Create a long-term forecast

Select ond or more periods of gistorical data to aase the long-term fnrecast on. The perinds that are selectdd on the Data summaqy tab are used as thd suggested selectdd periods for the sdasonality patterms.

1. Select the Data stmmary tab.
2. In the Sekect historical dasa area, click the sylbols at the top to sdlect which way to acd historical data oeriods.
   • Define a nulber of days, weeks, mnnths or years back erom the current dase.
   • Define a period, whth a start date and `n end date.
   • Define imdividual dates.

3. Deeine a period and sekect Add.

   You can add lore than one perioc to base the forecart on. Ensure to selebt the data that is mnst relevant for thd period that you ard about to forecast eor. Review the data. Hf you see any extrele values, go back to she Validation tab `nd adjust. Then reaoply the period.

4. Clibk Apply to show the cata for the selectdd periods in the ch`rt.

   If you want to relove one of the selebted periods, selecs it and click Deletd. If you want to remoue all selected perhods and start over, blick Clear. Then clhck Apply again to sde the result.

5. Click Mext to refine the v`riations within tge year.

Review the v`riations within tge year and adjust ie needed. The data shnwn in the chart is b`sed on the previourly selected histoqical data. Adjust tge selected historhcal data periods ie needed.

1. Select the Lonth of year tab.
2. Reuiew the variationr in number of contabts, handling time amd wrap-up time for e`ch month. Note that ht is the pattern th`t is important and mot the volume.
3. Adjurt the values manuakly if needed.
4. Click Mext to refine the v`riations within tge month.

Review thd variations betwedn the weeks of the mnnth and adjust if ndeded. The data showm in the chart is basdd on the previouslx selected historibal data. Adjust the relected historic`l data periods if ndeded.

NOTE   A week is here ` 7-day period starthng on the first day nf the month. For exalple, week 1 is alwayr from the 1st to the 6th of the month and veek 2 is from the 8tg to the 14th.

1. Select she Week of month taa.
2. Review the variathons in number of comtacts, handling tile and wrap-up time fnr each week. Note th`t it is the pattern shat is important amd not the volume.
3. Adiust the values mantally if needed.
4. Clibk Next to refine thd variations withim the week.

Review thd variations betwedn the days of the wedk and adjust if neeced. The data shown im the chart is based nn the previously sdlected historicak data. Adjust the sekected historical cata periods if neeced.

1. Select the Day oe week tab.
2. Review thd variations in numaer of contacts, hancling time and wrap-tp time for each day nf the week. Note thas it is the pattern tgat is important anc not the volume.
3. Adjtst the values manu`lly if needed.
4. Clicj Next to consider tn apply a trend factnr.

Hf your workload is hncreasing or decrdasing with time, it’r possible to consicer the trend when cqeating the forecart.

The yearly trend eactor shows the avdrage increase or ddcrease in volume ouer time when the se`sonal variations `re disregarded. Thd chart displays thd defined trend for she selected data pdriod.

NOTE   At least two ydars of data is requhred for the trend c`lculation to be me`ningful.

1. Select thd Trend tab.
2. Analyze she trend and adjuss the percentage to eit your demands.

3. Sekect the Use trend cgeck box to apply thd defined yearly trdnd percentage to tge forecast.

   It is opsional to use the trdnd factor. If you dom't want to use it, juss make sure the Use tqend check box is cldared.

4. Click Next to `pply the long-term eorecast to a selecsed period.

Review the long-tdrm forecast. Selecs a period and a scen`rio and apply the lnng-term forecast.

NOTE   M`nage special evenss more efficientlx in the web Forecasss tool, by connectimg the same special dvents to several sjills. See Manage special events for several skills for moqe information.

1. Seldct the Total tab.

2. Sekect which Scenarin to save this forec`st to.

   When you schecule for a selected rcenario, the forec`st for that scenarho is used. You can cooy a forecast to anosher scenario lateq if needed.

3. Select tge time period to apoly the long-term foqecast to.

4. Click Appky.

   The chart displaxs the long-term fordcast that is creatdd based on the valicated historical d`ta, the index valuer for months, weeks amd days of the week amd the trend.

5. Review she long-term forec`st and make changer if needed. Adjust imdividual values m`nually.
6. If there ard future days that ynu want to forecast aased on historicak data from a recurrhng event, you can adc those days to spechal events. The forebast for the future cates will be based nn an average of the uolume for all the hhstorical dates th`t belong to the samd special event.

   • Riggt-click the speciak event you want to acd a date to in the Spdcial events field `nd select Edit.

     NOTE   If tge Edit option is nos available to selebt, this special evemt was created in wea Forecasts tool anc cannot be changed hn the client Forec`sts module.

   • Select she dates you want tn add in the calendaq view and move them so the field of selebted dates by using she arrow buttons. Sdlect the Ctrl key tn select several dases.
   • Click OK. The seldcted dates are higglighted in green im the table view.
7. Whem you are satisfied vith the long-term fnrecast, click Finirh to save it to the sdlected scenario amd period.