Table of Contents

Import Data from ForecastX

You can import data from ForecastX into the Demand Forecast Overview page, allowing you to create sales and production forecasts from Business Central if needed.

Note

To use ForecastX, you must have a full license (not a Lite license) and install it as an add-in in Excel. See John Galt ForecastX for information on purchasing the software.

Save the forecast file

Once the forecast is finalized, the Excel file needs to be saved in a format that will allow it to be imported into Business Central.

  1. From the forecast Excel spreadsheet, select Add-ins > Forecast Relocation.

  2. On the Forecast Relocation pop-up, populate the following fields:

    Field Description
    Relocation Select the checkbox for forecast data you want to import into Business Central.

    • Adjust: Saves the data on the Actual line.

    • Stat Fcst: Saves the data on the Statistical Forecast line.
    Layout Select Transactional.
    Include aggregate series Clear the checkbox.

  3. Select OK.

    A new Excel file is created.

    You now have to adjust the Date and Value formats to match your region and language settings in Business Central. The following steps are for North American-English companies.

  4. In the Excel file, update the Date format.

    1. Select the entire Date column.

    2. On the Home tab, in Number group, select Short Date from the drop-down list.

      The date will appear in the YYYY-MM-DD format.

  5. In the Excel file, update the Value format.

    1. Select the entire Value column.

    2. On the Home tab, in Number group, select General from the drop-down list.

    Tip

    If the numbers have separators that will not be recognized by Business Central, try the following: In Excel, select File > Options > Advanced. Then, clear the Use system separators checkbox and add your own separators.

  6. Save the file as a CSV file.

Import a ForecastX file

  1. Choose the icon, enter Demand Forecasts, then choose the related link.

  2. On the Demand Forecasts page, select New.

    Alternatively, you can select an existing forecast.

  3. Populate the following fields:

    Field Description
    Name Enter the name of the demand forecast.
    Description Enter a description of the demand forecast.

  4. Select Edit Demand Forecast.

  5. Open the file.

  6. Populate the fields in the General FastTab as needed.

    See Create a demand forecast in Microsoft Learn for more information.

  7. In the ForecastX FactBox, select Import & Map from the drop-down menu.

  8. Select the ForecastX file to import.

    If you receive an error when importing, see Unable to import data.

    Important

    In order for the forecast to be imported correctly, the values in the Date and Values columns in the CSV file must match the formats used in Business Central as defined by the Region and Language fields on the My Settings page.

    The file must be in CSV format.

    Once the file is uploaded, the ForecastX data is mapped to the matching items listed in the Demand Forecast Matrix FastTab. Any existing data will be overwritten by the new file.

    Note

    If you are overwriting existing data, you may need to close and reopen the Demand Forecast Overview page to see the new data.

  9. Select an entry in a date column in the Demand Forecast Matrix FastTab to see the demand forecast entries for the selected item.

Delete a ForecastX file

You can delete the CSV file once the data has been imported and mapped.

Note

Deleting the file does not delete the imported data.

  1. Choose the icon, enter Demand Forecasts, then choose the related link.

  2. On the Demand Forecasts page, select a forecast.

  3. Select Edit Demand Forecast.

  4. In the ForecastX FactBox, select Delete from the drop-down menu.

    The file is deleted but the data remains.