Method and system for presenting forecasts
A method and system for defining and generating forecasts. The forecast system receives a forecast definition from a user, generates a forecast in accordance with the forecast definition, stores a forecast snapshot of the generated forecast, and presents to users forecast information derived from the forecast snapshots. A forecast definition specifies the participants to be included in a forecast and when to generate the forecast. At the scheduled time, the forecast system automatically generates the forecast and stores the forecast snapshot.
1 . A method in a computer system for presenting forecast information, the method comprising:
providing forecast snapshots, each forecast snapshot having a forecast date, a forecast period, and summary forecasts;
receiving from a user a request to display forecast information for a forecast period;
for each forecast snapshot for the requested forecast period, retrieving forecasts for participants of the forecast;
retrieving current opportunities for the user; and
generating a display description with a summary area that includes summary information of the retrieved forecasts for participants of the forecast, a participants area that includes information of the retrieved forecasts of each participant, and a user area that includes information of the retrieved current opportunities of the user.
2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the information of the areas include a date for each forecast snapshot.
3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the participants area includes a row for each participant that, when selected, provides more detailed information about each participant.
4 . The method of claim 1 wherein information of the summary area includes closed revenue and forecast revenue.
5 . The method of claim 4 wherein the information of the summary area includes pipeline revenue.
6 . The method of claim 4 wherein the information of the summary area includes expected revenue.
7 . The method of claim 1 wherein the information of the participants area includes closed revenue and forecast revenue.
8 . The method of claim 7 wherein the information of the participants area includes pipeline revenue.
9 . The method of claim 7 wherein the information of the participants area includes name of the participant.
10 . The method of claim 1 wherein the user area includes information for each opportunity of the user.
11 . The method of claim 10 wherein the information for each opportunity includes opportunity identifier and forecast revenue.
12 . The method of claim 1 wherein the summary area includes a row of information for each forecast snapshot within the forecast period, the participant area includes a row of information for each participant within each forecast snapshot within the forecast period, and the user area includes a row for each opportunity of the user.
13 . The method of claim 1 wherein information of the summary area includes forecasted quantity of a product.
14 . The method of claim 1 wherein the information of the summary area includes closed quantity of a product.
15 . The method of claim 1 wherein the information of the summary area includes pipeline quantity of a product.
16 . A computer system for presenting forecast information, comprising:
a data store with forecast snapshots having a forecast date, a forecast period, and forecast information;
a component that, for each forecast snapshot for a forecast period, retrieves forecasts for participants of the forecast; and
a component that generates a display description with a summary area that includes summary information of the retrieved forecasts for participants of the forecast, a participants area that includes information of the retrieved forecasts of each participant, and a user area that includes information of opportunities of a user.
17 . The computer system of claim 16 wherein the information of the areas include a date for each forecast snapshot.
18 . The computer system of claim 16 wherein the participants area includes a row for each participant that, when selected, provides more detailed information about each participant, the more detailed information including opportunity information retrieved from a snapshot.
19 . The computer system of claim 16 wherein information of the summary area includes forecast revenue.
20 . The computer system of claim 16 wherein the information of the summary area includes closed revenue.
21 . The computer system of claim 16 wherein the information of the summary area includes expected revenue.
22 . The computer system of claim 16 including a component that automatically generates forecasts in accordance with a forecast definition.
23 . The computer system of claim 16 wherein information of the participants area includes forecast revenue.
24 . The computer system of claim 16 wherein the information of the participants area includes pipeline revenue.
25 . The computer system of claim 16 wherein the information of the participants area includes name of the participant.
26 . The computer system of claim 16 wherein the user area includes information for each current opportunity of the user.
27 . The computer system of claim 16 wherein the user area includes information for each opportunity of the user stored in a snapshot.
28 . The computer system of claim 16 wherein the summary area includes a row of information for each forecast snapshot within the forecast period, the participant area includes a row of information for each participant within each forecast snapshot within the forecast period, and the user area includes a row for each opportunity of the user.
29 . The computer system of claim 16 wherein information of the summary area includes forecasted quantity of a product.
30 . The computer system of claim 16 wherein the information of the summary area includes closed quantity of a product.
31 . The computer system of claim 16 wherein the information of the summary area includes pipeline quantity of a product.
32 . A computer-readable medium for controlling a computer system to present forecast information, by a method comprising:
providing forecast snapshots, each forecast snapshot having a forecast date, a forecast period, and summary forecasts;
for each forecast snapshot for the requested forecast period, retrieving forecasts for participants of the forecast; and
generating a display description with a summary area that includes summary information of the retrieved forecasts for participants of the forecast and a participants area that includes information of the retrieved forecasts of each participant.
33 . The computer-readable medium of claim 32 wherein the information of the areas include a date for each forecast snapshot.
34 . The computer-readable medium of claim 32 wherein the participants area includes a row for each participant that, when selected, provides more detailed information about each participant.
35 . The computer-readable medium of claim 32 wherein the information of the participants area includes name of the participant.
36 . The computer-readable medium of claim 32 wherein the summary area includes a row of information for each forecast snapshot within the forecast period and the participant area includes a row of information for each participant within each forecast snapshot within the forecast period.
37 . The computer-readable medium of claim 32 wherein information of the summary area includes forecasted quantity of a product.
38 . A computer-readable medium containing a data structure comprising:
a summary area that includes summary information of forecasts for participants of a forecast, the summary information being generated based on forecast snapshots having a forecast date, a forecast period, and summary forecasts;
a participants area that includes information of forecasts of each participant that is generated based on the forecast snapshots; and
a user area that includes information of the retrieved current opportunities of the user.