We learned this week of the passing of one of the giants in our field, Tom Wallace.

Tom was as gracious and fine a gentleman as you'll meet. Through his writing, teaching, and consulting work -- in frequent collaboration with Bob Stahl -- tens of thousands of industry practitioners have been influenced worldwide. Myself included.

I first met Tom at an Institute of Business Forecasting conference in Phoenix in the late 2000s. In 2010 he contributed a Foreword to The Business Forecasting Deal, and I was honored to have such star power associated with my book. I wrote in the Acknowledgments,

When the publisher asked me for Tom's job title and company, I was aghast -- that was like asking Cher or Madonna for their title and company! Most of us in the planning and forecasting fields would agree that Tom is just as much a celebrity as Cher or Madonna -- even if he doesn't have quite as fabulous a wardrobe.

Tom ended his Foreword by kindly stating, "I wish I had written this book." This is, curiously, exactly what I said to myself upon the 2002 publication of Tom and Bob's Sales Forecasting: A New Approach -- a book with near perfect alignment to my suspicions on the topic.

This book's treatment of the forecasting problem is completely unlike anything I'd seen before (or since). Its guidance is eminently realistic and practical, including points like these:

• Bias is a forecast that's wrong on purpose...bias is almost always caused by factors outside the forecasting process... strive for zero bias .
• The best way to eliminate forecast error is to eliminate the need to forecast.
• Focus on process improvement, not forecast accuracy.

If you haven't read this before, please take a look now.

Thank you Tom, for everything you gave us.