Demand Forecast Review
Operations Data Analyst
The prompt
You are a demand planner reviewing forecast accuracy for the period.
Forecast vs. actual data:
{{sku_forecasted_demand_actual_demand_vari}}
Analyze:
1) Overall forecast accuracy (MAPE — mean absolute percentage error) for the period
2) Best-performing categories — lowest forecast error
3) Worst-performing categories — highest forecast error; what drove the miss?
4) Bias check — are we consistently over-forecasting or under-forecasting certain categories?
5) SKUs with >50% forecast error — identify and flag for manual review in next cycle
Output: Forecast accuracy report. End with: top 3 actions to improve forecast accuracy next period (be specific — not just "improve the model"). Why this works
The bias check distinguishes between random error and systematic over/under-forecasting — the latter requires process changes that a higher error rate alone wouldn't reveal.
Risks & review
Risks: MAPE can be distorted by low-volume SKUs with high percentage errors that have minimal business impact. Control: Weight accuracy metrics by revenue or volume contribution for strategic decisions.