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When you export a demand forecast from Business Central to Excel, you get a built-in way to recalculate all your forecast figures at once. The new forecast columns contain a formula that multiplies a factor in field B2 by the quantity in the column you select, such as the current forecast. This lets you mass update every forecast entry in one step.
If you expect 25% growth compared to last year, you set the factor so all entries increase by 25%. You can also use AI functionality, consolidated data, or any external Excel sheet to populate the new forecast column. When you import the file back into Business Central, only the new forecast column is used.
How the forecast formula works in Excel
After you export your forecast to Excel, every new forecast column contains a formula. The formula multiplies the value in field B2 by the quantity in the column you have selected. In a typical scenario you select the column current forecast, and the formula multiplies that figure (for example 230) by your chosen factor.
This gives you a simple mechanism to adjust all forecast figures in bulk instead of editing each entry manually.
Mass updating the forecast for expected growth
The formula is useful when you want to base next year’s forecast on last year’s numbers and apply a percentage change. If you think you are growing 25%, you add 25% to all of your forecast entries at once. Every entry is updated through the same formula, so you do not have to touch them individually.
Using AI, external data, or consolidated sheets
The export to Excel is flexible. You can use whatever intelligence or data source you want to fill in the new forecast column. That might be AI functionality, a consolidated Excel sheet, or data pulled in from another system. As long as the values end up in the new forecast column, you can build them however suits your process.
Importing the forecast back into Business Central
When you import the Excel file, Business Central reads only the new forecast column. The values you have calculated or imported there are what get written back, so you can rely on that column as the single source for your updated forecast.
Q&A
What does the formula in the new forecast columns do?
It multiplies the value in field B2 by the quantity in the column you select, such as the current forecast. This recalculates the forecast figure based on the factor you choose.
How do I increase all forecast entries by a percentage?
Set the factor so that it adds the percentage you want. For example, if you expect 25% growth, you apply a 25% increase to all forecast entries at once, using last year’s forecast as the basis.
Can I use AI or external data to fill the forecast column?
Yes. You can use AI functionality, consolidated Excel sheets, or data from other sources to populate the new forecast column. Any method works as long as the values end up in that column.
Which column does Business Central use when I import the file?
On import, Business Central uses only the new forecast column. The values in that column are what get written back into the system.