Forecasting Software

There are a number of free and commercial forecasting software available in the market. The website www.forecastingprinciples.com has extensive information for bofh academic and indusfry users abouf forecasting. The magazine OR/MS Today publishes bi-armual surveys of forecasfing software. For the most recent survey, refer to Yurkiewicz (2012). Some of the forecasting software are stand alone dedicated programs, while others are add-ins to Microsoft Excel, SAS, Minitab, etc. 

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CPFR (collaborative planning, forecasting, and replenishment) Implementation Software packages Forecasting software Statistical packages... 

How can forecasting software help an organization What should be considered when justifying the purchase of the software package ... 

The forecasting calculation has been greatly simplified in recent years by the introduction of PCs with user-friendly forecasting software. There is a large number of forecasting methods and one of the major tasks for the forecaster is to select the most appropriate technique for making the forecast. 

The success of a manufacturing supply chain depends on its ability to accurately forecast customer demands and produce in time to meet those demands. This chapter is divided into two parts. Part 1 (Demand Forecashng) discusses the commonly used forecasting methods (both qualitative and quantitative) used in industry. It also includes a discussion of available forecasting software and real-world applications of forecasting methods. 

Yurkiewicz (2008, 2010, 2012) groups the forecasting software into three categories as follows ... 

A partial list of forecasting software discussed by Yurkiewicz (2012) is given below ... 

A stand alone leading forecasting software for large problems. (Cost 1300)... 

A open source free forecasting software, part of the Java library. 

To evaluate the use and satisfaction with the various forecasting software, Sanders and Manrodt (2003) did a survey of 2400 U.S. Corporations. The survey asked what software they used for forecasting, how satisfied they were with the software, and how well the software did. About 10% (240 companies) responded to the survey. Highlights of the findings by Sanders and Manrodt (2003) are given in the following ... 

The attribute-based forecasting software includes multiple data sources including shipments and order history, distribution center withdrawals, customer... 

A detailed list of forecasting software vendors is reported in the OR/MS Today forecasting software survey, and a discussion of each vendor is available at http //www.lionhrtpub.com/ orms/surveys/FSS/fss-fr.html. 

Littlewood 1988] B. Littlewood. Forecasting software reliability, in Software Reliability Modelling and Identification, pp. 141-209, Heidelberg, Springer, 1988. 

Simple design, with an emphasis on solving the problems at hand instead of attempting to forecast future needs, and constant refactoring to avoid software becoming cumbersome. Central to this is the idea that code is cheap —in fact, it is often cheaper to write code and throw it away if necessary than it is to engage in an extensive analysis process. 

Figure 6.10 shows the data flow of the software tool BayAPS PP for optimal capacity assignment for given stochastic demands. Transaction data about demand and inventories is typically imported from SAP R/3 as indicated, production capacity master data and side conditions are stored in the software tool. Forecasts can be taken from a forecast tool or from SAP R/3. The output ofthe tool is a list ofpriorities of products and their lot sizes, which are optimal based on the presently available information. Only the next production orders are realized before the computation is repeated, and the subsequently scheduled production is only a prediction. 

The software tool performs an optimal calculation of lot sizes incorporating uncertain demand from forecasts or history as well as up-to-date inventory and open order data. The effort for the regular user is negligible because of the interface to SAP R/3. Various technical constraints can be included. Specific training to use the software is not necessary because it looks like the familiar Excel format to the... 

Essentially, this concerns formation of a software package, the input to which will be data on the spatial distribution of land and marine ecosystems, as well as sets of scenarios of anthropogenic processes and climatic trends. Such a database will be continuously updated and provide sequences of models to provide reliable forecasts of the dynamics of these ecosystems and will facilitate realization of hypothetic scenarios for Arctic environmental control. 

Agirre-Basurko E. Ibarra-Berastegi, G. and Madariaga I. (2006). Regression and multilayer perception-based models to forecast hourly 03 and N02 levels in the Bilbao area. Environmental Modelling <6 Software, 21(4), 430 -446. 

Even without software support, the process engineer can still obtain certain predictions by a precise analysis of the processes involved. In this case, process-specific diagrams are very helpful. These illustrate, for example, the specific energy input (Fig. 11.9) or other quality-related characteristics as a function of viscosity, throughput, speed, or discharge pressure. With the aid of enthalpy (Fig. 11.10) as a physical, process-independent value, initial forecasts can be obtained as to the energy that will be required to melt a resin and to extrude at a specified end temperature. 

The described approach has been already applied when developing a coastal mobile hardware complex [11]. Software and hardware support of this complex comprises a database on standard documents in the radiation protection area reference databases on radiation-hazardous facihties, persotmel and equipment of emergency-rescue teams of Rosatom, digital map bank, computer systems for on-hne forecast and measurement of the radiation situation parameters, different data-exchange communication channels, etc. 

Offline way of integration with reading ACTM output files by HIRLAM can also improve the NWP if aerosol feedback mechanisms are incorporated into HIRLAM. However, this way could be too expensive if high-resolution ACT forecast is available. For example, some tests can be done using the CAC, DERMA, EMEP, MATCH or SILAM models (considering feedbacks with Enviro-HIRLAM version). The OAS1S4 coupler software (Redler et ah, this volume) could be tested for this work. 

The concentrations of mercury in the landfill gas were estimated with the aid of a simulation program EandGEM that was developed by the office of Research and Development United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). Land GEM is based on a fust-order decomposition rate equation for quantifying emissions from the decomposition of landfilled waste in municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills. The software provides a relatively simple approach to estimating landfill gas emissions. Model defaults are based on empirical data from US landfills. Field test data can also be used in place of model defaults when available. This software was also useful to forecast the future levels of mercury generation from LEG. 

Maier, H.R. and G.C. Dandy Neural network for the prediction and forecasting of water resources variables a review of modeling issues and applications. Environ. Model. Software 15 (2000) 101-124. 

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