Inventory Forecasting

Plan purchases
before you stock out.

Forecasts built from your past sales and growth trends. Plan purchases ahead of demand instead of reacting to stockouts.

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The problem with reactive purchasing.

01

Too late

By the time you notice low stock, it's too late. Lead times mean weeks of stockouts while you wait for replenishment.

02

Growth surprises

A viral moment or successful launch. Historical averages didn't account for growth. You sell out and lose momentum.

03

Seasonal blindness

Q4 demand is 3x normal. Without planning for seasonality, you either stock out or end up with excess post-season.

Two ways to build a forecast.

Create forecasts manually or generate them from historical sales data with growth adjustments.

01

Manual / CSV import

Create blank forecasts and add lines manually, or import via CSV with product and quantity columns. Best for specific plans, promotional inventory, and new product launches.

02

Generated from sales

Use historical sales velocity over a time period. Apply a growth rate percentage to project forward. Best for ongoing replenishment and seasonal prep.

Forecast workflow.

01

Create forecast

Set warehouse, date range, and choose manual or sales-based generation.

02

Configure parameters

For sales-based: select history period, growth rate, and optional category filter.

03

Preview and adjust

Review generated quantities. Adjust individual SKUs as needed.

04

Confirm

Confirm forecast to make it active. Used in inventory planning decisions.

Forecasting use cases.

01

Holiday planning

Apply growth rates for BFCM and holiday season. Order inventory months ahead.

02

Product launches

Import manual forecasts for new products with no sales history.

03

Marketing campaigns

Adjust forecasts for planned promotions and media spend increases.

04

Wholesale commitments

Build forecasts that include confirmed wholesale POs shipping later.

FAQ

Common questions.

How far out should I forecast?
Match your forecast horizon to your longest lead time plus safety buffer. If your slowest supplier takes 8 weeks, forecast at least 10-12 weeks out. For seasonal planning, forecast the entire season.
What growth rate should I use?
Start with your actual year-over-year growth rate. For seasonal periods, compare to the same period last year. If you're running promotions or increasing ad spend, factor that in. It's better to slightly overstock than to stock out.
Can I create multiple forecasts?
Yes. Create forecasts for different time periods, scenarios, or product categories. Compare optimistic vs. conservative forecasts. Only confirmed forecasts affect planning calculations.

Related features.

01

Reorder points

Automated triggers for replenishment when stock falls below minimum.

Learn more →
02

Purchasing

Convert forecast insights into purchase orders.

Learn more →
03

Inventory management

Complete inventory control with stock tracked on every receipt, pick, and adjustment.

Learn more →

Agentic ERP

Run it with your own AI agents.

Let AI do the busywork. Ask the built-in AI Copilot what you should reorder this week and get an answer grounded in your live sales, in plain English.

AI Platform

How Fulfil uses AI across setup, search, and everyday operations

MCP

Connect Claude and ChatGPT to your live ERP data to view and edit records

CLI

Point Claude Code, Cursor, and other AI agents at your ERP

Micro Apps

Vibe-code custom dashboards and tools with no developers

Related

Solutions & stories.

01

Overseas manufacturing

Plan buys around long lead times and overseas production.

Learn more →
02

Made by Mary

Grew revenue while cutting inventory on hand by 50%.

Learn more →
03

Hairbow Center

Cut purchasing time from weeks to hours across 5,000+ SKUs.

Learn more →

Run your business on
data you trust.

See how Fulfil handles inventory forecasting and demand planning.

See how it works