When generating the forecast data in a working forecast, step 5: Select forecast method allows selecting a classic community forecast (all weeks weighted equally) or a weekly weighted average, where you can assign different weights to each week.

If you select Weekly Weighted Average, Step 6 Forecast method details allows assigning the different relative weights to each week. The sum for all weeks must equal 100.

Example

Classic Community Forecast

Classic community forecasting is a simple averaging of the historical weeks used in the Forecast Profile.

Historical Week 1 = 500 Calls                 25% Weight (default)

Historical Week 2 = 1000 Calls               25% Weight (default)

Historical Week 3 = 1500 Calls               25% Weight (default)

Historical Week 4 = 2000 Calls               25% Weight (default)

The result would be 1250 calls forecasted for the week ((500+1000+1500+2000)/4) as it would apply the same weight to each week.
 

Weekly Weighted Average

Historical Week 1 = 500 Calls                 10% Weight (adjusted)

Historical Week 2 = 1000 Calls               10% Weight (adjusted)

Historical Week 3 = 1500 Calls               40% Weight (adjusted)

Historical Week 4 = 2000 Calls               40% Weight (adjusted)

The result aligns more closely with a forecast of 1750 calls because the manually adjusted weights prioritize weeks 3 and 4 over weeks 1 and 2.

Which method should I use?

Each methodology offers distinct advantages:

• Classic Community Forecast: Best used when you expect the forecasted week to mirror a standard historical average.

• Weekly Weighted Average: Ideal when the forecasted week will likely resemble specific historical data points rather than the whole.

Extra Credit

Forecast still not quite right? Learn how to edit your working forecast