Using SAS High-Performance Forecasting Software

Duration: 2.0 days
Course fee: $1,360
EPTO units: 3
CEUs: 1.2

This course teaches you how to make accurate forecasts quickly and automatically using the SAS Forecast Server procedures, giving you the power to confidently plan your business operations.

Learn how to

process time series data
automate the large-scale forecasting process
add custom models and selection lists to a model repository
create event variables to use as inputs to forecast models
produce, assess, and modify forecasts.

Who should attend

Experienced forecasters and business analysts who can create scripts in a programming language to enhance the forecasting process

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Prerequisites

Before attending this course, you should

have experience with a Windows computing environment
have experience using a product such as Microsoft Excel to enter or transfer data and to perform elementary analyses such as computing row and column totals and averages, and producing charts and plots
have taken SAS Programming I: Essentials or have equivalent experience.

Ideally students should have a bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in business, computer science, or a subject matter field that includes quantitative analysis. Forecasting experience is not required.

Course Contents

Introduction to Time Series Forecasting

motivation: the large-scale forecasting problem
time series characteristics
time series components

Exploring and Processing Time-Stamped Data

identifying systematic variation in the data
accumulation: transforming transactional data into time series data
aggregation: building the data hierarchy
two feasible data layouts for SAS Forecast Server
a SAS toolbox for exploring time series data

The Design of SAS High-Performance Software

the design of SAS High-Performance Forecasting software
functionality overview: system inputs and automatic model selection

Forecast Models

the exponential smoothing family of models
the ARIMA family of models
other families of models supported: IDM, UCM
using models in SAS Forecast Server

Diagnosing and Selecting Models Automatically

the HPFDIAGNOSE procedure: automatic model specification
model selection lists and automatic model selection

Managing Models and Creating Custom Models Specifications

creating custom models: the HPFxxxSPEC procedures
creating and managing model selection lists: the HPFSELECT procedure

Using the Events Functionality

creating events: the HPFEVENTS procedure

Producing, Assessing, and Modifying Forecasts

preparing to generate forecasts: accumulation and aggregation of data
preparing to generate foreccasts: creating custom models, diagnosing models, and building a model selection list
generating forecasts: automatic model selection and forecast outputs
generating reconciliation effects with the HPFRECONCILE procedure and assessing forecast accuracy
rolling the system forward in time: accommodating new data
assessing changes in forecast accuracy and modifying forecasts

A Useful Application of the INTNX Function

using the INTNX function to extend ID values

Software

This course addresses SAS Forecast Server, SAS/ETS, SAS/STAT.

Course Materials

Students receive a hardcopy of the course notes and, in some courses, can choose to take home a copy of the course data.

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Are there additional topics you'd like for this course to address? Would you like for this course to be offered at another training facility? Let us know by adding to our Interest List.

Course fee and EPTO units will differ for on-site training.

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