How to Use the Bulk Forecast Upload

If you have not already watched the tutorial on how to set up your SoStocked forecasts, please go here first.

Most SoStocked users prefer to set up and adjust their forecast settings in-app, as covered in the linked tutorial above. But if you prefer to use the bulk import/export file, this tutorial will walk you through the process.

Monthly Housekeeping (Reviewing your Forecast Settings)

We recommend reviewing your forecast settings in bulk at least once per quarter, but even monthly. As you add new products or as your needs change, the forecast may get cluttered. Follow this tutorial to review all settings and make changes in bulk.

How to Use the Bulk Forecast (Steps):

Start on your Bulk Uploads page on SoStocked.
From the drop-down menu on the top, left select, "Forecast Settings".
Export this in Excel or .CSV so you can make changes.
From here you have 4 separate pages:
1. Forecast Settings
2. Lightning Deals
3. Manual Seasonal Spikes
4. And Dictionary
The dictionary is vital to understanding the valid values that can be used on each page. This is fully explained in the tutorial video above.
For any column that has dates in it, we found that it works best if you format the entire column to "Text" formatting. Excel sometimes will auto-format dates into a format that is not accepted in the upload.
After you have made changes and saved the document, upload it using the upload menu toward the bottom of the page.
NOTE: Automated Seasonality cannot be adjusted using the bulk file, and can only be turned on/off or adjusted in-app. Watch the tutorial here.
If you get an error message, it will be written in red. There will be a small drop-down arrow to click on where you can read the errors. Usually, errors are due to improper formatting, which means you used an invalid value. Again, the valid values can be found on the Dictionary sheet. Once you have corrected the errors, re-upload the document to clear out the old errors and to complete the upload.
The system will process these changes which could take a while. When it's completed, you will see a "Successful" message.
The actual forecasts themselves can take a while to recalculate after you have saved changes. Depending on how many products you are editing, please give the forecast up to one hour to fully process and recalculate your new forecasts based on the new settings. When you go to your forecast page look at the top-right and make sure that there is no spinning wheel. That means it's still recalculating.

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