Foresight Editor-in-Chief Len Tashman's Preview of the Fall 2019 Issue This 55th issue of Foresight opens with an article from Phillip Yelland, Zeynep Erkin Baz, and David Serafini of the Data Science/AI team at Target: Forecasting at Scale: The Architecture of a Modern Retail Forecasting System. The challenge of scale
Across all industries, organizations are adopting a cloud-first strategy. What does it mean to be cloud-first? Broadly speaking, cloud first means using shared infrastructure instead of building and hosting your own private storage facility, systems, etc. Benefits of adopting a cloud-first strategy include cost savings and productivity improvements. However, what
Back in 2013 the BFD asked Is one number forecasting a new worst practice?, concluding yes. Certainly, it is important for an organization to be aligned, with different functions like sales, supply chain, and finance not going off independently in their own directions, doing whatever they want. But trying to
In July 1984 I was a public health nurse assigned to Willow Spring, Holly Springs and Fuquay, bustling between three public schools, home health visits, and a clinic on Fuquay Avenue that shared space with the local DMV office—a small white frame house divided in half to provide two essential
La analítica omnicanal ofrece importante información detallada a lo largo del camino de toma de decisiones del cliente. En la actualidad, los minoristas tienen acceso a infinidad de datos que se pueden usar para dar forma a una experiencia de cliente superior en toda la cadena de valor. El
Editor-in-Chief Len Tashman's Preview of the Summer 2019 Issue of Foresight This 54th edition of Foresight features an important new take on the role of judgment in the forecasting process. Normally, we see judgment applied to adjust a statistical forecast or supply a forecast directly. But here Fotios Petropoulos proposes
As a data scientist, did you ever come to the point where you felt the need for an evolved analytics platform bringing together the disparate skills of open source and commercial software? A system that can enable advanced analytic capabilities. This is now possible and easy to implement. With many
The hype around artificial intelligence has never been higher – and retail is one industry where it has a chance to make a major impact on profits. But as hype and misunderstandings continue to build, it's become harder than ever to keep sight of the true disruptive potential of AI. I
There's been a lot of hype regarding using machine learning (ML) for demand forecasting, and rightfully so, given the advancements in data collection, storage, and processing along with improvements in technology. There's no reason why machine learning can't be utilized as another forecasting method among the collection of forecasting methods
Every day, military intelligence analysts sit behind computers reading a never-ending stream of reports, updating presentation templates and writing assessments. But intelligence is more than documenting events and sharing breaking news. It involves understanding and predicting complexities in human behavior across various organizational constructs and using facets of information to
Guest blogger Khari Villela says data lakes are not a cure-all – they're just one part of a comprehensive, strategic architecture.
By now, we're all aware of the seismic shift occurring across industries as a result of the Internet of Things. But do we all see the changes in the same light? From where I sit, there's still a wide gap in viewpoints and perspectives. In its simplest form, we often
Reconsider conventional assumptions about data governance – three suggestions for chief data officers.
Our company talks to utilities all over the world about the value of analytics. We help utility executives understand what the "digital utility company" looks like and share use cases to illustrate how these companies are using analytics across: assets and operations; customers; portfolio, and corporate operations (see diagram below).
When you realize your organization has a forecasting problem, what do you do to solve it? In particular, if you realize you need new forecasting software, how do you begin to find it? All too often, the first step in a software selection process is the Request for Proposal (RFP)
You can still register for the 38th annual International Symposium on Forecasting, being held June 17-20 in Boulder, Colorado, at the foothills of the Rockies. Beyond the daily keynotes and over 150 presentations of new research, a separate Practitioner Track features talks on the application of forecasting research to organizational
Editor-in-Chief Len Tashman's Preview of Foresight The Spring 2018 issue of Foresight—the 49th since our beginning in 2005—opens with a feature section on Supply Chain forecasting. More specifically, it addresses the very critical matter of how a company should determine its service-level targets, or the probability that no shortages occur between the time
For those of you who weren't able to attend SAS Global Forum 2018, you can still learn a lot from the content shared there. Gain knowledge from your SAS family. SAS Global Forum 2018 papers and videos now available.
SAS Academy for Data Science has been churning out high quality of data scientists for a quite few years thereby full filling the demand supply gap that exists in the area. It enables career seekers to enhance their skills and known worldwide by obtaining SAS Credentials and SAS Digital Badges
What is Forecast Value Added? Please enhance your Valentine's Day with this treat offered up by the Journal of Business Forecasting. Eric Wilson's very nice discussion of Forecast Value Added, originally published in the Spring 2016 issue of JBF, is now available online: "What is Forecast Value Added?" Eric also
Supply Chain Lead Times Most companies with a supply chain have to deal with supply lead times. When I worked in the processed meats industry many years ago, production plans were locked three weeks in advance.That's how long it took to secure raw materials and schedule the production lines. Many
Until recently state-of-the-art for trade area analytics still meant analyzing historical store sales by location, together with some Nielsen market data to select merchandise assortments and allocation. Contrast that with the upcoming holiday season where retailers know where and how demand is initiated, and use that new understanding to create
In this guest blogger post, Chris Gray of Gray Research weighs in on the discussion of forecasting vs. budgeting. Chris Gray on Forecasting vs. Budgeting Generally I agree with Steve Morlidge’s points about the differences between forecasts (or sales plans) and budgets, and the fact that they are unlikely to
Chris Gray of Gray Research is a longtime contributor to the practice of Sales and Operations Planning. He is author of several books on S&OP, software selection, and other supply chain related areas, including Sales and Operations Planning Standard System (2007). In 2006 he co-authored Sales & Operations Planning –
Editor-in-Chief Len Tashman's Preview The forecasting field is surely cross-disciplinary, as exemplified by the diverse membership of the International Institute of Forecasters (the publisher of this journal), but it is also multidimensional, as can be clearly seen in this Summer 2017 issue. The articles you’ll read here encompass sales and
Citizens served by the government are increasingly the same digital savvy consumers that market disruptors in banking, retail and utilities are attracting with sophisticated, data-driven online experiences. It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement; consumers get to buy services in ways that suit them while businesses get the efficiencies they want, wrestling
Family-owned and operated for more than 35 years, Twiddy & Company prides itself on exceptional real estate services to homeowners and vacationers in northeast North Carolina and the Outer Banks. Whether a customer is thinking of putting their house up for rent or planning their next vacation, Twiddy makes the
The widespread adoption of the term "analytics" reminds me of the evolution of the term "supply chain management." Initially the term focused on supply chain planning. It involved demand and supply balancing and the heuristics and optimization tools that came out of advanced planning and scheduling. Over time practically everything was included
Success in the retail space boils down to one simple function: the conversion of sales. However, retailers can only do this if they have stock readily available. Missing a sales opportunity due to poor stock management just won’t cut it in today’s marketplace. How can we resolve this basic problem
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you've surely noticed the increasing numbers of headlines about big data, Hadoop, internet of things (IoT) and, of course, data streaming. For many companies, this next generation of data management is clearly marked "to play with later." That's because adopting the next wave
