Daily Sales Reports

Introduction IFP/Starfor databases include many options for analysing daily sales data. The most flexible range of analyses is available when actual/forecast data are stored in special daily files that contain sales values for each day within each month. Daily Sales File Numbers Daily sales files are completely independent of monthly sales files and are numbered 0 to 99. below: Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Daily 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Cum. Actual 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Recommended numbering for daily sales files for is shown

Note that separate files are used for daily and cumulative daily data. This is to allow for import of actual sales data from host systems, which tends to be available on a cumulative basis rather than a day-by-day basis.

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Daily sales files are initialised via Actual/budget File Status Maintenance as shown below. Note that the check box Daily file allows users to select monthly or daily files.

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Importing Actual Data Actual daily sales data may be imported in many different ways according to the available formats from host systems. Where data are available on a day-by-day basis the target file for the import process may be the appropriate daily sales file (#1 to #12). However, where data are only available on cumulative daily basis the target file for the import process must be the appropriate cumulative daily sales file (#13 to #24). A special file copying process is then available to convert cumulative data into daily data (see below). Any of the available updating options may be used, but the most flexible option uses Import from external database via Excel, Access or formatted text files. Example screens for this option are shown below:

Normally, the source file will contain actual sales data for an individual day (either for the single day itself or cumulative sales to the day concerned for the current month). Source files may also contain multiple records for target item codes in the Starfor database. In this case, it is important to select the option Clear target file first in order to avoid double counting of any previously imported values for the day concerned.
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It is also import to select Add to existing values so that multiple source file records for the same target item code are automatically consolidated. The example shown below uses a formatted text file (CSV format), but any of the supported formats may be used.

Text File Drivers When importing formatted text files (CSV files) it is advisable to create a special text file driver, Schema.ini, that defines the specifications of each column in the source file. Full details of text file drivers are available from the following link: http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/enus/odbc/htm/odbcjetschema_ini_file.asp

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An example text file driver for a particular source file, DailySales0609.Txt, is shown below: [DailySales0609.Txt] ColNameHeader=True Format=Delimited(;) Col1=Code Text Col2=Description Text Col3=PGS Text Col4=CGroup Text Col5=Date Text Col6=Month Text Col7=Day Text Col8=Account Text Col9=Amount Text Col10=Units Text Col11=Ctry-Agent Text Col12=LOP Text

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Starfor Field Mappings In this example units and values are included in each record with the day number being in a separate column. Hence, the Starfor field Month/day is mapped to the source file column Day. Starfor fields Units and Value are mapped to Units and Amount.

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Filtering Source File Records The above source file contains amounts for all of the following booking types: Account 01100 10500 10400 10190 10195 10100 Booking Type Gross Sales Returns Mandatory Rebates Natural Rebate Natural Rebate Other Rebates

Each booking type may be stored in separate Starfor files to provide the most flexible range of analyses. In order to separate booking types for import purposes special import mapping rules are required. For example, when importing returns data the mapping rule below would skip all records that do not have an account 10500. Note that any source file code Skip will not appear on exception reports.

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The above rule would produce the following type of sample of imported data:

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Creating Daily Files from Cumulative Files Where actual data is only available on a cumulative basis, the corresponding individual daily sales data file may be created using a special option under Actual/Budget File copying. To access this option, select the Use daily files and Cumulative to daily options below.

The above option copies data into the target daily sales file as follows: Day n sales = Cumulative sales for day n - Cumulative sales for day n-1

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Daily Sales Summary Reports Many different formats of report are available using daily sales data. The most flexible option for generating daily sales reports is Crosstabulation Analysis. One useful format of daily sales report shows sales for the current day, month to date and for the year to date with variances vs. budget. Part of an example report is shown below.

File Options The above report format requires a mixture of daily and monthly sales files. Hence, it is essential to select the option Use daily files on the screen below.

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When Use daily files is selected, all files are assumed by default to be daily files. However, monthly sales files may be used by selecting the relevant the Days adj option. Hence, in the above example files 1 and 4 above are daily files, whereas files 2, 3 and 5 are monthly files. Report Definition Files This example uses a report definition file to define the lines shown. Product lines and sub-totals are defined as normal using either HQ group codes or local product group codes.

The first line shows the current trading day and total number of days in the current month. This is a simple text line containing three special codes; i.e. CL~ CD~ TD~ Label for current trading day of current month Current day number Total number of trading days in current month

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Inclusion Options Any combination of item inclusion options may be used for daily sales reports.

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Crosstabulation Options The example report above requires careful definition of each column.

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Note the following special points: Column 1 = Sales for current day from file 1 (current year daily actuals file). Column 2 = Current month plan sales Column 3 = Current month plan sales / Total days for current month (CN) Column 6 = Cumulative actual sales to current day Column 7 = Column 3 * Current day number Column 10 = Cumulative actual sales to previous month (PM) Column 11 = Cumulative plan sales to previous month (PM) Column 12 = Column 6 + Column 10 Column 13 = Column 7 + Column 11 Column 16 = Cumulative prior year sales to current day Column 17 = Cumulative prior year sales to previous month (PM) Column 18 = Column 16 + Column 17 Column 20 = Plan sales for full year (FY)

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Daily Sales Time Series Analyses Another useful format of daily sales report shows a day-by-day analysis of actual sales variances vs. budget and prior year. Part of an example report is shown below.

File Options This analysis uses the same set of monthly/daily sales files used in the above summary analysis example. Note the importance of selecting the current day as the Last period for this analysis (otherwise redundant lines will appear for days not yet completed).

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Report Definitions The above report format uses a special type of report definition. Line 1 simply contains heading data for the following lines.

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Line 2 defines the product(s) required in terms of the selected classification variable (HQ group). By using ??? as the HQ group code required this definition may be used in conjunction with any selected combination of products on item selection screens. This line also contains special codes in the description entry as follows: ? DD~ TD~ MD~ AD~ Locates the end of any line description (Totals) Note that day label starts in this position in printed report Day number for current month Total days in current month Cumulative annual day number for current day in current month Total number of days in current year

Day labels and numbers of days in each month are maintained via Trading Days Maintenance. The advanced options for this line specifies that the line is exploded by day (Exploded periods line). Note that the line is also marked as hidden since the totals for the exploded period are not required on the printed report.

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Inclusion Options Any combination of item inclusion options may be used for daily sales reports. However, users should not combine the above Exploded period option with drilldown report options available under the Advanced button below.

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Crosstabulation Options The example report above requires careful definition of each column. Most of the option settings required here are similar to those for the above summary report.

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Note that columns 6 and 7 are marked as Cumulative columns. This is to obtain cumulative daily sales values for the month to date (MTD) actual and plan columns.

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Other Daily Sales Report Formats

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