Quick Start Guided Demo
Introduction to SAC Planning
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Profitability
Forecast
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Value Driver Tree
Collaboration
Seamless Planning

Rolling Forecast

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to perform Predictive Forecasting.

One of the built-in planning functions in SAC is a rolling forecast configuration that allows users to define a “look back and look forward” template for a rolling forecast visualization.

Using the rolling forecast layout, users can access a rolling forecast panel to setup and define their visualization.

  1. Within the current story select Edit (If not already in the edit view).

  1. Add a new Canvas Page to your current open story. Select the Add (+) button then select Add Canvas Page.

  1. Use the left Side Panel button to display the list of assets which can be added to the story.

  1. Drag and drop the table widget onto the canvas. You will see that the same data source as before is already assigned.

  1. As we are using the same Data Source as before, Accounts should already be selected under Rows, and Measures should be selected under Columns. (If not, please add it back in via Add Dimension under Rows).

  1. Under Columns, add Measure_Admin to Measures and then select + Add Dimension to add the following Dimensions:

    • Organisation
    • Date
    • Version

  1. Under Rows, add Net Income to Accounts.

  1. Under Filters, select Version.

Note: If Version is not there by default, you can click + Add Filter to add it.

  1. Set the Filters for Version to Actual and Forecast. Then select OK.

  1. Under Columns select the filter icon for the Date dimension, then select the Filter by Member…

  1. Expand 2020, then expand each quarter (Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4). Then select each month within each quarter individually to select the monthly time frame (if you select them at Quarter Level it will only select the Quarter itself). Select OK when all months have been selected.

Select OK when all months have been selected.

  1. Once the months have been selected, the table should look like this:

Note

You can increase the size of your table by clicking and dragging it from the bottom-right corner.
  1. To view some of the data, expand Net Income > Operating Income and Organization > World > North America.

Note

Once
  1. Right-click on the Date cell and select Show/Hide > Unbooked.

  1. Notice that we can see 12 months of booked and unbooked data for 2020 for both the Actuals and Forecast Versions.

We now want to setup a rolling forecast layout to see 2020 by month and configure our Actuals and Forecast view.

  1. In the Builder Panel, open the Table Type drop-down and select Forecast Layout.

  1. You can ignore the warning message by selecting Change Table Type.

  1. This will open up the Forecast Layout configuration panel. Configure the panel as follows:

    • Look Back On: Actual
    • Look Ahead On: Forecast
    • Cut-Over date : Last booked (Actuals)
    • Type: Rolling Forecast
    • Look Back: 3 (Month)
    • Look Ahead: 9 (Month)
    • Sum For: Cut-over Year

Then select Apply.

  1. In the table, expand Net Income > Operating Income > Gross Margin > Total Sales and for Organization expand World > North America. In the Styling panel, scroll down to the bottom and set Decimal Places to 2.

  1. The table is now provides a visualization showing 12 months of Actuals and Forecast data based on when the month of Actuals data is booked. In this scenario we have 3 months of Actuals data and 9 months of Forecast data. If a change is applied to the Actuals data set the visualization will automatically update and adjust the visualization. You can examine the changes made by the forecast in the table by yourself by scrolling through it.

  1. Click on the down arrow beside the title of the page tab (Page_4) and select Edit Title.

  1. Rename the page to Rolling Forecast

  1. Save your Story by selecting the Save icon > Save.

One of the built-in planning functions in SAC is a rolling forecast configuration that allows users to define a “look back and look forward” template for a rolling forecast visualization.

Using the rolling forecast layout, users can access a rolling forecast panel to setup and define their visualization.

  1. Within the current story select Edit (If not already in the edit view).

  1. Add a new Canvas Page to your current open story. Select the Add (+) button then select Add Canvas Page.

  1. Use the left Side Panel button to display the list of assets which can be added to the story.

  1. Drag and drop the table widget onto the canvas. You will see that the same data source as before is already assigned.

  1. As we are using the same Data Source as before, Accounts should already be selected under Rows, and Measures should be selected under Columns. (If not, please add it back in via Add Dimension under Rows).

  1. Under Columns, add Measure_Admin to Measures and then select + Add Dimension to add the following Dimensions:

    • Organisation
    • Date
    • Version

  1. Under Rows, add Net Income to Accounts.

  1. Under Filters, select Version.

Note: If Version is not there by default, you can click + Add Filter to add it.

  1. Set the Filters for Version to Actual and Forecast. Then select OK.

  1. Under Columns select the filter icon for the Date dimension, then select the Filter by Member…

  1. Expand 2020, then expand each quarter (Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4). Then select each month within each quarter individually to select the monthly time frame (if you select them at Quarter Level it will only select the Quarter itself). Select OK when all months have been selected.

Select OK when all months have been selected.

  1. Once the months have been selected, the table should look like this:

Note

You can increase the size of your table by clicking and dragging it from the bottom-right corner.
  1. To view some of the data, expand Net Income > Operating Income and Organization > World > North America.

Note

Once
  1. Right-click on the Date cell and select Show/Hide > Unbooked.

  1. Notice that we can see 12 months of booked and unbooked data for 2020 for both the Actuals and Forecast Versions.

We now want to setup a rolling forecast layout to see 2020 by month and configure our Actuals and Forecast view.

  1. In the Builder Panel, open the Table Type drop-down and select Forecast Layout.

  1. You can ignore the warning message by selecting Change Table Type.

  1. This will open up the Forecast Layout configuration panel. Configure the panel as follows:

    • Look Back On: Actual
    • Look Ahead On: Forecast
    • Cut-Over date : Last booked (Actuals)
    • Type: Rolling Forecast
    • Look Back: 3 (Month)
    • Look Ahead: 9 (Month)
    • Sum For: Cut-over Year

Then select Apply.

  1. In the table, expand Net Income > Operating Income > Gross Margin > Total Sales and for Organization expand World > North America. In the Styling panel, scroll down to the bottom and set Decimal Places to 2.

  1. The table is now provides a visualization showing 12 months of Actuals and Forecast data based on when the month of Actuals data is booked. In this scenario we have 3 months of Actuals data and 9 months of Forecast data. If a change is applied to the Actuals data set the visualization will automatically update and adjust the visualization. You can examine the changes made by the forecast in the table by yourself by scrolling through it.

  1. Click on the down arrow beside the title of the page tab (Page_4) and select Edit Title.

  1. Rename the page to Rolling Forecast

  1. Save your Story by selecting the Save icon > Save.

Learning
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