Forecasting: Overview & Configuration Guide

Forecasting allows planning potential future work based on the sales pipeline.

Forecasting goes beyond basic resource management by anticipating future workloads based on your sales pipeline. It allows you to be prepared for various scenarios and mitigate resource risks, ensuring that you’re always ready for future project demands. Combined with our full resource management suite, it equips you to handle any project in your organization's pipeline confidently.

About Forecasting

TaskRay leverages the Opportunity framework for forecasting. As an Opportunity moves through the stages, a Forecast TaskRay Project can be created and updated throughout the cycle to reflect potential resourcing needs. With this configuration in place, it becomes possible to have insight into what resources will be needed to manage the work on the project whenever the Opportunity will be marked as Closed Won.

Sample Use Case

To explain this further, we will use a sample post-sale use case for customer onboarding.

Customer onboarding is a repeatable process that is managed for every new customer. While the specifics will vary for each organization, the process typically includes sets of standardized steps to assist new customers with implementation, training, and other relevant activities. In a simplified model, there are two main approaches to structuring the process:

• Simple Repeatable Process: This approach assumes that the onboarding process is exactly the same for every new customer. In other words, there are no variations in the steps that must be managed to onboard new customers.
• Dynamic Repeatable Process: This approach assumes that the onboarding process incorporates variations depending on what was sold. For example, a common configuration is to dynamically structure the onboarding process by combining various sub-processes, such as based on the specific products sold to new customers. This configuration typically relies on the Opportunity Product framework where each Opportunity Product sold requires a unique set of steps to be executed in the onboarding process.

In these sample use cases, Opportunities are used to manage the sales pipeline and TaskRay is used to manage the post-sale process for new customers once Opportunities are marked as Closed Won.

To demonstrate forecasting, we will focus on the Dynamic Repeatable Process, where the post-sale process for every Opportunity is structured based on related Opportunity Products.

For the Dynamic Repeatable Process sample use case, the post-sale TaskRay Projects are structured dynamically based on the Opportunity Products sold with the closed Opportunity.

In this example, every Opportunity Product is tied to a defined post-sale process, such as:

• Opportunity Product: Product Licenses Package --> TaskRay: General Onboarding Post-Sale Process
• Opportunity Product: Implementation Package --> TaskRay: Implementation Post-Sale Process
• Opportunity Product: Training Package --> TaskRay: Training Post-Sale Process
• ...and so on.

Considering that every Opportunity could have a different combination of Opportunity Products, the overall post-sale process tied to the Opportunity varies every time. More specifically, since every Opportunity Product has its own unique process that must be managed, the overall post-sale process will be constructed dynamically by combining each of the relevant Opportunity Product-specific processes.

With forecasting, it becomes possible to have insight into potential resourcing needs for such onboarding projects while Opportunities move through the stages before being marked as Closed Won. With the forecasting configuration in place, a Forecast TaskRay Project is created for every applicable Opportunity. The Forecast TaskRay Project is constructed to represent the potential process that will need to be managed once the Opportunity is marked as Closed Won. As the Opportunity moves through the stages and the details of the potential sale change (such as based on related Opportunity Products), the related Forecast TaskRay Project can be updated to reflect those changes. 

Since the Forecast TaskRay Project is structured to reflect the eventual post-sale process for the Opportunity, it allows proactively planning resourcing needs using the Resource Planner and/or Resource Analytics. Eventually, once the Opportunity is marked as Closed Won, the Forecast TaskRay Project is transformed into a live project for managing the post-sale process. 

Configure Forecasting [Admin]

TaskRay Forecasting consists of a few elements and configurations.

Forecasting Permissions

Admin

Some of the configurations for forecasting (e.g. Flow automations) require System Administrator permissions. Additionally, the TaskRay - Admin Access additive permission set is required to manage other feature-related settings, such as the Resource Management configurations and Templates.

End User

The TaskRay - Standard Access permission set is required for forecasting. More specifically, this permission set is required for creating Forecast Projects through automation, such as from Opportunities. This permission set must be assigned to all users who will need to have the ability to create and update Forecast Projects.

Resource Management Configurations

About

Forecasting is part of the TaskRay Resource Management suite. Therefore, all core Resource Management configurations must be in place to use Forecasting.

Configuration: To Do

Resource Management settings, such as Business Schedules, Roles, and Resources must be configured for accurate forecasting. Review the provided article to configure Resource Management settings according to your organization's use case.

Opportunities, Products, Opportunity Products

About

The specifics of how Opportunities/Products/Opportunity Products are used will depend on whether you have a Simple or Dynamic repeatable process.

• Simple Repeatable Process: Configurations leverage Opportunities.
  • The post-sale process is the same for all Opportunities.
  • Even if Products/Opportunity Products are used on Opportunities, they do not influence the structure of the post-sale process. 
  • Products/Opportunity Products are not incorporated in the configurations.
• Dynamic Repeatable Process: Configurations leverage Opportunities, Products, and Opportunity Products.  
  • The post-sale process structure varies based on Opportunity Products related to Opportunities.
  • Products/Opportunity Products are incorporated in the configurations.

Following the Dynamic Repeatable Process use case, here is an overview of how these three objects are used:

• Products are used to define packages and various sales offerings that can be sold to customers.
• Opportunities are used to manage the sales pipeline. They contain the details of each individual sale through Opportunity Products. 
• Opportunity Products define the requirements and structure of the post-sale process related to each respective Opportunity.

For the purpose of the Dynamic Repeatable Process forecasting, it is necessary to define the Product catalog relevant to the post-sale process that will be managed out of TaskRay. For example, if your organization sells Implementation Packages, then you will need to have a Product for that Implementation Package in the system. Each Product will then be associated with its own post-sale sub-process via a TaskRay Template (more details on Templates below).

Considering that every Opportunity could incorporate various combinations of Opportunity Products, every Opportunity will have unique requirements for the overall post-sale process structure. In other words, the larger post-sale process on every Opportunity is constructed from combinations of Opportunity Product-specific sub-processes.

When it comes to forecasting, it is important to note that the details of an Opportunity, such as which Opportunity Products are projected to be sold, could change throughout the lifecycle of the Opportunity. As such, the specifics of the Opportunity's post-sale process structure could also vary along with those changes. TaskRay Forecasting is designed to account for such flexibility throughout the Opportunity lifecycle by providing the ability to refresh Forecast Projects as the details of the sale change.

Configuration: To Do

Start determining the repeatable process requirements and how you envision Opportunities influencing the post-sale process structure. Note that we will cover the specifics of how to prepare your Opportunity model and/or Product catalog, as well as map out Product-specific sub-processes in the section focused on automations below. 

TaskRay Templates

About

Templates are used to outline repeatable processes, such as those related to individual Products that could be sold with Opportunities. Templates can be leveraged in the project creation process, ensuring that all the necessary steps of the repeatable process are accounted for every time the process is executed.

Depending on your use case, you will take different approaches to structuring templates:

• Simple Repeatable Process: Configuration requires a single Template with the entire post-sale process mapped out.
• Dynamic Repeatable Process: Configuration requires every Product-specific sub-process to be mapped out in its own Template Task Group.
  • Template Task Groups are used as building blocks that are combined to structure Forecast Projects.

For the Dynamic use case, in the previous section where we reviewed Products and Opportunity Products, we noted that Templates are used to map out sub-processes for different Products (e.g. when an Implementation Package is sold, a unique Implementation-specific process must be managed post-sale). And, when there is a combination of packages sold on an Opportunity, that means that there is a combination of several processes that are combined as part of the larger post-sale process that must be managed for the Opportunity.

By mapping out Product-specific processes using Templates and linking those Templates to Products, Templates become building blocks that are combined to structure dynamic post-sale processes based on Opportunity Products sold.

This architecture is leveraged to structure Forecast Projects.

Time Estimates

Time Estimates are used for forecasting as a means for capacity planning of potential work. As a best practice, it is recommended to set time estimates at the template level, so that they carry over to Forecast Projects when those are created.

Configuration: To Do

Start gathering requirements, determining the specifics of your repeatable process, and thinking about how to structure your Templates. As you map out your templates, determine time estimates associated with every task. Note that we will cover the specifics of how to prepare your Templates in the section focused on automations below.

Flow Automations

TaskRay provides a set of pre-packaged Flow templates that must be configured for the forecasting use case. 

To summarize, Forecast Projects are initially created in the early stages of the Opportunity lifecycle. As the Opportunity moves through the stages, the details of the sale can change, such as to account for newly added or removed Opportunity Products that are planned to be sold. For the Dynamic Repeatable Process, added Opportunity Products influence the structure of the post-sale process to be managed. Therefore, the related Forecast Projects can be refreshed for more accurate resource forecasting. Eventually, once the Opportunities are Closed, the related Forecast Projects can either be converted into live Projects (if Stage = Closed Won) or get archived (if Stage = Closed Lost).

The provided Flow templates are designed to work together to handle this entire process. Here is a diagram of how all the Flows are connected:

Review the linked resources below for an overview of how to configure and enable these automations.

TaskRay Create Project from Opportunity

This automation serves as the initial trigger to launch other automations, such as the TaskRay Create Project from Template Flow to create the Forecast TaskRay Project. For the forecasting use case, this is the automation that specifies criteria to create Forecast Projects.

For more information on how to configure this automation, refer to the Create Project from Opportunity article.

TaskRay Create Project from Template

This automation creates projects from Templates. To set up this automation, refer to the Automatically Create Projects Using Flow article.

It is important to note that the provided article outlines instructions for setting up the project creation process that applies to both Forecast Projects and Actual Projects. The forecasting use case leverages the same automated process with some modifications (noted throughout the article). 

TaskRay Refresh Forecast Project

This automation is designed to refresh Forecast Projects as the details of Opportunities change through the sales cycle to provide more accurate representations of potential post-sale processes and resourcing needs. More specifically, when launched from an Opportunity, this automation will delete the related Forecast Project and create a new one based on the current details of the potential sale (e.g. based on related Opportunity Products). This is a screen flow that can be launched from Opportunity records.

Refer to the following article for information on how to configure this automation: Refresh Forecast Project Flow.

TaskRay Convert Forecast Project on Opportunity Close

This automation is designed to convert Forecast Projects once Opportunities are Closed. If an Opportunity is marked as Closed Won, this automation will transform the related Forecast Project into an Actual Project to manage the post-sale process. On the contrary, if an Opportunity is marked as Closed Lost, the related Forecast Project will be archived for historical reference.

Refer to the following article to configure and enable this automation: Convert Forecast Project on Opportunity Close.

Testing Forecasting Configurations

It is always a good practice to test configurations before rolling out new functionality to the organization. In this section, we summarize key tips for testing forecasting.

The key goal for testing is to confirm that all automations are functioning as expected. Here are some specifics on how to test and what to look for when testing:

1. Start of the process: Creation of the Forecast Project
   • Test actions: Create a Test Opportunity and set it to meet specified criteria for creating the Forecast Project. If testing for the Dynamic Repeatable Process, add applicable Opportunity Products.
   • Automations involved: TaskRay Create Project on Opportunity Stage and TaskRay Create Project from Template.
   • Successful outcome: Forecast Project created. If testing for the Dynamic Repeatable Process, the structure of the Forecast Project will depend on added Opportunity Products.
2. Mid-process: Update of the Forecast Project
   • Test actions: Change details on the Test Opportunity. Select the action to launch the screen flow for refreshing the Forecast Project. If testing for the Dynamic Repeatable Process, modify related Opportunity Products.
   • Automation involved: TaskRay Refresh Forecast Project and TaskRay Create Project From Template.
   • Successful outcome: The previous version of the Forecast Project should be deleted and a new one should be created related to the Test Opportunity. The new Forecast Project structure should reflect the updated related Opportunity Products.
3. End of process: Transformation of the Forecast Project
   • Test actions: Update the Test Opportunity stage to Closed and review two scenarios: Closed Won and Closed Lost.
   • Automation involved: TaskRay Update Forecast Project on Opportunity Close.
   • Successful outcome: 
     • If Stage = Closed Won: The related Forecast Project is transformed into an Actual Project. More specifically, the automation should update the Forecast field on the Project to false.
     • If Stage = Closed Lost: The related Forecast Project is archived.

Forecasting: User Guide

Once everything is set up and tested, your organization can start forecasting and using forecast data for capacity planning and resourcing needs. Refer to the Forecasting User Guide for more information.