4. Qualitative Forecasting Techniques

Chapter 3 directed your attention to looking in the rear-view mirror—to techniques for examining historical demand data, finding patterns in that historical demand, and then projecting those patterns into the future. You gain much insight from this exercise, but as concluded at the end of Chapter 3, if you only look in the rear-view mirror, you might get hit by a truck! This chapter discusses techniques and approaches for pointing your eyes out through the front windshield—at the future. In other words, it discusses the topic of qualitative forecasting.

First, the chapter defines qualitative forecasting and discusses when employing these qualitative techniques makes sense. Then, it discusses the most typical ...

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