How do I generate and adjust sales forecasting?

This article shows operators how to generate and adjust sales forecasting to aid in creating labor schedules.

Overview

Operators can generate and adjust sales forecasting in the labor scheduler and sales forecasting page.  Forecasting and adjusting sales gives operators accurate projected labor calculations and analytics.

Operators can forecast sales down to the day, daypart, department within a daypart, or hourly levels.

Adjusting forecasted sales gives operators more control over their labor costs, ensuring the right people are staffed for the right sales volume that the restaurant is expected to produce.

Operators who can accurately forecast sales have better metrics to utilize when creating schedules which can lead to the following:

  • Lower labor cost

  • Lower turnover

  • Higher profitability

 

Decision Logic recommends the sales forecast dollar amount by making predictions from the previous six weeks of sales.  Decision Logic does not consider days that are outliers, such as days without sales due to store closure.

Operators must generate a sales forecast before creating a labor schedule.  Forecasted sales can be adjusted after a labor schedule is posted.

 

Projected Sales + Adjustments = Forecast

 

Generate Sales Forecasting

Begin by navigating to:

Operations > Forecasting > Sales Forecasting

 

  1. Select a Store if you have access to multiple locations.

  2. Select the Week you want to generate sales forecasting.

  3. Click Generate Sales Forecast.

 

Clicking Generate Sales Forecast saves the forecast. As a result, operators can accept Decision Logic’s projected sales forecasting and choose not to make any adjustments.  No additional action is required if operators choose not to make any adjustments.

 

 

Adjust Forecasted Sales

Operators can choose to adjust the forecasted sales that Decision Logic has calculated.  They can drill down into where or how they would like to make adjustments.

The following section assumes that operators have already generated sales forecasting.

Begin by navigating to:

Operations > Forecasting > Sales Forecasting

 

  1. Select a Store if you have access to multiple locations.

  2. Select the Week you want to generate sales forecasting.

  3. Update amounts for a date in the Adjustment column or change the total amount in the Forecast column.

    1. Amounts entered in positive number format in the Adjustment column will increase the Forecasted amounts.

    2.  Amounts entered in parenthesis in the Adjustment columns will reduce the Forecasted amount.

    3. Weather is indicated on the week view.

  4. Click Save.

 

Grayed-out spaces indicate that the date has passed, and no changes can be made.

 

Operators can reset any adjustments to Decision Logic’s initial generation of forecasted sales by clicking Reset Week followed by Yes.

 

 

Adjust by Day-Part

The following section assumes that operators have already generated sales forecasting.

Begin by navigating to:

Operations > Forecasting > Sales Forecasting

 

  1. Select a Store if you have access to multiple locations.

  2. Select the Week you want to generate sales forecasting.

  3. Click a Day of the Week.

  4. Update the Adjustment or Forecast columns.

  5. Click Save.

 

 

Operators can reset any adjustments to Decision Logic’s initial generation of forecasted sales by clicking Reset Day followed by Yes.

 

 

If an adjustment has been previously made, an alert will appear at the top of the page.

 

When operators adjust their forecast at the day level, then re-adjust it at the daypart, department, or hour level, they will receive a message stating the new adjustment will override the initial adjustment.  Operators will click Yes to confirm the new adjustment.

 

Adjust by Department

Begin by navigating to:

Operations > Forecasting > Sales Forecasting

 

  1. Select a Store if you have access to multiple locations.

  2. Select the Week you want to generate sales forecasting.

  3. Click a Day of the Week.

  4. Click the arrow next to a Day-part to expand.

  5. Update the Adjustment or Forecast columns.

  6. Click Save.

 

 

Operators can clear adjustments for a department only by clicking Clear and Yes.

 

 

Additionally, operators can reset any adjustments to Decision Logic’s initial generation of forecasted sales by clicking Reset Day followed by Yes.

 

If an adjustment has been previously made, an alert will appear at the top of the page.

 

When operators adjust their forecast at the day level, then re-adjust it at the daypart, department, or hour level, they will receive a message stating the new adjustment will override the initial adjustment.  Operators will click Yes to confirm the new adjustment.

 

Adjust by Hour

Begin by navigating to:

Operations > Forecasting > Sales Forecasting

 

  1. Select a Store if you have access to multiple locations.

  2. Select the Week you want to generate sales forecasting.

  3. Click a Day of the Week.

  4. Click Hourly.

  5. Update the Adjustment or Forecast column.

  6. Click Save.

 

Operators can reset any adjustments to Decision Logic’s initial generation of forecasted sales by clicking Reset Day followed by Yes.

 

 

 

If an adjustment has been previously made, an alert will appear at the top of the page.

 

When operators adjust their forecast at the day level, then re-adjust it at the daypart, department, or hour level, they will receive a message stating the new adjustment will override the initial adjustment.  Operators will click Yes to confirm the new adjustment.

 

Sales Adjustment Example Scenarios

By Day

  • There is a local event near my store, and I expect to double the foot traffic throughout the day. Therefore, I may need to increase my forecasted sales across all dayparts and departments.

By Day Part

  • We tend to see more business than usual during the afternoon and less in the evening on holidays. Since Monday is Memorial Day, I need to increase my afternoon forecasted sales and decrease them for the evening.

By Hourly

  • The high school across the street from my store lets their students out at noon instead of 3 pm. Therefore, I need to increase my forecasted sales from 12 pm-2 pm and decrease from 2 pm-4 pm.

By Department

  • Friday’s large catering event will double my sales, but I only need additional staff to deliver the food. I want to see this bump in sales reflected in my forecasted labor % on the Catering Schedule but not on my FOH Schedule. Therefore, I need to increase forecasted sales for the Catering Department.

 

 

© 2023 Knowledge Management Systems, LLC. Decision Logic. All Rights Reserved.

 



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