© 2007, Business Forecast Systems, Inc.

Opt-in Survey of Trends e-Newsletter Readers 44 Completed Surveys Questions Asked: 1.When you use “historical data” for forecasting, what specific kinds of data do you use? 2.Do you alter the historical data prior to analyzing it? 3.Do you forecast in units or currency or both? 4.What part of the organization are you in? (Multiple responses were allowed for questions 1-3) Original Survey and Trends Archive Available at:

© 2007, Business Forecast Systems, Inc. Shipments and orders/bookings are the most used historical data.

© 2007, Business Forecast Systems, Inc. 75% alter their historical data before analyzing it.

© 2007, Business Forecast Systems, Inc. Almost two-thirds of those who alter their data are compensating for outliers.

© 2007, Business Forecast Systems, Inc.

Additional Resources Twice-per-year forecasting conference offering forecasting education, practitioner case studies and applied research in forecasting Web Site for Foresight: The International Journal of Applied Forecasting The University of Tennessees Sales Forecasting Management Forum’s On-Line Library: Downloadable PDFs of Articles and Papers on a Wide Range of Forecasting Topics International Institute of Forecasters Web Site ctl.mit.edu/public/demand_mgmt_0904_proceedings.pdf MIT Symposium Report – Demand Management:Integrating Demand and Supply in Real Time