A better way to predict demand
Turn real market signals into reliable forecasts your teams trust. Demand planning helps you balance customer needs with supply, reduce waste and drive execution with confidence.
At Blueshift, we take a demand-driven approach. We start with what the market is actually buying and translate that demand into an executable ex-factory (sell in) forecast.
Demand Planning Key Benefits
- +7% average forecast accuracy improvement
- One number providing trusted numbers to all parts of the business
- Reduced inventory holding costs
- Fewer stockouts and write-offs
- Improved service level
- Cross-functional alignment and faster consensus alignment
Demand Planning Features
Advanced tools for accurate demand forecasting
Baseline & Incremental Forecasting
Separate base demand from promotional uplift so sales teams know what volume they are really driving.
Multi-Source Statistical Forecasting
Build credible forecasts using ex-factory (sell in), distributor (sell through) and scan (sell out) sales data.
AI Forecasting
Machine learning models automatically generate accurate baseline forecasts and promotional uplift predictions using historical causal data.
Scan to Ex-Factory Phasing
Automatically phase scan promotional uplifts into ex-factory volumes to provide a more accurate forecast.
Direct & Indirect Forecasting
Forecast sales for customers who purchase both directly and indirectly without doubling your forecast.
Daily Forecasting
Produce a forecast at daily level for short shelf life products. Weekly and monthly forecasts are also available.
DC/Plant/Warehouse Forecasting
Automatically forecast where stock will be dispatched from so the right stock is available at the right time.
Forecast Accuracy & Change Reporting
Report on forecast accuracy and changes to the forecast so you can track performance and learn from variances.
Top Down Forecasting
Forecast for medium to long term horizons using a top down approach. Great for long term capacity planning and strategic forecasting.
Customer Order Plans
Import customer order plans and overlay with your forecast to identify potential shortfalls and opportunities.
Customer Forecasts
Import customer forecasts which will automatically apply to customer forecast - great for export and made to order customers.
Inventory Reporting
Report on both internal and customer inventory levels.
Supersessions
Migrate data from superseded customers and products so new ones have enough history to produce stable statistical forecasts.
Unit of Measure Forecasting & Reporting
Forecast and report on different unit of measures.
Forecast Changes
Ability to track for a short-term historical period forecast volume changes at transaction level.
The Demand Planning Cycle
A structured approach to collaborative forecasting
Statistical Forecasting
Statistical baseline forecast generated from historical data and trends and tweaked by AI and Demand Planners for a stable and accurate baseline forecast.
Sales Planning
Forecast review is conducted with sales and amendments to forecast are made based on customer intelligence and Blueshift AI (where available).
Demand Consensus Review
Cross-functional team aligns on final forecast and revenue forecast to understand risks and opportunities.
Performance Review
Track accuracy, learn insights and apply findings to improve future forecasts.
Comprehensive Data Sources
Leverage multiple demand signals to create the most accurate forecast possible
Internal Business Demand Signals
Your internal business data provides the foundation for understanding true demand patterns and operational performance.
- Ex-Factory (Primary/Sell-In) Sales
Your core sales data showing what you've shipped to customers
- Actual Sales Orders
Real-time order information for near-term forecasting
- Actual Inventory
On hand, in transit, and quality inspection stock levels
External Customer Demand Signals
Customer and market data reveals true consumer demand and helps you stay ahead of market changes.
- Scan (EPOS/Sell-Out) Data
Point-of-sale data showing actual consumer demand
- Secondary/Distributor/Sell-Through Sales
Sell-through data from your distribution partners
- Customer Plans & Forecasts
Planned orders and customer forecasts for collaborative planning
- Customer Inventory
Visibility into customer stock levels to prevent over/under production
Ready to improve your forecast accuracy?
See how Blueshift can help you achieve better forecasts and business alignment
Schedule a demo