This is what happens in the video
Flexible Forecast is a tool that makes it much easier to work with forecasting in Business Central. Instead of going into the demand forecast page, you can work with forecasts directly from the item list and item card. The tool gives you a simple overview per month, per week, or whatever period you prefer.
The forecast entries you create are standard Business Central demand forecast entries. This means the tool integrates directly with MRP planning and the rest of the supply planning in Business Central.
Flexible Forecast offers three views: forecast for one item across periods, forecast for all items in one period, and forecast per dimension.
Forecast for one item across periods
From the item list, you can search for forecast and go straight to the forecast view for a single item. Here you can enter the forecast per period and see a full year at a glance.
The overview shows the inventory, the forecast quantity, the sales quantity, and the end inventory. There are also several hidden columns with production and manufacturing quantities. There is a lot of functionality available, but the overview itself stays simple. You can easily update the forecast and adjust the forecast entries up and down.
Forecast for all items in one period
The second view flips the perspective. Instead of looking at one item across periods, you look at all items within a single period that you select at the top. This could be one month combined with an item filter.
You can choose to view only items that hold a forecast, or you can view items that do not hold a forecast. The latter brings more items into the list, which makes it easy to enter the forecast for that specific period per item.
Forecast per dimension
The third view lets you forecast per dimension. This is a little special. You can use dimensions to calculate your availability and hold quantities, for example for campaigns on items. We go into detail on this view in other videos.
Integration with standard Business Central
Whatever forecast period you change in Flexible Forecast, the tool writes to the actual forecast entries that are standard in Business Central. Because the entries are standard demand forecast entries, they feed directly into MRP planning and the rest of the planning process.
Q&A
What is Flexible Forecast in Business Central?
Flexible Forecast is a tool that makes it easier to work with forecasting in Business Central. It lets you enter and adjust forecasts directly from the item list and item card, with a simple overview per month, week, or other period.
Which views does Flexible Forecast offer?
There are three views: forecast for one item across periods, forecast for all items within one selected period, and forecast per dimension.
What does the forecast overview show?
The overview shows the inventory, the forecast quantity, the sales quantity, and the end inventory. Additional columns with production and manufacturing quantities are available but hidden by default.
Can I find items that do not have a forecast yet?
Yes. In the view for all items in one period, you can filter to show only items that hold a forecast or items that do not hold a forecast. This makes it easy to enter forecasts for items that are missing one.
Does Flexible Forecast integrate with MRP planning?
Yes. The entries you create are standard Business Central demand forecast entries, so they feed directly into MRP planning and the rest of the planning process.
What is the forecast per dimension view used for?
You can use dimensions to calculate availability and hold quantities, for example for campaigns on items.