Forecast Pro Frequently Asked Questions
Whether you are forecasting sales, revenues, demand for service or any other important variable, Forecast Pro will make your work easier, quicker and more accurate.
There are three editions of Forecast Pro, which edition is for me?
Forecast Pro (standard edition) is designed to meet the needs of most business users who are forecasting 10 or less items at a time and who want to use time series methods.
Forecast Pro XE is designed for forecasters who need to forecast up to 100 items at a time and who would like to take advantage of advanced techniques. XE includes all the capabilities of the standard edition and adds: event models for handling promotions, strikes or other irregular occurrences; multiple level exponential smoothing to reconcile hierarchical data using a bottom-up or top-down approach; Census X-11 to de-seasonalize a time series; and dynamic regression for causal or multivariate modeling.
Forecast Pro Unlimited is designed for forecasting hundreds to thousands of items. Unlimited is easily integrated with corporate databases and planning systems. You can operate Forecast Pro Unlimited interactively or drive it from the command line. Command line operation allows "hands-off" operation.
What kind of training is required?
The vast majority of Forecast Pro users never undergo any formal training to use the product. All of our products are extremely easy to use and take advantage of the intuitive nature of a standard Windows interface. If you can use Windows -- you can use Forecast Pro.
The Forecast Pro manual includes comprehensive tutorials which guide you through all of the capabilities and operations of the programs. The tutorials are quick and simple and will have you up and running in no time. Your purchase includes free unlimited technical support via phone, fax, and e-mail to answer any questions you may have as you use the program.
In addition, a series of 3-day forecasting seminars are held throughout the country which cover all aspects of time series forecasting and include hands-on computer time. These seminars are useful in helping to understand the underlying theory Forecast Pro employs and are suitable for Forecast Pro users and nonusers alike.
For individuals who seek pure product training, 1-day Forecast Pro Product Training Workshops are offered. These workshops are held in various locations, and feature an entire day of hands-on computer workshop time.
Northeast Business Services can arrange for customized training and on-site courses. Please call for details and scheduling.
Is Forecast Pro Year 2000 compliant?
All Forecast Pro products are fully "Year 2000 Compliant" and always have been. No changes or revisions have been made to the programs for compliance. Forecast Pro accommodates 4 digit year codes.
What are the system requirements?
Forecast Pro is a 32-bit program that runs under Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT and Windows 2000. Forecast Pro requires a minimum of 8 megabytes RAM and 4 megabytes of hard disk space.
What is your technical support policy?
For Forecast Pro and Forecast Pro XE users we offer unlimited technical support via phone, fax and e-mail.
Forecast Pro Unlimited comes with an annual support contract which is included in the first year as part of the original purchase price and offers unlimited technical support via phone, fax and e-mail as well as all updates and upgrades at no additional cost; users can purchase a maintenance and support contract at the end of the first year for an additional fee.
Telephone support hours are 9 AM - 6 PM EST. Tech support phone number is 617-484-5050.
What kinds of upgrades do you offer?
We offer upgrades on all of our products, including upgrades from earlier versions to current versions (i.e., XE version 3 to XE version 4) or upgrades from one edition to another edition (i.e., standard to XE, XE to Unlimited, etc.). All of our upgrades are available to registered users of Forecast Pro products. If you have a Forecast Pro product and want to upgrade to a newer or more powerful version, we can offer you a special price. Contact us for details.
Will Forecast Pro run on a network?
Many Forecast Pro users are on networks and the program is written so that it can run on a network. Each user is, however, required to have his/her own license. We offer quantity discounts for multiple license purchases. Please contact a Northeast Business Services representative for complete details on licensing and discounts.
Do you offer special academic pricing?
We offer special academic discounts for qualified academic users. We also offer site licenses for qualified academic institutions. Institutions using Forecast Pro include The College of William & Mary, Bowling Green, University of Vermont, University of Memphis, Harvard University, Kingston University and many others. Please contact us directly for information on our academic programs.
Send mail to info@strategicbusinesstools.com with questions or comments.
Copyright © 2001 Northeast Business Services, Inc.
