For some odd, unfathomable reason, there seems to be a scarcity of articles documenting our missteps as forecasters as opposed to those lauding our successes. Sensing a real need here that they would be eminently capable of filling, Joe and Simon, our intrepid duo, focus in this segment on their...

One of three short commentaries on Michael GillilandÕs lead article in Foresight (Fall 2014): Role of the Sales Force in Forecasting Copyright International Institute of Forecasters, 2014

This is the final article of our three-part series by Joe Smith on forecast process design. Part 1, The Alignment of People, Process, and Tools, published in the Fall 2009 issue, examined the elements of effective forecast process design. Part 2, FRAM: The Forecast Reliability Assurance Model,...

In Part 1 of this series – “The Alignment of People, Process, and Tools,” from the Fall 2009 issue of Foresight – Joe Smith discussed the contribution of these three ingredients to effective forecast process design. In this follow-up article, he maps out specific steps of process design,...

Smith comments that of the three crucial components for forecasting-people, process, and tools-too many companies are quick to focus on tools without fully appreciating the importance of the other two, people and process. Process design, he contends, is an especially important prerequisite to...

This is the second Foresight article in a series called Joe and Simon Sez. Smith and Clarke offer their opinions on the subject of forecasting tools. Copyright International Institute of Forecasters, 2011

Where in an organization should the forecasting function be located? This most fundamental question is often overlooked, and there are organizations that have stumbled into a preliminary placement without having really thought through the options. In this first installment of their new column,...

The Fall 2012 issue of Foresight contained the special feature article ÒWhy Should I Trust Your Forecasts?Ó by M. Sinan GšnŸl, Dilek …nkal, and Paul Goodwin. In that piece, the authors identified the essential ingredients of trust in a forecaster as goodwill, competence (with humility),...