tested in prototypes. Approved desi

tested in prototypes. Approved designs are put into the seasonal line-up. Forecasts must be made at both the product and aggregate levels months before the season begins. “Bottoms-up” forecasts for each product begin by analyzing any available history files of past demand. Judgment forecasts are also important inputs, particularly for the second and third categories of shoes that are not carry-overs. For example, Char Nicanor-Kimball is an expert in spotting trends in shoe sales and makes forecasts for the virtual store. For new designs, historical sales on similar items are used to make a best guess on demand for those items. This process is facilitated by a forecasting and inventory system on the company’s Intranet. At the same time, the sales teams for each brand call on their retail accounts and secure customer orders of approved designs for the coming season. Then, the virtual store forecasts are merged with orders from the retail store orders to get the total seasonal demand forecasted by product. Next, the product forecasts are “rolled up” by category and “top down” forecasts are also made.