:$P9,$N$2:$<wbr>P$2) | =FORECAST($U$2,$N9:$P9,$N$2:$<wbr>P$2) | =FORECAST($V$2,$N9:$P9,$N$2:$<wbr>P$2) |
<tbody>
</tbody>
Is this an appropriate way to use the forecast function? Is my use of the month in question the right "x" (cells Q2, R2,S2, T2,U2, V2) and the months I have data for the right "known_x's" (N2:P2)?
I can send this excel sheet if that is helpful. I REALLY appreciate your help! Thank you!