Use this article to find out when Confido rounds Sales Forecast units to whole numbers, when it keeps decimals, and why some forecast views show fractional units. It's for anyone who reviews or edits the Consumption, Depletion or Ship-to forecast, and needs no permissions beyond access to the Sales Forecasting module.
Does Confido round forecast units to whole numbers?
Whether Confido rounds Sales Forecast units to whole numbers depends on the forecast type:
Consumption forecast: baseline units are rounded down to the nearest whole unit. Promotional lift units are rounded to the nearest whole unit. The Consumption Units view shows whole numbers.
Depletion forecast: the baseline calculation keeps fractional (decimal) math and isn't rounded to whole units.
Ship-to forecast: can show decimals more often than the other two, because it combines several inputs and allocation rules.
How does rounding work in the Consumption forecast?
The Consumption forecast multiplies stores × base velocity × seasonality multiplier to get baseline units for each week. Base velocity is units per store per week (U/S/W) and can be fractional, for example 1.8. Store counts are always whole numbers. Confido rounds the weekly baseline down to a whole unit, and it rounds promotional lift to the nearest whole unit.
Worked example for one week in the Consumption forecast:
Stores: 12
Base velocity: 1.8 U/S/W
Seasonality multiplier: 1.1
Baseline: 12 × 1.8 × 1.1 = 23.76, rounded down to 23 units
Promotional lift: 6.6 units, rounded to the nearest whole unit, 7 units
Total Consumption forecast for the week: 23 + 7 = 30 units
Why do I see decimals in the Depletion forecast?
The Depletion forecast keeps fractional math in its baseline calculation, so weekly Depletion values and totals can include decimals. This is expected, not a data error.
Why do I see decimals in the Ship-to forecast?
The Ship-to forecast combines several inputs: Consumption or Depletion volume, route-to-market (RTM) allocation rules, and ship-to adjustments. It then apportions that volume across routes and weeks. Splitting a whole number of units across several distributors or weeks can leave fractional units. You'll see this most outside the standard Units view, or where Ship-to values are apportioned across RTMs or weeks.
Can I upload decimal units in consumption data?
No. When you upload consumption data, Confido flags decimal values in a units column as a formatting error, because units are expected to be whole numbers. Round the units in your file before you upload it.
Limitations and workarounds
Limitation: Depletion and Ship-to forecast values, and exports of them, can contain fractional units. Workaround: If you need whole units for ordering or reporting, round the exported values in your spreadsheet. Use the Consumption Units view when you need whole-unit consumption figures.