Creating Your First Sales Forecast
Use historical data to predict future sales with linear, seasonal, and moving average models.
What forecasting does#
Forecasting uses your historical sales data to project future revenue, orders, and demand. AskBiz offers three models: linear regression (assumes a steady trend), moving average (smooths out noise to show the underlying direction), and seasonal decomposition (accounts for recurring patterns like holiday spikes or quiet months). The system selects the best model automatically based on your data characteristics.
Creating a forecast#
Go to Forecasts > New Forecast. Select the metric to forecast — revenue, units sold, or orders. Choose the time granularity — daily, weekly, or monthly. Set the forecast horizon — how far ahead to project. Click Generate. AskBiz analyses your historical data and produces a forecast with confidence intervals showing the likely range.
Reading the results#
The forecast chart shows your historical data as a solid line and the projection as a dashed line. The shaded area around the projection is the confidence interval — wider means more uncertainty. Pay attention to the confidence interval: if it is very wide, your data may be too volatile for reliable long-range forecasts. Shorten the horizon or use weekly instead of daily granularity.
Using forecasts for planning#
Use revenue forecasts to set targets and plan cash flow. Use demand forecasts per product to plan inventory purchases and avoid stockouts or overstock. Compare forecasts against actuals each period to calibrate — if forecasts consistently overestimate, investigate why. The system improves with more data.
Frequently Asked Questions
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