Integration Methods

Standard Integration

The Standard Forecasting method requires two budget versions in a Dataset which are listed as follows:

  1. Delta Budget to store the Manual Adjustments made in M3 DMP
  2. Total Budget to store the Total Forecast.

When importing a Dataset for Standard Forecasting, the user selects what budget versions to use as Delta Budget and Total Budget respectively. Standard Forecasting allows you to view the budget selections for a Dataset any time in the Dataset Properties dialog. See Working with Datasets menu. Only the Delta Budget is imported along with the Calculated Sales Forecast (transaction type 34 in M3 BE) and any other transaction types present in the Dataset.

The calculated Total Forecast values are displayed in pivot sheets and the budget version is  displayed as Total Budget. Any Manual Adjustments are stored in the Delta Budget,separate from the Calculated Sales Forecast.

When exporting the Dataset to M3 BE, the Manual Adjustments made in M3 DMP are exported to the Delta Budget. The type of  records that are exported is controlled by using the settings in the Export Data to M3 BE dialog.

 

Note: In Export Data to M3 BE dialog window, if the option Changed is selected, then only the changed records are exported and if option All is selected then all the records are exported. Similarly, when option Marked for Export is selected then only those phantoms that are marked for Export are exported and when option All is selected then all the phantoms are  exported. See Export Data to M3 BE.

The Standard Forecasting solution is based on Transaction Type 33 with one budget for total forecast and another for the adjustments combined with Transaction Type 34.

The Total Forecast values is exported to the Total Budget. Only the phantom setting in the Export dialog applies to the Total Forecast values. The setting regarding original records is overruled. All values within the Changeable Time Horizon are exported to the Total Budget. Values outside Changeable Time Horizon are not exported. The Total Budget can be used directly in M3 BE as item forecasts.

Total Forecasting

The Total Forecasting method requires two accumulators to apply this forecast method: MFMADJ to store the Manual Adjustments and MFCFOR to store the Calculated Forecast. In case of Total Forecasting, sales budgets are not used at all.

When Importing Datasets for Total Forecasting, the user selects which accumulators to import except from MFMADJ and MFCFOR, which are required. Budget selections cannot be viewed in the Dataset Properties dialog as they are not applicable to this method.

Advanced Calculated Base Forecast has been improved by integrating Manual Forecasts (MFMFOR, Transaction type 34) in the Total forecast. It is now possible to overrule a statistically based forecast with a fixed manual forecast. The Manual forecast will not change even if the Calculated Base Forecast changes.

When making a partial import of the Dataset, the Calculated Sales Forecast might have changed due to changes in the sales statistics. The re-imported Manual Adjustments will be added to this new Calculated Sales Forecast and generate an adjusted Total Forecast. Exporting the Dataset will update the Total Budget in M3 BE with the adjusted Total Forecast – within the Changeable Time Horizon.

To match the forecasting functionality for Datasets in M3 BE, which enables calculated forecasting, the Advanced Calculated Base Forecasting method is included in M3 DMP. The M3 DMP method of Calculated Base Forecast has been designed to take advantage of the calculated forecasting capacity by employing a the strategy for Calculated Base Forecast using accumulators.  We are moving to solely use Transaction Type 34 (statistical) and controlling the total and delta adjustments by accumulators. The term we employ for the new forecasting method is: Total Forecasting.

By comparing the import and export prerequisites we can illustrate the differences between the new and old forecasting model:

Data Exchange Total Forecasting  Standard Forecasting
Import
  • MFMADJ/Transaction Type 34
  • MFMFOR/Transaction Type 34
  • MFCFOR/Transaction Type 34
  • Delta Budget
  • Two Budgets (Transaction Type 33)
  • Transaction Type 34
Export
  • MFMADJ/Transaction Type 34
  • MFMFOR/Transaction Type 34
  • All other Updateable data types
  • Delta Budget (All Accumulators, TT34)
  • Total Budget (All Accumulators, TT34)
  • All other Budgets