Supply Chain Forecasting Software - Softcover

Snapp, Shaun

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0983715521 ISBN 13: 9780983715528

Publisher: Scm Focus, 2012

Synopsis

Why This Book is Unique This books explains the important aspects of supply chain forecasting. The book is designed to allow the reader to get more out of their current forecasting system, as well as explain some of the best functionality in forecasting, which may not be resident in the reader's current system, but how they can be accessed at low-cost. The book breaks down what is often taught as a complex subject into simple terms and provides information that can be immediately put to use by practitioners. One of the only books to have a variety of supply chain forecasting vendors showcased. The book also provides the reader with a look into the leading edge of forecasting. Several concept that are covered, while currently available in forecasting software, have yet to be widely implemented or even written about. The book moves smoothly between concepts to screen shots and descriptions of how the screens are configured and used. This provides the reader with some of the most intriguing areas of functionality within a variety of applications.

About this title

From the Author

Who is This Book For? This book is an effective primer for anyone who is about to perform a demand planning software selection or who is beginning a demand planning project at their company. The book is also useful for anyone who wants to better understand forecasting software or who wants to find out about some leading edge approaches and functionalities that have yet to see broad application, but which can improve forecast accuracy.Table of Contents

• Chapter 1: Introduction
• Chapter 2: Where Forecasting Fits Within the Supply Chain Planning Footprint
• Chapter 3: Statistical Forecasting Explained
• Chapter 4: Why Attributes-based Forecasting is the Future of Statistical Forecasting
• Chapter 5: The Statistical Forecasting Data Layer
• Chapter 6: Removing Demand History and Outliers
• Chapter 7: Consensus-based Forecasting Explained
• Chapter 8: Collaborative Forecasting Explained
• Chapter 9: Bias Removal
• Chapter 10: Effective Forecast Error Management
• Chapter 11: Lifecycle Planning
• Chapter 12: Forecastable Versus Unforecastable Products 
• Chapter 13: Why Companies Select the Wrong Forecasting Software
• Chapter 14: Conclusion
• Appendix A:
• Appendix B: Forecast Locking
• Appendix C: The Lewandowski Algorithm.

From the Inside Flap

Areas of Focus in Supply Chain Forecasting Enterprise SoftwareHere is a sampling of what the book covers:

• Explains how consensus based forecasting software and statistical forecasting software compare to one another.
• Why most companies are using forecasting systems which have poor hierarchical capabilities.
• The concept of virtual hierarchies versus static hierarchies and why virtual hierarchies are so preferable.
• Innovation in the data layer that supports forecasting applications.
• What makes a statistical method "statistical."
• How to perform demand forecasting for lumpy items (and how it relates to supply planning), with examples of how general demand lumpiness is increasing and reducing forecast accuracy.
• How and why the IT department can and should be taken out of the role of maintaining the attribute database, and what this means for increasing the flexibility of the forecasting system.
• How to enabled causal forecasting in your company using a new technique which leverages attributes rather than the traditional technique requiring placing regression formulas into the forecasting application.
• How to easily created forecasts by customer, and how this can support service level agreements (SLAs).
• How to quickly perform top down forecasts.
• How different vendors approach lifecycle planning, and a novel approach to lifecycle forecasting which greatly reduces the effort involved.
• How to determine what component of your product database is unforecasteable, and what to do about unforecastable products.
• Why big consulting companies often cannot help you select the appropriate forecasting application for your needs.
• How Lean applies to forecasting.
• How the Lewandowski forecast algorithm relates to forecast simulation.
• Why supply chain and product database simplification is critical to improving forecast accuracy.
• Why it is important to produce a naive forecast (as a simulation) for determining how to leverage best fit functionality.
• What is forecast simulation, and how it can improve decision-making?
• Examples from Netflix, Blockbuster Video, Nike, Trader Joe's, the grocery industry, publishing and service parts.
• A Book Based in Reality, Emphasizing Actionable Knowledge

The book provides many examples from real life project experiences, the emphasis being on the reality of supply chain forecasting projects. While the majority of forecasting books spend a lot of time covering forecasting methods that companies will very rarely (if ever) use, this book adjusts the content to cover topics that can be implemented by companies.Interconnected to Web InformationIn order the keep the book at a manageable and easily readable length, the book also provides numerous links out to the SCM Focus site, where supporting articles allow readers to get into more detail on topics that interest them.Case Studies The book also contains case studies of how various forecasting techniques were used on different projects.

About this edition

• Publisher: Scm Focus
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 0983715521
• ISBN 13: 9780983715528
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 274