February 2016
Intermediate to advanced
480 pages
219h 58m
English
Forecasting in the service sector presents some unusual challenges. A major technique in the retail sector is tracking demand by maintaining good short-term records. For instance, a barbershop catering to men expects peak flows on Fridays and Saturdays. Indeed, most barbershops are closed on Sunday and Monday, and many call in extra help on Friday and Saturday. A downtown restaurant, on the other hand, may need to track conventions and holidays for effective short-term forecasting.
Forecasting at McDonald’s, FedEx, and Walmart is as important and complex as it is for manufacturers such as Toyota and ...