PS: Forecast Admin Settings & Tools Reference

Purpose: 

• The Forecast Admin module gives users the ability to create and control different views of data for forecasts and budgets. This screen is used to copy datasets, spread data, and control the opening and closing of site-level budgets. Access should be strictly limited.

Location 

• Navigate to the Corporate Admin menu and select Administrative Tools > Forecast Admin.

 

The Data: Global Dataset Settings

The main Forecast Admin screen manages the high-level configuration for all datasets in the system.

Field / Tool	Definition / Function
Start/Stop Year & Period	Sets the global active date range for the dataset. Any date prior to the Start Period will appear as Actuals on system reports.
Roles Assigned	Assigns which specific user roles are permitted to see the dataset.
Copy	Tool used to copy data from one dataset/site to another, utilizing a specific Copier Mode.
Spread	Tool used to spread dataset values, with options like Flat, Last Year Account, Last Year Total Rooms, or Total Rooms from Dataset.

The Data: Customize Properties (Site Options)

Clicking the "Customize Properties" icon opens the site-specific settings for a dataset.

Setting	Definition / Function
Active?	Establishes if the dataset is active for the hotels. A dataset must be active to appear in corporate reporting.
Editable?	Controls if a user can edit or change the dataset on forecast/budget screens. This checkbox, in conjunction with date parameters, is how a budget is opened or closed.
Show Dataset in Report?	Defines if this data view will appear in report dropdowns as an available view for comparison.
Start / Stop Dates	Site-level date settings that restrict when the data can be edited.
C/U (Check/Uncheck)	The "easy button" that allows a user to quickly check or uncheck a setting for all hotels at once.
Update Available Rooms	An icon that allows users to manually add and edit the available rooms schedule by date.

The Data: Copier Modes

When using the Copy tool, the Copier Mode dictates how data translates from one dataset or year to another.

Copier Mode	Logic & Function
Weekday-Weekday Rolldown	Monthly numbers are rolled down to daily tables while maintaining the day of the week.
Weekday-Weekday Rollup Day	Daily numbers are rolled up into monthly tables while maintaining the day of the week. Note: Year-over-year monthly totals will not match for DAY accounts.
Weekday-Weekday Rollup All	Daily data for all accounts are rolled up. Warning: Year-over-year monthly totals will not match, and this risks zeroing out month totals for MONTH accounts.
Period day-Period day	Copies data strictly based on the date. No rollup or spread occurs.
Copy and Scale	Copies data only (no notes) and allows users to enter percentage-based increases or decreases (-100 to 100).

The Data: Spreader Tool

The Spreader tool pushes Month data down to the day table so daily reports populate correctly (often used after history uploads or at the end of budgeting).

Spread Type	Logic & Function
Flat	Spreads numbers evenly for the entire month (e.g., $600 for a 30-day month = $20 per day).
By Key Stat	Spreads data based on the selected Key Stat for the dataset (defaults to Total Rooms).
By Account	Spreads data based on a selected account.
By Driver	Spreads data based on a selected driver.

System Limits & Constraints

• Deletion Restrictions: The Forecast, Budget, and Flex datasets are locked and cannot be deleted.
• Site Override Rule: On the Customize Properties screen, site-level date settings will always override the corporate date settings.
• Copying Over Actuals: Items copied into the current forecast will not override anything that has already actualized.
• Copying Ratios: The Copier does not copy ratios for actualized months because actual data is imported from external sources. To accurately reflect ratios in a new dataset (like Budget), you must open a support ticket to run a backfill process on rates and ratios.
• As Of Date Limit: When copying, the "As of Date" picker only applies to the "From" dataset. There is no "To As of Date" because the system only copies into a live dataset.
• Spreader Account Limits: The Spread Function will only spread Revenue and Labor accounts.
• Spreader "Edit by Day" Exception: The Spreader will ignore any account set to "Edit by Day" in the Custom Account Screen, as the system requires those to be entered manually. Spreads must also be completed prior to closing a budget.