Demand Forecasting for New Products: A Practical Guide

The article makes a blunt claim.

Forecasting demand for a new product works best as a way to learn and decide, not as a search for one perfect figure.

The supplier wants a purchase order and marketing has booked the campaign.

Nobody knows whether customers will buy steadily, rush in, or wait.

Order cautiously and you lose sales.

Order aggressively and you tie up cash and stock you'll have to discount.

A confident spreadsheet target doesn't settle that trade-off.

The article makes a blunt claim.

Forecasting demand for a new product works best as a way to learn and decide, not as a search for one perfect figure.

The supplier wants a purchase order and marketing has booked the campaign.

Nobody knows whether customers will buy steadily, rush in, or wait.

Order cautiously and you lose sales.

Order aggressively and you tie up cash and stock you'll have to discount.

A confident spreadsheet target doesn't settle that trade-off.