Set Up Forecasting

Learning Objectives 

In this project, you’ll:

  • Set up forecasting to allow all users in a sales organization to forecast.
  • Configure multiple forecast types and map opportunity stages to forecast categories.
  • Define a forecast manager and add quota data for users.
  • Build a report to track forecast and quota data.

Introduction

Ursa Major Solar, a Southwest US-based supplier of solar components and systems, has expanded to global markets and is relying on Ian Lin, the VP of International Sales, to stabilize sales. Ian and his small sales team have been assembled for only a short time and are still honing their processes.

The team currently manages their quarterly forecast and quota data using multiple spreadsheets. This isn't very efficient or beneficial to the sales process. Ian wants to implement an easy and foolproof way for his team and him to track forecasting and use quota attainment to increase sales efficiency.

Ian thinks on a solution for a bit and then decides to start using Collaborative Forecasts to handle his team's data. Along with generating accurate forecasts and tracking quota attainment, there are other benefits for implementing this solution including the ability to:

  • Forecast sales based on opportunity pipeline.
  • Predict sales revenue and quantities from his opportunity pipeline.
  • Share forecasts with his sales team.

Collaborative Forecasts can also calculate forecasts up to four different ways and give forecast managers the ability to change forecasts for subordinates.

In this project you are Ian's proxy. As his agent, you assign him as system administrator and use his account.

Sign Up for a Developer Edition Org with Salesforce

To complete this project, you need a special Developer Edition org that contains sample data. Get the free Developer Edition and connect it to Trailhead now so you can complete the challenges in this project.

  1. Sign up for a free Developer Edition org.
  2. Fill out the form. For Email, enter an active email address. For Username, enter a unique username that looks like an email address (doesn't need to be a valid email account, for example, yourname@test.com.
  3. After you fill out the form, click Sign me up. A confirmation message appears.
  4. When you receive the activation email (this might take a few minutes), open it and click Verify Account.
  5. Complete your registration by setting your password and challenge question. Tip: Write down your username, password, and login URL for easy access later. You are logged in to your Developer Edition.

Now connect your new Developer Edition org to Trailhead.

  1. Make sure you're logged in to your Trailhead account.
  2. In the Challenge section at the bottom of this page, from the picklist, select Log into a Developer Edition.
  3. On the login screen, enter the username and password for the Developer Edition you just set up.
  4. On the Allow Access? screen, click Allow.
  5. On the Want to connect this org for hands-on challenges? screen, click Yes! Save it. You are redirected back to the challenge page and are now ready to use your new Developer Edition to earn this badge.

Now that you have the appropriate Salesforce org linked to Trailhead, you’re ready to customize it for forecasting. 

Set Up the Org

In this project, you are Ian's proxy, so you assign him to the system administrator profile and use his account.

  1. Click Setup icon to open Setup. Enter users in Quick Find, and then select Users. Note: Since you will be using both the Sales App and Setup, keep both tabs open throughout this project.
  2. On the Users setup screen, find your username (current System Administrator), click Edit, and enter these details:

    Field
    		Details/Action
    First Name
    		Ian
    Last Name
    		Lin
    Alias
    		ILIN
    Email
    		(keep your own email address)
    Username
    		(enter a unique username in email format)
    Nickname
    		(enter a unique nickname)
    Title
    		VP, International Sales
    Company
    		Ursa Major Solar, Inc
    Role
    		VP, International Sales
    User License
    		(keep Salesforce)
    Profile
    		(keep System Administrator)
    Make Setup My Default Landing Page
    (second column under General Information)
    		Deselect
    Time Zone
    		(GMT -07:00) Mountain Standard Time (America/Phoenix)
    Locale
    		English (United States)
    Currency
    		USD - U.S. Dollar
  3. Click Save.

Important: Since there is only one license in addition to the Admin licence (Ian) in this org, you need to activate and deactivate users as required. You must deactivate one of Ian's team members before you activate another. Anytime you need to do this, follow these steps: 

  1. Next to the applicable user, click Edit.
  2. Select or deselect Active depending on your need.
    User Setup showing active field selected.
  3. Click Save.

Adjust the Opportunity Close Dates

Next, edit the Close Dates for the existing opportunities. This is done so the correct data appears when forecasting.

  1. In the Sales app, click the Opportunities tab.
  2. Click Recently Viewed and select the All Opportunities list view.
  3. Select the checkbox to the left of Opportunity Name to select all opportunities in this list.
  4. Uncheck the box next to the Vitrum - 120 GreenSun Ground.
  5. With all but one opportunity selected, rollover the Close Date for one of the opportunities and click Pencil Icon.
  6. Click Calendar Icon and, at the bottom of the window, click Today.
  7. Click User Setup showing active field selected. and click Apply. All 17 opportunities should now have today's date as their Close Date.
  8. To the left of Opportunity Name heading, click User Setup showing active field selected. to deselect all opportunities in this list.
  9. Edit the Close Date for Koleje - 100 SunPower Ground and Koleje - 120 GreenSun Ground to nine months from today (three quarters from the current quarter).
    For example: If today is January 1 2020 (Q1), then enter any day in October 2020 (Q4). If today is August 10 2020 (Q3), then enter any day in May 2021 (Q2 of the next year).
  10. Edit the Close Date for Koleje - 60 GreenSun Ground to three months before today (previous quarter).
    For example: If today is October 1 2020 (Q4), then enter any day in July 2020 (Q3).
  11. Edit the Close Date for Vitrum Glass - 68 SunPower Ground and Vitrum Glass - 86 GreenSun Ground to three months from today (next quarter).
    For example: If today is February 22 2020 (Q1), then enter any day in May 2020 (Q2). If today is December 8 2020 (Q4), then enter any day in March 2021 (Q1 of the next year).
  12. Click Save at the bottom of the screen.

Configure Collaborative Forecasts

Take a look at a snapshot of Ian’s team. Ian has five international sales reps who report to the Manager of International Sales.
Org chart of Ian's team.

Give Ian a view of the system prior to configuring it for forecasting.

  1. On the Sales app screen, click the Forecasts tab.
  2. View the screen. You should see no data and a message that indicates that forecasts are not set up.

Now ensure that Ian and his International Sales team are allowed to forecast.

  1. From Setup, enter user in Quick Find, and then select Users.
  2. In front of Lin, Ian, click Edit.
  3. In the General Information section, select Allow Forecasting.
    General Information section showing user record with Allow Forecasting box checked.
  4. Click Save.
  5. Set Allow Forecasting for Ian’s entire European Sales Team.
Baran, Filip
Donahas, Clough
Kowalski, Ligita
Sweeny, Beth
Van Dijk, Bram
Wozniak, Alek

Now that forecasting is allowed for Ian’s team, turn on the Forecasts tab for the whole team.

  1. From Setup, enter users in Quick Find, and then select Profiles.
  2. Under Profile Name, find Custom: Sales Profile and click Edit.
  3. In the Tab Settings section, click the Forecasts menu and select Default On.
  4. Click Save.

Next, make sure forecasts are enabled in the org.

  1. From Setup, enter forecasts in Quick Find, and then select Forecasts Settings.
  2. If Enable forecasts is not checked, select the box.

With that prep work taken care of, you can get to the business of forecasting.

Add Forecast Types

Start by adding a forecast type for opportunities with a quantity measurement.

  1. While still in Forecasts Settings, click Add a Forecast Type and set the following:

    Setting Name
    		Details/Action
    Forecast Type
    		Select Opportunities
    Forecast Measurement
    		Select Quantity
    Forecast Date Type
    		Select Close Date
    Fields to Show in the Opportunity List
    		Add Region / Zone
  2. Click OK.

Next, add a forecast type for opportunities with a revenue measurement.

  1. Click Add another forecast type and set the following:

    Setting Name
    		Details/Action
    Forecast Type
    		Select Opportunities
    Forecast Measurement
    		Select Revenue
    Forecast Date Type
    		Select Close Date
    Fields to Show in the Opportunity List
    		Add Region / Zone
  2. Click OK.

Configure the Default Forecast Display

Next, enable forecast adjustments and then configure the default forecast display.

  1. While still in Forecasts Settings, set the following:

    Setting Name
    		Details/Action
    Enable manager adjustments
    		Select
    Enable owner adjustments
    		Select
    Forecast Period
    		Select Quarterly
    Starting on
    		Select Current quarter
    Display
    		Select 4 quarters
    Forecast Currency
    		Select Corporate Currency (U.S. Dollar)
    Show Quotas
    		Select
  2. Click Save.

View the Impact of Changing the Forecast Settings

It is important for Ian to understand what the impact is when changing settings. Because you enabled forecasting and added forecast types, things look different—Ian can see data now. 

Take a look at the forecast of one of Ian’s sales reps, Alek Wozniak.

  1. On the Sales app screen, click the Forecasts tab.
  2. Click the View my forecasts menu (1).
  3. In the search field (2), enter Alek and select Alek Wozniak.

    The View my forecasts menu with Alek’s name in the search box.

  4. View the results. The opportunity revenue (1) forecast for Alek Wozniak is displayed.
  5. Notice that the current quarter and the following three are displayed (2).
  6. Notice that the Quota column has no information. This is because you haven’t loaded any yet. (You do this later in the project.)
    Opportunity revenue forecast display for sales rep Alek Wozniak.
  7. Notice that there are no values in the Commit column. This is because we haven’t yet mapped opportunity stages to forecast categories. (You do this later in the project.)
  8. In the forecast table, in the Closed column, click the figure in the Total row, and view the resulting information in the All Forecast Categories summation table below.
  9. Under the Quarters column, click each of the four quarters (2) while viewing the resulting information in the All Forecast Categories summation table below for each.

Now that the initial setup for collaborative forecasts for the International Sales Team is complete, perform the final setup task, mapping opportunity stages to forecast categories.

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