Configuring Rolling Forecast Layouts

You can create a rolling forecast layout that dynamically generates time members based on the system date. The time interval of a rolling forecast layout automatically changes based on the current month.

Rolling forecasts allow the easy display a few periods of actuals in the past followed by a few periods of the future forecasted data.

With SAP Analytics Cloud, you can easily create a rolling forecast table using the Forecast Layout table type. The table in your story has a version with data that you want to use for the forecast periods. If it doesn't have one, you can use Version Management to create one.

Simply choose Forecast Layout as the type of cross-tab you want to use. The Forecast Layout dialog box appears, consisting of the following sections:

• Layout

  Layout Fields	Description
  Look back on	The version for looking back (probably Actuals). You can also create an input control to allow users to choose the look back version.
  Look ahead on	The version for forecasting or looking ahead. You can also create an input control to allow users to choose the look ahead version.
  Cut-over date	The date of the change from Look back on and Look ahead on. Options are: Today: The current date; this is the default choice. Specific Date: In the Select member for Date dialog box, select the date or add a dynamic filter with a New Calculation Input Control. Last Booked (Actuals): The latest date of data entered for the Actuals version.

• Timeframe

  Time Frame Type	Description
  When Type is Forecast	Granularity - Choose the granularity of the time interval: Quarter or Month. Look back additional - Type the number of time intervals and set the granularity of the look-back (Year, Quarter, or Month). Look ahead additional - Type the number of time intervals and set the granularity of the look-ahead (Year, Quarter, or Month).
  When Type is Rolling Forecast	Look back - Type the number of time intervals and set the granularity of the look-back (Year, Quarter, or Month). Look ahead - Type the number of time intervals and set the granularity of the look-ahead (Year, Quarter, or Month).

• Calculation - Sum the data values for either the Cut-over Year, All periods, Look ahead periods, or None (do not sum anything).
• Additional Versions - The settings you make in the Forecast Layout dialog box determine how your table will compare Actuals with Forecast data. This feature allows you to see a Delta column for the difference between the values in the forecast layout and any other version that is not already in the table.

In the following example, the layout Type is set to Forecast, the Granularity is Month, and the Look back additional and Look ahead additional are set to blank. This results in actual and plan columns but only for the forecast year.

Note

In the table header, you can use the Hidden hyperlink to view members that are hidden based on the rolling forecast selections.

If the granularity is changed to Quarterly, the months appear in nodes by quarter in the columns.