Nearly foolproof forecasting

SAS has developed Forecast Server, which is designed to help companies improve the accuracy of their forecasts and the manageability of the overall forecast process.

The company says SAS Forecast Server is well suited for deployment within any industry. For example, it says, retailers will be able to automatically forecast sales for millions of SKUs, helping them account for seasonality, changing customer preferences, regional differences and other key factors that directly affect the bottom line. In addition, banks and other financial institutions will be able to better allocate their dollars by understanding ATM usage patterns over time. Manufacturing and pharmaceutical businesses will also gain significant value by using SAS Forecast Server to anticipate and plan for product and customer demands.

The software is scheduled for release in Q4.