--- schema_version: "1" id: c6147cc8c5275ba5b8dc58975a4bc0b960c86c6382bf9d0bab3bbc1c8b157ab2 title: "Example: Generate Forecasts Across Multiple Regions with Advanced Account Forecasting" collection: admin version: current locale: en-us portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/ind/264-0-0/aaf_admin_implement_forecasting.md canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ind.aaf_admin_implement_forecasting.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 source_site: help.salesforce.com content_type: documentation content_hash: 5f99967391b2d8a56256d0969d19b5dccd184f5b51056923ffbe4c3789359400 description: You can use the Advanced Account Forecasting feature to configure forecasts according to your business needs. To explain the flexibility that Advanced Account Forecasting offers, let’s consider the example of a business conglomerate spread across multiple regions. The company has a distributed account forecasting model where each region creates and maintains forecasts according to their business needs. products: - Manufacturing release: "264" --- # Example: Generate Forecasts Across Multiple Regions with Advanced Account Forecasting You can use the Advanced Account Forecasting feature to configure forecasts according to your business needs. To explain the flexibility that Advanced Account Forecasting offers, let’s consider the example of a business conglomerate spread across multiple regions. The company has a distributed account forecasting model where each region creates and maintains forecasts according to their business needs. ### Required Editions
Available in: Lightning Experience
Available in: Enterprise, Unlimited, and Developer Editions
## Account Forecast Model for Multiple Regions Let’s look at the requirements for two different regions within the organization to illustrate how Advanced Account Forecasting can be used to address the account forecasting needs in a single instance of Manufacturing Cloud. | Criterion | Region 1 | Region 2 | | --- | --- | --- | | Business model | Account managers work with individual key accounts. There’s a finite set of products. Large quantities of the products are shipped and therefore, forecasting by shipping location helps in reducing costs. | A large number of customers exist along with a large number of products. | | Forecast dimensions | The Account, Product, Ship-from Location, and Period dimensions. | The Channel (modeled as a parent account with multiple child accounts), Product Category, and Period dimensions. | | Forecast metrics | The revenue and quantity metrics for opportunities, sales agreements, and orders for account managers and regional managers. | The revenue and quantity metrics for opportunities and orders for channel managers and category managers. | | Forecast granularity | Quarterly | Monthly | | Forecast calculation frequency | Monthly | Monthly | | Adjustment frequency | The adjustment frequency for account managers is the 1st to 7th of a month, and the 7th to 14th of every quarter for the regional manager. | The adjustment frequency for the channel manager is the 1st to 5th of every month, and the 6th to 8th of the month for the category managers. | | Consensus forecast revenue and quantity | The average of the regional manager and account manager revenues and quantities. | The maximum of the channel manager and category manager forecast revenues and quantities. | ## Implement Advanced Account Forecasting in the Org Advanced Account Forecasting can address the specific requirements of each region in the organization in a single instance of Manufacturing Cloud. For the organization in the example, these are the high-level steps they must follow. You can always create custom dimensions, measures, period groups, and fact objects according to your specific business needs. 1. [Enable Features for Manufacturing Cloud](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ind.mfg_enable_features.htm&type=5&language=en_US). 2. [Define the forecast dimensions](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ind.aaf_admin_dimension_task.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Dimensions are qualitative attributes, such as product, region, customer segment, business unit, and inventory location, that group forecast data. In Advanced Account Forecasting, dimensions segment the forecasts that appear in the forecasts table. When you configure a forecast set, you can select the dimensions to be used in forecast set. To choose dimensions for a forecast set, first, you must define the source objects for the dimensions. For example, you can define Category as the source object for the product category dimension."). - Product - Product Category - Ship-from-Location ![Note](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-ind-manufacturing-264-0-0-production-enus/71a7997a-6330-43f9-81ad-0e7c8f13997c/images/icon_note.png) Note The Account and Period dimensions are mandatory and are available in the org. 3. [Define the period groups](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ind.aaf_admin_period_group_task.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Period groups define the duration and the number of periods for which forecasts are generated and displayed. The duration of a period can be a week, a month, a quarter, or a year. You can specify the number of periods before or after the current period for which forecasts are generated. When you configure a forecast set, you select a period group to define the duration of the forecasts associated with that forecast set. You can use a period group in multiple forecast sets."): monthly and quarterly. 4. Create two fact tables to store forecast facts with these fields: Mandatory Fields - A field that looks up to Account ID - A text field (18 char) that has a period populated - Fields representing forecast set and status - Fields representing forecast quantity and revenue Additional Fields - Forecast Fact 1: Dimension fields for Product and Ship-from Location - Forecast Fact 2: Dimension field for Product Category ![Note](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-ind-manufacturing-264-0-0-production-enus/71a7997a-6330-43f9-81ad-0e7c8f13997c/images/icon_note.png) Note Alternatively, you can extend the out-of-the-box forecast fact entity with relevant measures and dimensions. 5. Modify the [out-of-the-box data processing engine definitions](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ind.aaf_admin_dpe_templates.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Advanced Account Forecasting uses Data Processing Engine to filter and aggregate data from orders, opportunities, sales agreements, location, product category, and custom objects. You can activate the out-of-the-box data processing engine jobs, or create and run your own by using existing templates.") according to region-specific business needs. 6. [Create one forecast set](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ind.aaf_admin_forecast_set_task.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "A forecast set represents a set of configurations for forecasts for a particular business objective. These configurations include forecast dimensions, measures, adjustment periods, calculation methods, and calculation frequencies. Forecast sets can vary based on business units, locations, product lines, or other factors. For example, a company can have two forecast sets: one on the sales demand forecasts for the Hammer product in Japan ship-to location and another for service revenue forecasts for the Forklift product family in the France location.") each for Region 1 and Region 2. 7. [Define the forecast dimensions](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ind.aaf_admin_forecast_set_task.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "A forecast set represents a set of configurations for forecasts for a particular business objective. These configurations include forecast dimensions, measures, adjustment periods, calculation methods, and calculation frequencies. Forecast sets can vary based on business units, locations, product lines, or other factors. For example, a company can have two forecast sets: one on the sales demand forecasts for the Hammer product in Japan ship-to location and another for service revenue forecasts for the Forklift product family in the France location.") relevant for each forecast set: - Region 1 has the Product and Ship-from Location dimensions. - Region 2 has the Product Category dimension. 8. [Configure the forecast set](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ind.aaf_admin_forecast_set_task.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "A forecast set represents a set of configurations for forecasts for a particular business objective. These configurations include forecast dimensions, measures, adjustment periods, calculation methods, and calculation frequencies. Forecast sets can vary based on business units, locations, product lines, or other factors. For example, a company can have two forecast sets: one on the sales demand forecasts for the Hammer product in Japan ship-to location and another for service revenue forecasts for the Forklift product family in the France location.") for each region. 1. Select the relevant forecast fact object, and then map the mandatory dimensions and measures. 2. Define the forecast calculation and rollover frequencies. 3. Map the relevant data processing engine definitions. 9. [Define the forecast measures](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ind.aaf_admin_forecast_set_task.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "A forecast set represents a set of configurations for forecasts for a particular business objective. These configurations include forecast dimensions, measures, adjustment periods, calculation methods, and calculation frequencies. Forecast sets can vary based on business units, locations, product lines, or other factors. For example, a company can have two forecast sets: one on the sales demand forecasts for the Hammer product in Japan ship-to location and another for service revenue forecasts for the Forklift product family in the France location."), and then map the measures to corresponding measure fields in the custom fact object. Indicate the type of aggregation criteria (batch, computed, or user-editable), and whether to track forecast adjustments. 10. [Define the applicable forecast adjustment periods](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ind.aaf_admin_forecast_set_task.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "A forecast set represents a set of configurations for forecasts for a particular business objective. These configurations include forecast dimensions, measures, adjustment periods, calculation methods, and calculation frequencies. Forecast sets can vary based on business units, locations, product lines, or other factors. For example, a company can have two forecast sets: one on the sales demand forecasts for the Hammer product in Japan ship-to location and another for service revenue forecasts for the Forklift product family in the France location.") for each profile for the forecast sets. 11. [Define the forecast formulas](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ind.aaf_admin_forecast_set_task.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "A forecast set represents a set of configurations for forecasts for a particular business objective. These configurations include forecast dimensions, measures, adjustment periods, calculation methods, and calculation frequencies. Forecast sets can vary based on business units, locations, product lines, or other factors. For example, a company can have two forecast sets: one on the sales demand forecasts for the Hammer product in Japan ship-to location and another for service revenue forecasts for the Forklift product family in the France location."). 12. [Activate the forecast sets](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ind.aaf_admin_forecast_set_task.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "A forecast set represents a set of configurations for forecasts for a particular business objective. These configurations include forecast dimensions, measures, adjustment periods, calculation methods, and calculation frequencies. Forecast sets can vary based on business units, locations, product lines, or other factors. For example, a company can have two forecast sets: one on the sales demand forecasts for the Hammer product in Japan ship-to location and another for service revenue forecasts for the Forklift product family in the France location."). 13. Run the data processing engine definitions directly, or create an orchestration workflow to run the data processing engine definitions. 14. Define the [roles, profiles,](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ind.aaf_admin_permsetsa_task.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Assign permission sets to internal users and partners based on their required level of access to Advanced Account Forecasting and related features. Control access to the Mass Update and Import CSV buttons for Advanced Account Forecasting for your users by using permission sets. Before you assign permission sets, ensure that Advanced Account Forecasting and Data Pipelines are enabled.") [field-level security](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ind.aaf_admin_flsperm_task.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "To differentiate the forecast data that various users can view, configure the field-level security for the Advanced Account Forecast Set Use object and the forecast fact object.") and [create sharing rules](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ind.aaf_admin_create_sharing_rules_task.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Define sharing rules to give users, such as regional managers and account managers, access to Advanced Account Forecast Set Use and forecast fact records. Sharing rules extend your organization-wide default settings. You can create rules based on the record owner or other criteria."), and then apply these to the users.