Using Forecast

Owned by Zach Johnson (Unlicensed)
Last updated: Jun 01, 2023 by Deirdre Pearson
8 min read

Forecast allows you to view and export relevant project starts in the U.S. and Canada through the data graph and data table.

NOTE: For more information about data in Forecast, see Understanding Construction Starts.

This section contains the following topics:  

Using the Data Graph

The data graph displays the project data by value and date range for each category. You can adjust the date range directly on the graph or by using the Filters menu. For more information, see Using the Filters menu. 

When using the data graph:

  • Historical data is displayed in the unshaded part of the graph toward the left and Forecast data is displayed in the shaded part of the graph toward the right.

  • Using the Filters Menu, you can change the display to include both historical and forecast data or just historical data.

  • Each category is color coded to the Category legend on the right side of the window, as described above in Selecting the Categories to View.

Data Graph Viewing Options

You can select to view the data on the dashboard as a bar or line graph, or percentage chart by clicking on the icon at the top of the section:

Moving from left to right, the options are:

  • Bar chart

  • Line chart

  • Percentage bar chart

The following table describes the different viewing options for the data graph:

Viewing Option

Description

Bar chart

The bar view displays each of the selected categories grouped together by year:

Line chart

The line view displays the data by value and date for each category:

Percentage bar chart

The percentage with base year view displays the percentage change for each category from the selected base year:

 

NOTE: The base year is selected from the Filters menu.

Viewing Line Details

Hovering over the pivot points of a line displays the year, category, and value for that segment of the line:

Selecting the Categories to View

The Category menu at the right side of the window displays the categories included in the data view: 

To select which data categories are used for filtering the data, click on the category name in the menu to show or hide the category.

NOTE: For more information about applying filters to the data, see Using the Filters Menu.

Using the Data Table

The data table is below the data graph and displays project value by year according to the options selected in the Filters menu. You can select to match project value either by category or geography, see the percentage of value change over time, and export the data in an Excel spreadsheet.

The following table describes the features of the data table:

Option

Description

Category view

The Category view displays project values according to the categories selected in the Filters menu:

Click to expand each category to see project values by location for that category.

Geography view

The Geography view displays project value by location:

Click to expand each location to see project values by category for that location.

Note: When Subcategory is selected in the Category section of the Filters menu, both category and subcategory options are displayed.

Showing change by percentage

You can show the percent change in project value year-over-year for the time period selected.

To show percentage change,

Select ON for Show Percentage Change.

Using the Filters Menu

The Filters menu on the left side of the window lets you refine the data using a variety of options, including date, geography, measurement, and development type. Each time you select a filtering option, the data in both the graphical view and the data table refresh with your selections:

The following table describes the options you can select for using the Filters menu:

Option

Description

Data Set

You can select to include either historical data or both historical and forecast data in your results:

Historical - Includes only the actual starts data through the most recent, complete month. This data set is updated monthly.

Note: This selection changes the options in the following sections:

  • In the Period section, the option Monthly is available.

  • In the Development Type section,

    • the options Alteration and Additions / Alteration become available and

    • the option Renovation becomes unavailable.

  • Historical and Forecast - Includes both actual and forecast starts data through the most recent, complete quarter. This data set is updated quarterly.

Period

You can select from three time periods to filter data. Each selection can be further refined using the year slider bar in the menu.

  • Annual - Displays data by year.

Quarterly - Displays data by yearly calendar quarter.

Monthly - Displays data by months over the range of selected years. Note that this option is only available when the Data Set option is set to Historical or when the Measurement type is set to Projects.

You can also use the slider bar to further refine your results by year range on either end.

Geography

The Geography filter lets you select data for either the USA or Canada.

To select the country, use the slider bar and select either USA or Canada

The following table describes your options for filtering the data by geography.

 

Category

The Category filter lets you refine the data using selected categories. Note that the currently applied categories are displayed in the Category menu on the right side of the window.

To filter by category,

 

Measurement

Select from one of the following measurements to filter the results.

 

Development Type

Select from the type of projects to be displayed in the results depending on the value selected in the Data Set section.

Notes:

All - Includes all the available data in your results.

New - Includes only new project data in your results.

Renovation - Includes only projects for renovation in your results.

Only multi-family renovation data is available in Forecast.

Understanding Your Saved Forecast Searches

You can save, rename and run any of your filter sets as a saved Forecast search.

Saving Your Applied Filters as a New Forecast Search

To save your applied filters:

  • once you have the filter settings you want to save using the Filters menu, click Save Search.

  • In the Save Search menu, enter the name for the search and then click Save.

Result: The filter set is saved and is accessible as a search from the Saved Searches menu on the upper-right side of the window.

Loading a Saved View

Loading a saved view applies previously saved filters to the current search results.

To load a saved view:

  • click Saved Searches at the top of the menu and then select the saved search you want to use.

Result: The window refreshes with the results. 

Renaming Saved Views

To rename a saved view:

  • load a saved view in the window and make your changes to how the data is filtered.

  • Click Save Search > Save As.

  • In the Save Search menu, enter the name for the view and then click Save.

Result: The filter is saved with your changes.

Running a Saved Search

To run a saved Forecast search: 

  • click the search to run from the list in the Saved Searches menu on the upper-right side of the window.

Result: The search runs and the data in the window refreshes with the results. 

Exporting the Data

To export the data currently displayed in the data graph:

  • click Export and select either JPG (image file) or PDF (document file).

  • Once compiled and formatted, you can download the file to your device.

To export the data currently displayed in the data table:

  • click Export at the top of the section and select to export the data as either a simple or formatted Excel spreadsheet.

  • Once compiled and formatted, you can download the file to your device.

Construction Reporting

You can access the quarterly and monthly construction reports using the links below the graph: 

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