This course is for those responsible for demand modeling within a retail organization in which SAS High-Performance Markdown Optimization has been implemented.

Learn how to perform demand modeling and analytics specific to SAS High-Perfromance Markdown Optimization software, within the framework of hierarchical retail data. Concepts specific to retail hierarchical demand modeling will first be covered, followed by specific analytics and modeling tasks. This includes

• use of the SAS Foundation (Display Manager) software to submit simple queries against the Merchandise Intelligence datamart
• use of the SAS High-Performance Merchandise Solutions Configuration Workbench to configure demand models for estimation and forecasting
• analysis of modeling input data to evaluate its adequacy for modeling
• scenario-based analysis of model parameter estimates and forecast accuracy
• an overview of the weekly processes related to ongoing data loads, the refreshing of demand model input data, and the recalibration and monitoring of demand models.

Who should attend

Those responsible for demand modeling within a retail organization, including client staff who will be performing or require deep understanding of Markdown Optimization modeling, and SAS Consultants who will be performing or shadowing Markdown Optimization modeling for clients

Formats available	Standard Duration (duration can vary, see event schedule for details)
Classroom:	2.5 days

Before attending this course, you should have

• basic skills using Microsoft Windows and Windows-based software
• solid understanding of time series forecasting in a business context
• understanding of retail hierarchical data
• basic understanding of SAS programming, with exposure to the use of SAS macros.

Students not having exposure to SAS programming should be capable of reading simple SAS code to gain a basic understanding of what it is doing.

This course addresses Base SAS, SAS Merchandise Intelligence, SAS Revenue Optimization Suite software.

This course uses the SAS 9.2 Foundation (Display Manager) and the SAS High-Performance Merchandise Solutions Configuration Workbench.

Environment Overview

• SAS Merchandise Intelligence Architecture
• Production and Supporting Environments
• training environment for this course

Demand Modeling Overview

• how demand modeling works
• estimation tasks
• retail data hierarchies
• custom attributes

Getting Started in the Configuration Workbench

• setting preferences and data sources
• configuring global settings
• about data load editors

Pre-Markdown Analytics and Modeling

• review of analytics and modeling environment
• pre-markdown analytics and modeling tasks
• basic analysis of data mart
• model group configuration
• model group analyses
• model group scheduling and templates

Additional Topics

• ongoing holdout forecast analysis
• monitoring forecasts
• adjusting forecasts