Plan Your Business Future With Forecast Pro

PC World , January 1998

If you need forecasts for your business but statistics aren't your strong point, Forecast Pro 3.0 is the best package available. This $595 Windows program supplies the one feature you probably need most: It can pick the best forecasting method for your data.

Techniques include all types of time-series analyses— moving averages, most variants of exponential smoothing, autoregression, dynamic regression, and special methods for assessing the impact of one-time events. You can either select one of these methods or let Forecast Pro choose the best one for your data files.

To bring you up to speed on forecasting methods, the manual does an excellent job of explaining basics and potential pitfalls. The more sophisticated XE version ($995) handles 100-series batches, multilevel forecasts, and Census X-11 analysis.

My few complaints about the prerelease copy of Forecast Pro I looked at mostly concern convenience. For instance, although the program reads and writes data files in most spreadsheet formats, links to Excel or 1-2-3 would be an improvement over manually reworking forecasts every time your worksheet data changes. Forecast Pro's graphics are certainly adequate from a statistical purist's point of view, but if you really want to wow 'em at a business meeting, you'll have to send your charts or forecast numbers to a presentation package.

These issues are minor. You buy forecasting programs to make forecasts, and Forecast Pro is both the friendliest and most accurate at this key task.

-Charles Seiter

Forecast Pro 3.0

PRO: Automatically selects the most appropriate forecast technique, batch mode can match data models to series.

CON: Ho-hum graphics, no automatic link to spreadsheet data.

VALUE: Best business forecasting package for nonstatisticians.