One last question.. before we post an advertisement tomorrow.
Given that the end objective in my case is to let customer submit his version of the forecast (that I have the right to modify), what is (could be) the "Functional" Difference between choice of Customer Forecast Management and Collaborative Demand Planning ? What is it that latter does that former doesn't and vice versa ? Reading the documentation and sub-sub links, first time, I cant comprehend any functional difference.
To emphasize my understanding. Please correct me if I am wrong.
if I give an access to a data view to my customers on the internet, they can load a selection id and key in a forecast in the only key figure they see in the data view. Call it customer forecast. He/she can enter this at what ever level fancied
Second scenario: I don't give my customer any access to data views because they are too big and busy to be doing this all the time. They send a file by an email in a desired format. I load it to BI. In this case I wait for every customer to submit his forecast before I can go to the next step. . so I will spend more time on follow ups on phones and emails because history says over 20% of the customers don't respond to anything unless you pull out your gun.
A third scenario is customer doesn't send anything. Instead I develop an interface to read customer time series from their systems, extract it, transform it and load data to my BI.
Then there is collaborative sales forecasting in SNC that I am yet to read re its use cases for the end objectives.
Thanks
BS