In Better Forecast you can create a manual data selection that bundles specific items into a saved filter. The system remembers your selection across sessions, so when you return the next day and open the same page, your items are still there.
You point out items by adding their item numbers directly to the selection. You can also use the Get Items function to pull in items from any filter, such as all items from a specific vendor number, and they are added to your existing selection.
A manual data selection is different from an automatic selection. If you try to open a manual selection as an automatic one, you get an error. The manual selection is not calculated automatically. It only contains the specific items you have pointed out.
Creating a manual item selection in Better Forecast
Say you are building a summer campaign and want to keep track of a specific set of items. You create a selection and point out the items you want to remember. The selection sticks. When you go out of the page and back in again, the items are still there.
In this example the selection starts with four items. When you open the summer campaign and dive into the data selections, you can see exactly which item numbers you have added. This is a normal data selection, not an automatic one.
Adding more items to the selection
You can extend the selection at any time by adding more item numbers manually. For instance, you can add item number 1011 to your selection. Once it is in there, that item becomes part of the view whenever you update your Better Forecast.
You can also create manual selections more efficiently with the Get Items function. This lets you import items from whatever filter you choose. For example, you can pull in all items for vendor number 50,000, and those items are added to your selection. After that, your selection list is simply longer.
How the selection is saved and reused
Better Forecast remembers the selection as part of your setup. When you come back tomorrow and open the same page, for example Better Forecast for one item across many periods, and you update it, all the items from your selection appear again.
This is a practical way to bundle items, whether for a product catalog, a Christmas campaign, a summer campaign, or anything else. The key point is that the selection is not automatically calculated. It is pointed out per specific item, so you stay in control of exactly what is included.
Q&A
What is the difference between a manual data selection and an automatic selection in Better Forecast?
A manual data selection contains the specific item numbers you point out yourself and is not calculated automatically. An automatic selection is calculated based on rules. If you try to open a manual data selection as an automatic selection, you get an error.
How do I add many items to a selection at once?
Use the Get Items function. It imports items from any filter you choose, such as all items for a specific vendor number, and adds them to your existing selection.
Does Better Forecast remember my selection between sessions?
Yes. The selection is saved as part of your setup. When you return the next day and open the same page, your items are still in the selection when you update the forecast.
Can I use a manual selection for campaigns?
Yes. You can bundle items for a summer campaign, a Christmas campaign, a product catalog, or any other grouping. The selection includes only the specific items you have pointed out.