Phases and versions
The demand planning process in AInventory is organized around two structural concepts: phases (the stages of the forecast cycle) and versions (the time snapshots that capture the state of the process). For definitions, see the glossary.
Phases
A phase represents one stage of the forecast approval workflow within a monthly cycle. Each phase has a group of assigned users who can edit it and is active only during its edit window.
Phase fields
| Field | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Code | Unique identifier for the phase. Used in queries and exports. | BASELINE, VENTAS, MERCADEO, CONSENSO |
| Name | Label displayed in the interface. | "Baseline (AI)", "Sales", "Marketing", "Consensus" |
| Is automatic | Indicates whether the system populates this phase without user intervention. The Baseline (AI) is automatic; all others are manual. | true / false |
| Is final | Indicates whether this phase represents the end of the planning cycle. Only the final phase is used in definitive FVA comparisons. | true / false |
| Active | Enables or disables the phase. An inactive phase does not appear in the interface and does not accept edits. | true / false |
| Window start | Day of the month from which the phase is open for editing. | 1 |
| Window end | Day of the month until which the phase is open for editing (inclusive). | 10 |
Default workflow
The default configuration example is:
Baseline (AI) → Sales → Marketing → Consensus
Phases are configurable per company: each tenant can define its own phases, names, windows, and sequences to match its internal process.
A user can only view and edit the phases assigned to their profile. The Baseline (AI) phase is generated automatically by the system and is not editable by any user.
Versions
A version is a time snapshot of the planning process: it freezes the forecast state (values per SKU, phase, and period) at a given point so it can be used as a historical reference and for KPI calculation.
Version states
| State | Description | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Open | The version is in active editing. Users with assigned phases can modify the forecast. | KPIs and FVA are not calculated on open versions. |
| Closed | The version was locked at the end of the monthly cycle. It cannot be edited. | KPIs and FVA are only calculated on closed versions. |
A version should be closed at the end of the monthly cycle, once all phases have completed their edits and the Consensus has been approved. Closing the version is a prerequisite for KPIs to be calculable.