Retail Demand Forecasting (RDF) Business Essentials 13

This course provides instruction on the use of the Oracle Retail Demand Forecasting system to generate forecasts for regular and promotional sales using Curve to generate profiles and Promote to manage promotional events.

This course walks you through the hands-on application of concepts related to the generation and management of forecasts, profiles and promotions.

Learn To:

• Describe the RDF Business process Flow
• List the RDF Workbook Templates
• Prepare Data for Forecasting
• Select the best forecasting method
• Generate a sample demand forecast
• View a sample demand forecast

Audience

• End Users
• Sales Consultants
• Functional Implementer
• Business Analysts

Course Topics Demand Forecasting Overview

• Introduction to Lesson
• Define forecasting
• Challenges of Demand Forecasting
• Integration with other applications

Demand Forecasting Business Process Flow

• Introduction to Lesson
• Process Overview
• Identifying Roles

Client Login and Workbook Templates

• Starting the RDF Client
• Logging In
• RDF Architecture
• Curve template
• RPAS multi - dimensional domains

Preparing Data for Forecasting

• Introduction to Lesson
• Pre-Processing Historical Data
• Pre-processing data in the RDF workflow
• Automated pre-processing of data
• Manual Adjustment of Sales History

Forecast Methods

• Exponential Smoothing
• Bayesian Analysis
• Causal
• Profile Based
• Simple Moving Average
• Average
• No Forecast
• Auto-ES

Setting Forecast Parameters

• Introduction to Lesson
• Forecast Administration worksheets and parameters
• Forecast Maintenance worksheets and parameters
• Setting Other Default Parameters

Like Item/Sister Store Workbook

• Introduction to Lesson
• Like Item/Sister Store workbook
• Product/Location Cloning Administration workbook

Generating Forecasts

• Introduction to Lesson
• Using the Run Batch Forecast Workbook Wizard
• Generate a Forecast
• Validate a Forecast
• Review a Forecast

Curve and Promote

• Introduction to Lesson
• Curve
• Promote
• Promote workbooks and worksheets

Approving and Deleting Forecasts

• Introduction to Lesson
• Demand Forecasting Process
• Methods of Approving a Forecast
• Forecast Approval
• Forecast Approval Workbooks
• Deleting a forecast

Forecast Analysis tools

• Introduction to Lesson
• Forecast Analysis Tools
• Interactive Forecasting Workbook
• Forecast Scorecard workbook

Exporting Forecasts

• Introduction to Lesson
• Overview of Exporting Demand Forecasts
• RDF Integration with RMS
• RDF Integration with AIP
• RDF Integration with MFP

Optional RDF Module Curve

• Introduction to Lesson
• Using Curve
• Business function of the curve model
• Process for creating custom spread profile using Curve workbooks and worksheets
• Curve worksheets

Course Review

• Challenges of forecasting demand
• Oracle Retail Applications
• Oracle Retail Integrated process flow
• Demand forecasting process with and without RDF
• RDF Architecture
• Demand Forecasting domain structure
• Selecting the best forecast method
• Forecast Analysis

Course Objectives

• Describe the role of demand forecasting in the retail planning process
• Describe the steps in the RDF primary workflow
• Describe the RDF login process
• Explain why pre-processing data may be necessary to create accurate demand forecasts
• Differentiate between the available Forecasting methods
• Identify functions of the Forecast Administration workbook
• Describe the function of the Like Item, Sister Store workbook
• Explain the steps in manually generating a demand forecast
• Describe Curve functionality
• Use Promotional Forecasting tools within RDF
• Differentiate between the different methods of approving a forecast
• Explain the function of the worksheets found in the Interactive Forecasting workbook
• Explain the function of the worksheets found in the Forecast Scorecard workbook
• Explain how demand forecasts are used by other planning applications
• Describe the business function of the Curve module
• Explain the process of creating a custom Spread Profile using the Curve workbooks and worksheets