Sales Budgets and Statistics
This process is used to budget and follow up financial, quantitative and qualitative sales goals. This is based on reporting from user-defined Dataset containing budget and statistical information accumulated for specific product or marketing IDs.
Reports containing this information can be generated in either M3 reporting tools or a PC tool. See Report Processing. Operative, tactical and strategic management information can be produced in customized reports after using this process.
Follow these steps
The section below describes the activities included in the process.
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Create Dataset
Datasets are storage sites for budgeted and statistical information. They are created in 'Dataset. Open' (OSS401).
When defined, a dataset is assigned key field and Accumulator Field that are used for reporting. These fields are set in a hierarchical order. The number and ordering of these fields determine the capabilities for budgeting and reporting the information in the dataset.
Datasets allow statistical information to be stored at different levels so that it can be quickly accessed. Datasets can be redefined and their information rearranged to meet changing requirements or reporting needs.
A dataset can be defined according to the following selections:
- Key field such as customer or item
- Accumulator field such as invoiced amount
- Transaction types such as budget, sales, or forecast
- Period type such as weekly or monthly
The dataset is structured as a separate file with real field names. This allows efficient ODBC connections to other tools. See Datasets.
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Create Data in Dataset
Next, the data is created in the dataset. This is done various ways depending on the transaction type below.
- Order entry statistics – see Order Entry Statistics
- Sales statistics – see Sales Statistics
- Sales budget – see Sales Budgeting
- Sales forecasting – see Sales Forecasting
- Lost sales
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Reporting
Reports can be obtained from any defined dataset using 'Sales Stats/Budget Report. Open' (OSS412). These can be reviewed the following ways:
- On-screen
- Printout
- As an Office document for distribution by distribution lists. See Report Processing.
- From a PC file for further processing – see Export Data from Dataset to a File.
Description
Below are examples of the information that can be obtained using dataset and report processing.
- Budget goals
- Sales statistics
- Profitability analyses
- Budget variances
- Service level evaluations
- Lead time analyses
- Error analyses
- Replacements and lost sales
- Mathematical forecasts
- Trend analyses