This document discusses various forecasting techniques. It begins by outlining qualitative and quantitative forecasting approaches. Several quantitative time series models are then described in detail, including naive methods, moving averages, exponential smoothing, and regression techniques. Specific examples are provided to illustrate how to calculate forecasts using simple and weighted moving averages, exponential smoothing with different alpha values, and linear regression with correlation and coefficient of determination. The document provides an overview of key forecasting concepts and quantitative methods.
2. 2
Road Map
Role of Forecasting
Forecasting Approaches
Qualitative forecasting
Quantitative forecasting
Time Series Models
Regression Methods
Forecast Accuracy
Focus Forecasting
3. 3
Forecasting
Predicting the Future
Vital for business
organization
Underlying basis of
all business decisions
Most techniques assume an
underlying stability in the
system
Qualitative Forecasting Approach:
Quantitative Forecasting
Approach:
17. 17
Qualitative Methods
Grass root method going down to the lowest level of hierarchy
Market research data collection and hypothesis testing
Jury of executive opinion source of internal qualitative forecast
Historical analogy history or past data of the item
Panel consensus free open exchange in between select few
Delphi Method - Iterative group process
3 types of participants
Decision makers: Evaluate responses and make decisions
Staff: Administering survey
Respondents: People who can make valuable judgments
18. 18
Quantitative Forecasting
Time Series Models:
Set of evenly spaced numerical data - Obtained by observing
response variable at regular time periods
Forecast based only on past values - Assumes that factors
influencing past and present will continue influence in future
1. Naive approach
2. Moving averages
3. Exponential smoothing
4. Trend projection
Associative Models / Causal Models:
1. Linear regression
19. 19
Demand Behavior
Trend
Persistent, overall upward or downward pattern
Changes due to population, technology, age, culture, etc.
Cycle
an up-&-down repetitive movement in demand over a length of span
due to business cycle; political and economic factors
Seasonal pattern
is often weather / festival / event / specific period related
oscillating in nature - usually occurs within a single year
Random variations
Erratic; unsystematic; short duration non-repeating
unpredictable and have no assignable causes
20. 20
Time
(a) Trend
Time
(d) Trend with seasonal pattern
Time
(c) Seasonal pattern
Time
(b) Cycle
Demand
Demand
Demand
Demand
Random
movement
Forms of Forecast Movement
21. Demand
for
product
or
service
| | | |
1 2 3 4
Year
Average demand
over four years
Seasonal peaks
Trend component
Actual
demand
Random
variation
Components of Demand
22. 22
Moving Average
Naive Forecast / Intuitive Forecast
Demand of the current period is used as next periods forecast
Does not take into account historical behavior
Reacts directly to the normal, random movements of the demand
Cost effective and sometimes very efficient
Simple Moving Average
Uses several demand values during the recent past to forecast
Tends to smoothen or dampen, the random variations in single period
forecast
Preferable for stable demand with no pronounced behavioral patterns
Computed for specific number of periods depending on how the forecaster
desires to smoothen the demand data
The longer the moving average period, the smoother it will be.
Alternatively, a shorter is more susceptible to simple random variations
23. 23
Na誰ve Approach
Jan 120
Feb 90
Mar 100
Apr 75
May 110
June 50
July 75
Aug 130
Sept 110
Oct 90
ORDERS
MONTH PER MONTH
-
120
90
100
75
110
50
75
130
110
90
Nov -
FORECAST
24. 24
Simple Moving Average
MAn =
n
i = 1
Di
n
where
n = number of periods in
the moving average
Di = demand in period i
25. 25
3 Month Simple Moving Average
Jan 120
Feb 90
Mar 100
Apr 75
May 110
June 50
July 75
Aug 130
Sept 110
Oct 90
Nov -
ORDERS
MONTH PER MONTH
MA3 =
3
i = 1
Di
3
=
120 + 90 + 100
3
= 103.3 orders for Apr.
103.3
88.3
95.0
78.3
78.3
85.0
105.0
110.0
MOVING
AVERAGE
26. 26
5 Month Simple Moving Average
Jan 120
Feb 90
Mar 100
Apr 75
May 110
June 50
July 75
Aug 130
Sept 110
Oct 90
Nov -
ORDERS
MONTH PER MONTH
MA5 =
5
i = 1
Di
5
=
90 + 110 + 130+75+50
5
= 91 orders for Nov.
99.0
85.0
82.0
88.0
95.0
91.0
MOVING
AVERAGE
27. 27
Smoothing Effects
150
125
100
75
50
25
0 | | | | | | | | | | |
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov
Actual
Orders
Month
5-month
3-month
28. 28
Weighted Moving Average
Adjusts moving average method to more closely reflect
data fluctuations
Weights are assigned to most recent data, barring in case of
seasonal cycles
Precise weights are decided thorough trial and error (based
on experience and intuition), as does the number of periods to
be considered
If recent periods are weighted too heavily, the forecast might
over-react to a random fluctuation in demand
If they are weighted too lightly, the forecast might under-react
to actual changes in demand pattern
30. 30
Weighted Moving Average
MONTH WEIGHT DATA
August 17% 130
September 33% 110
October 50% 90
WMA3 =
3
i = 1
Wi Di
= (0.50) (90) + (0.33) (110) + (0.17) (130)
= 103.4 orders
November Forecast
31. 31
Averaging method - weights most recent data more
strongly
As the past becomes more distant, the imp. of data
diminishes
So very useful and preferable method, if recent changes
are significant and unpredictable
Widely used, most popular because its an accurate
method
Requires minimal data:
forecast for the current period,
actual demand for the current period and
a weighing factor OR smoothing constant.
Exponential Smoothing
32. 32
Ft+1 = *Dt + (1 - ) * Ft
where:
Ft + 1 =forecast for next period
Dt = actual demand for present period
Ft = previously determined forecast for present
period
¥ = weighting factor, smoothing constant
determines the level of smoothing
*Assume first forecast as Actual Demand
Exponential Smoothing
33. 33
Effect of Smoothing Constant
0.0 o¥ 1.0
reflects the weight given to the most recent demand data
If ¥= 0.20, then Ft + 1 = 0.20 * Dt + 0.8 * Ft
If ¥= 0, then Ft + 1 = Ft
Forecast does not even consider recent actual data
If ¥= 1, then Ft + 1 = 1 * Dt + 0 * Ft = Dt
Forecast based only on most recent data, so this becomes
as good as na誰ve forecast
34. 34
F2 = D1 + (1- ) F1
= (0.30) 37 + (1- 0.3) 37
= 37
F3 = D2 + (1- ) F2
= (0.30) 40 + (1- 0.3) 37
= 37.90
F13 = D12 + (1- ) F12
= (0.30) 54 + (1- 0.3) 50.84
= 51.79
Exponential Smoothing (留 = 0.30)
PERIOD MONTH DEMAND
1 Jan 37
2 Feb 40
3 Mar 41
4 Apr 37
5 May 45
6 Jun 50
7 Jul 43
8 Aug 47
9 Sep 56
10 Oct 52
11 Nov 55
12 Dec 54
35. 35
FORECAST, Ft + 1
PERIOD MONTH DEMAND ( = 0.3) ( = 0.5)
1 Jan 37
2 Feb 40 37.00 37.00
3 Mar 41 37.90 38.50
4 Apr 37 38.83 39.75
5 May 45 38.28 38.37
6 Jun 50 40.29 41.68
7 Jul 43 43.20 45.84
8 Aug 47 43.14 44.42
9 Sep 56 44.30 45.71
10 Oct 52 47.81 50.85
11 Nov 55 49.06 51.42
12 Dec 54 50.84 53.21
13 Jan 51.79 53.61
Exponential Smoothing
37. 37
Regression Methods
Linear Regression
Regression can be defined as functional relationship between
two or more correlated variables
Regression is used for forecasting by establishing a
mathematical relationship between two or more variables
(demand and some other independent variable) in the form of
a linear equation
It is used to predict one variable given the other
Linear regression refers to the special class of regression
where the relationship between the variable forms a straight
line
Good for long range forecasting and aggregate planning
38. 38
Linear Regression is a causal
method of forecasting in which a
mathematical relationship is
developed between demand and
time.
Linear trend line relates a
dependent variable (demand) to
an independent variable (time) in
the form of a linear equation:
y = a + bx
a = intercept
b = slope of the line
x = time period
y = demand forecast for period x
Linear Trend Line
b =
a = y - b x
where
n = number of periods
x = = mean of the x values
y = = mean of the y values
xy - nxy
x2 - nx2
x
n
y
n
43. 43
Linear Regression Example (cont.)
x = = 6.125
y = = 43.36
b =
=
= 4.06
a = y - bx
= 43.36 - (4.06)(6.125)
= 18.46
49
8
346.9
8
xy - nxy
x2 - nx2
(2,167.7) - (8)(6.125)(43.36)
(311) - (8)(6.125)2
44. 44
| | | | | | | | | | |
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
60,000
50,000
40,000
30,000
20,000
10,000
Linear regression line,
y = 18.46 + 4.06x
Wins, x
Attendance,
y
Linear Regression Example (cont.)
y = 18.46 + 4.06x y = 18.46 + 4.06(7)
= 46.88, or 46,880
Regression equation Sales forecast for 7 lakhs of ad spend
45. 45
Correlation & Coefficient of Determination
Correlation, r
Correlation is a measure of the strength of the relationship
between independent and dependent variables
degree of association between two variables (-1.00 to +1.00)
nil/poor/average/strong, & positive/negative
Coefficient of Determination, r2
Percentage of variation in dependent variable resulting from
changes in the independent variable (0% to 100%)
A measure of the amount of variation in the dependent variable
about its mean that is explained by the regression equation
46. 46
Computing Correlation
n xy - x y
[n x2 - ( x)2] [n y2 - ( y)2]
r =
Coefficient of Determination
r2 = (0.947)2 = 0.897
r =
(8)(2,167.7) - (49)(346.9)
[(8)(311) - (49)2] [(8)(15,224.7) - (346.9)2]
r = 0.947
47. 47
Forecast Accuracy
A forecast is never ever accurate
Large degree of error mean
Either the forecasting technique used is applied wrongly or is
not applicable in the case
Wrong relationship among variables
Or the parameters used need to be adjusted for trend
Forecast Error
Difference between forecast and actual demand - Error
MAD - Mean Absolute Deviation
MAPD - Mean Absolute Percent Deviation or MAPE
Cumulative Error - RSFE
Average Error or Bias
48. 48
Mean Absolute Deviation (MAD)
MAD: The absolute average difference between the AD &
FD.
where,
t = period number
Dt = demand in period t
Ft = forecast for period t
n = total number of periods
削 = absolute value
The smaller the value of MAD relative to the magnitude of
Dt - Ft
n
M A D =
49. 49
Other Accuracy Measures
MAPD: Measures the absolute error (AV-FV) as a % of
demand rather than per period (MAD). Can be used
across the board to measure the relative accuracy of the
forecast.
Cumulative Error (RSFE): Simply computed by
summing up the forecast errors. Thats why Linear Trend
Line has zero cumulative value.
Average Error (Bias): Computed by averaging the
cumulative error value (RSFE) over the number of time
periods. +ve value: low, -ve value: high and zero value: no
bias
50. 50
Other Accuracy Measures
Mean Absolute Percent Deviation (MAPD)
MAPD =
|Dt - Ft|
Dt
Cumulative Error (RSFE)
RSFE = et = (Dt Ft)
Average Error (Bias)
E =
et
n
52. 52
Forecast Control
Forecast can go out of control due to various reasons
Change in trend
Unanticipated appearance of a cycle
Irregular variation such as unseasonable weather
Promotional campaign, new competition, political reasons,
others
Tracking Signal: this indicates whether the forecast average is
keeping pace with any genuine upward or downward changes in
demand
Monitors the forecast to see if it is biased high or low
Tracking Signal = =
(Dt - Ft)
MAD
RSFE
MAD
58. 58
Seasonal Adjustments
Repetitive increase / decrease in demand
Seasonal patterns can also occur on a periodic basis
Use seasonal factor to adjust forecast
A seasonal factor is a numeric value that is multiplied
by the normal forecast to get a seasonally adjusted
forecast
A seasonal factor range from 0 to 1, it is in effect, the
portion of annual demand assigned to each season
Thus SF when multiplied to annual forecasted demand
yield seasonally adjusted forecasts for each season
Seasonal Factor =
Si =
Di
D
59. 59
Seasonal Adjustment (cont.)
2002 12.6 8.6 6.3 17.5 45.0
2003 14.1 10.3 7.5 18.2 50.1
2004 15.3 10.6 8.1 19.6 53.6
Total 42.0 29.5 21.9 55.3 148.7
DEMAND (1000S PER QUARTER)
YEAR I II III IV Total
SI = = = 0.28
D1
D
42.0
148.7
SII = = = 0.20
D2
D
29.5
148.7
SIV = = = 0.37
D4
D
55.3
148.7
SIII = = = 0.15
D3
D
21.9
148.7
60. Seasonal Adjustment (cont.)
X Y X*X X*Y
1 45.0 1 45.00
2 50.1 4 100.20
3 53.6 9 160.80
FIND MEAN OF X AND Y
VALUE OF a AND b
60
62. 62
Forecasting Process
6. Check forecast
accuracy with one
or more measures
4. Select a forecast
model that seems
appropriate for data
5. Develop/compute
forecast for period
of historical data
8a. Forecast over
planning horizon
9. Adjust forecast
based on additional
qualitative info & insight
10. Monitor results
and measure
forecast accuracy
8b. Select new
forecast model or
adjust parameters
of existing model
7.
Is accuracy
of forecast
acceptable?
1. Identify the
purpose of forecast
3. Plot data and
identify patterns
2. Collect historical
data
No
Yes