Forecast Training Resources
Forecast Training Divisional Data & Training Material located in Box
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Timeline & Important Dates
FY24 Forecast Due Dates:
Q1 – due December 8, 2023
Q2 – due April 19, 2024
FY23 Forecasting Timeline:
September 12th: FY23 Seed and Spread Run
September 30th: Divisions make decisions on personalized seed and spread adjustments.
November 8th: November Forecast is open and available for entry by divisions, (including actuals through October).
December 9th: All Funds November Forecast is due from Divisions to Central Campus.
December 13th – March 6th: Forecast will be versioned off every month to be used by campus end users.
March 7th: March Forecast is open and available for entry by divisions, (including actuals through February).
March 31st: All Funds March Forecast is due from Divisions to Central Campus.
Forecasting Cycles
| Forecast Cycle | Date Forecast is Expected to be Open/Available | Actual Data | Seeded Forecast Data | Forecast Adjustment |
| **November Forecast (used for 12/10/21 submission to central campus) | 7-Nov | July – October | November – June | November – June |
| December Forecast | 15-Dec | July – November | December – June | December – June |
Forecasting Cycles
| wdt_ID | Forecast Cycle | Date Forecast is Open/Available | Actual Data | Seeded Forecast Data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August Forecast | September 15 | July | August - June |
| 2 | September Forecast | September 15 | July - August | September - June |
| 3 | October Forecast (Q1 all funds) | October 15 | July - September | October - June |
| 4 | November Forecast | November 15 | July - October | November - June |
| 5 | December Forecast | December 15 | July - November | December - June |
| 6 | January Forecast (Q2 all funds) | January 15 | July - December | January - June |
| 7 | February Forecast | February 15 | July - January | February - June |
| 8 | March Forecast | March 15 | July - February | March - June |
| 9 | April Forecast (Q3 all funds) | April 15 | July - March | April - June |
| 10 | May Forecast | May 15 | July - April | May - June |
| 11 | June Forecast | June 15 | July - May | June - June |
Forecasting Process & Improvements
The UW-Madison forecasting process and timeline is dictated by UW System deadlines, the Board of Regents’ meeting schedule, and malleable to central administration’s strategic decision making needs as well as shaped by other important dates in the Madison Budget Office such as reporting, budgeting, and fiscal year end management.
Feedback, advisory meetings, and problem solving led to improvements to the process in which we now start in FY22. This year, there is increased flexibility on forecasting methodology, new reports, and an altered deliverable timeline. Continued efforts in keeping a constant dialogue with campus units, holding advisory meetings, and aiming to improve the reporting and functionality of the tool will keep the forecasting process ever improving as we strive for better and more informed data.
Forecasting Dimensions & Mapping
Forecasting Dimensions
| wdt_ID | Category (Dimension) | PlanUW Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Level of Detail: Department | Sub Department (i.e. MSN_482000) |
| 2 | Level of Detail: Fund | All Funds Available, Entry by Fund |
| 3 | Level of Detail: Program | Total Program (Roll up all Programs) |
| 4 | Level of Detail: Project | Projects are available but need to be manually entered by MBO |
| 5 | Level of Detail: Account | Forecast Account (see mapping file) |
Note: While all forecasts are built at the sub department level, that does not mean that every sub department needs a forecast. Lump sum forecasts can be loaded to a single sub department within a Department or Division.
Quick Reference Guide, Documents & Tutorials
Resources to assist:
The Madison Budget Office has a developed a collection of resources to assist departments and divisions in completing their forecast for the current fiscal year. These resources are located here in the PlanUW webpages with more division-specific resources located in Box.
Current Year Forecasting – Quick Reference Guide
Access Box for additional Divisional Data and Training Materials
Video Tutorials are accessible in Box
Help & Open Lab Sessions
Your first point of contact will be your MBO Analyst, they are suited to answer your questions, provide guidance, as well as complete additional data analysis to make PlanUW Forecasting a helpful and accurate tool.
Open Lab sessions will also be available for additional support. Please reach out to your analyst if you would like to join an Open Lab.