Forecasting

Forecasting is the feature that allows Crystal to predict future values based on existing, previously observed data.

Forecasting is supported for the overtime single-line topics without header values with daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, semesterly, and yearly time aggregations.

How to request a forecast

To ask Crystal to predict a value, you have to ask the question by specifying only the end date for the time range filter.

To activate the forecast function, of course, the date specified must be in the future and after the last one present in the topic.

An example of a question to activate the forecast function might be: “Show me the trend of sales until December 202x“. (where x is the current year +1).

Alternatively, you can request the forecast directly in the "three-dots" menu within the topic: click here to find out how!

Your forecast is ready

When the forecast is ready, Crystal will notify you promptly! If you are not using the Advisor when the result is ready, you will receive a push notification, with the following message "You have a new prediction to check!" directly to the mobile device - if the App has been accessed - on contrary, on Web, you will find the notification ready in the Notification Center.

The result of the forecast will be presented directly within the topic overtime graph once the notification is opened, by clicking on it: it will be exemplified by three different lines, i.e. the forecast, the upper bound limit and the lower bound limit.

In case the operation takes too long or there is not data enough to elaborate the prediction, Crystal will advise that the forecast will not be available and to try again shortly.