Oracle · Case study

New Introductions

A new feature for forecasting demand on products, distribution centers, or customers that don't exist yet.

Introduction list showing name, description, plan name, type, status, and last updated date — Every introduction and template, in one list.

The problem

New products, locations, and customers have no sales history.

A demand plan forecasts based on historical data. A brand new product, a new distribution center, or a new customer doesn't have any — there's nothing for the system to calculate from. Before this feature, a demand planner had no structured way to set up that forecast; it took manual work outside the system.

The goal

Map demand from what's being replaced onto what's replacing it.

As a demand planner, I need to map demand from existing products, locations, or customers onto the new ones being introduced, so the new ones start with a forecast instead of a blank history.

01 One new item can replace one old item (a direct replacement).
02 One old item can be replaced by several new items, splitting its demand between them.
03 Several old items can be replaced by one new item, combining their demand.
04 Several old items can be replaced by several new items, in any combination.
05 This applies beyond products — the same feature has to work for distribution centers and customers.

The solution

A guided process with five steps.

A demand planner sets up an introduction — or a reusable template for repeated ones — and works through General, Scope, Measures, and Mapping, ending with a Summary before it's submitted.

Step 1

General

Name, description, which plan it belongs to, and the date it takes effect.

Step 2

Scope

Which new items are being introduced, and which existing items they're replacing. This can apply to products, distribution centers, or customers.

New Members panel with a searchable multi-select list of product members — Selecting the new items.

Source Members panel with a searchable multi-select list of product members — Selecting what they replace.

Step 3

Measures

Which data actually copies from the old item to the new one — shipment history, price, or anything else the plan tracks — and whether it updates every time the plan runs or only once.

Step 4

Mapping

Each new item is paired with the item it's replacing, and given a factor — the percentage of that item's demand to carry over. 100 is a straight replacement. A planner can set it higher if they expect the new item to sell more, or lower if they expect less.

Mapping table with four rows paired, each with a Factor of 100 — After pairing, each set to a factor of 100.

Step 5

Summary

A preview of the actual numbers the introduction will produce, before it's submitted.

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