Think of this as consumer protection for the business forecaster.

The Business Forecasting Deal is a new blog exploring the dark side of the forecasting profession. Its purpose is to expose the snake oil and shoddy practices of those who either don’t understand the realities of forecasting, or who can’t make any money selling those realities. Practitioners need a place to hear the full story, and The BFD is where we’ll try to tell it. If someone has to get punked along the way, that’s just the way we roll.

While airing dirty secrets is the most fun part of writing a blog, The BFD is not just about being critical. There can be many ways to improve a forecasting process and get better results, and these ways are often surprisingly simple. In The BFD we’ll share the proven methods, as well as publicize the promising new approaches that merit further investigation. Not every new idea is going to work, but until someone gives it a try, we’ll never know. The BFD will be a source for spreading new ideas, and reporting on their efficacy.

Your comments, kind or critical, are always encouraged. And if you aren’t one for sharing your thoughts in public, email me directly at mike.gilliland@sas.com.

Welcome everyone, and thanks for dropping in.