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Load and validate demand

Learn how to load demand and forecast via Excel and check they were recorded correctly.

By the end of this tutorial you will have downloaded the system template, modified values and verified in the history that the bulk upload was recorded correctly.

What you will need​

  • Access to AInventory with bulk upload permission (check with your administrator if you do not see the button).
  • Microsoft Excel or another spreadsheet application compatible with .xlsx.
  • An open forecast period.
When to use the Excel upload?

Cell-by-cell editing in the grid is ideal for spot adjustments. The Excel upload is the efficient option when you need to update tens or hundreds of SKUs at once.

Step 1 — Download the current template​

Never build the file from scratch. The downloaded template contains exactly the SKUs, periods and phases enabled for your company right now.

  1. In the Forecast module, locate the Download Excel button (top bar or actions menu).
  2. Click it. The browser will download an .xlsx file named after the active period.
  3. Save it in an easily accessible location.

TODO: screenshot of the "Download Excel" button in the top bar

Step 2 — Inspect the template​

Open the file in Excel. You will find:

  • Header row: identifies the SKU, description and forecast period columns (date columns).
  • Data rows: one row per SKU with the current values of the phase you are assigned to.
  • Read-only columns (if any): may be shaded or protected; do not modify them.
Do not change the structure

Do not add or remove columns, do not rename headers and do not change the row order. The system identifies data by column position and name. Changing the structure will cause an upload error.

TODO: screenshot of the template open in Excel with headers identified

Step 3 — Modify the values​

  1. Find the SKU or SKUs you want to update.
  2. Edit the cells for the corresponding periods with the new demand or forecast values.
  3. Use numeric values only (no text, no currency signs, no thousands separators that your spreadsheet might misinterpret as decimals).
  4. Save the file in Excel Workbook (.xlsx) format.
Allowed values

TODO: the exact template validation rules are not available in the current sources. Ask your administrator about range restrictions, decimal handling and editable periods.

Step 4 — Upload the file to the system​

  1. In the Forecast module, click Upload Excel (top bar or actions menu).
  2. A file selection dialog appears. Navigate to the .xlsx file you saved and click Open.
  3. The system processes the file. You will see a progress bar or loading indicator.
  4. When finished, a confirmation message appears with the number of rows processed. If there are errors, the message details them by row and column.

TODO: screenshot of the file upload dialog

TODO: screenshot of the successful confirmation message

Step 5 — Verify in the history​

The bulk upload is recorded in each SKU's history with the source "Bulk upload". To verify:

  1. Click any SKU you modified to open its detail panel.
  2. Look for the History or Change log section.
  3. You should see a recent entry with:
    • Your user name as the author.
    • The timestamp of the upload.
    • The source: "Bulk upload".
    • The previous and new values for the modified period.

If the history does not show the entry, check whether the file was uploaded successfully and whether the SKUs in the file match those registered in the system.

TODO: screenshot of the history with a "Bulk upload" entry

Result​

You loaded demand or forecast in bulk and confirmed in the history that the changes were recorded. From here, the values are available in the phase grid for review and, eventually, for Consensus.

Next step: learn to evaluate how accurate your forecast was in Interpret your first KPIs.