How do we report forecast changes over time?
Lost forecast historyRetain dated forecast snapshots and explain material changes. Comparing the latest prediction with earlier ones helps reveal uncertainty, late discovery, and the effectiveness of recovery actions.
What to do now
- Record forecast date and assumptions
- Preserve prior snapshots
- Explain major movements
- Use the trend to inform decisions
When to escalate
Escalate when
Repeated deterioration threatens an important commitment.
Who decides
The metric owner and relevant decision maker
Example
A milestone chart shows how the expected finish moved as supplier evidence changed.
Mistake to avoid
Overwriting every forecast so only the latest promise survives.
Prevent a repeat
Check data freshness and meaning, and verify that the measure improves decisions rather than encouraging cosmetic progress.
Suggested ApprovedFlow setup
- Projects
- Tasks
- Timesheets
- Documents
Use the underlying named records and evidence when explaining a metric; validate any dashboard behavior against the current implementation. See the platform
Related cases
- Should we report tasks completed or outcomes delivered?Activity-outcome confusion
- A report needs manual copying from several systems. What should we automate first?Fragile reporting pipeline
- The deadline never changes, but the remaining work keeps growing. What should we show?Forecast-baseline disconnect
- The recovery exercise was skipped to save time. How should I report readiness?Unverified recovery readiness