DemandSolve: demand planning software with machine learning
A multi-user solution where the planning team builds the forecast with statistical and machine learning models, applies business rules, tracks error by item and closes the S&OP cycle with sales, operations and finance. ERP integration when you need it.
- Multi-user, for the whole planning team
- Dedicated server managed by DataSolve, remote access
- ERP integration (optional)
- Statistical and machine learning models per item
- Collaborative S&OP process
- From USD 3,500/month
What does DemandSolve do?
DemandSolve centralizes the company's demand forecast in one place. It takes the sales history, inventory and whatever market data you have, generates a projection per item with the model that fits it best, and puts it in front of the team to review, adjust with what the business knows and approve in the monthly cycle.
It is a demand planning tool for the team, not for one person: each planner works on their slice of the catalog, changes are logged with who and why, and management sees a single consolidated demand plan. It is the second step of the DataSolve ladder: when the forecast in Excel gets too small because more people need to take part, the same engine continues here.
What is included
Models per item
Several statistical and machine learning models compete for each item; the one that forecasts that series best, measured on unseen data, wins.
Business rules
Seasonality, promotions, events, launches and discontinuations are configured as rules, not as hand-edited cells.
Forecast KPIs
MAPE, bias, inventory coverage and fill rate by item, family and customer, cycle after cycle.
Teamwork
Roles, permissions and a review and approval flow. Every adjustment keeps its author and its reason.
Integrated S&OP cycle
Demand, supply and reconciliation meetings work on the same plan, with each cycle's versions saved.
ERP integration
Optional. Reads sales and inventory and returns the approved plan to the ERP, so the forecast feeds purchasing and production.
Frictionless deployment
DemandSolve is installed once on a dedicated server that DataSolve manages for you, and the team accesses it securely from their own computers. Nothing to install on each machine, nothing for your IT team to maintain, and we apply the updates.
How is it different from Excel?
Most teams that come to DemandSolve arrive from an Excel file that grew until it became fragile: one tab per planner, formulas nobody dares to touch and a consolidation assembled by hand every month. The difference is not only the statistical model; it is having a process.
| Shared Excel | ForecastSolve | DemandSolve | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Models | Whatever you can build | 23 per item, automatic winner | Statistical and machine learning per item |
| Business adjustments | Overwritten cells | Logged per cycle | Rules and adjustments with author and reason |
| Forecast error | Rarely measured | 8 metrics per model and series | KPIs by item, family and customer |
| S&OP cycle | Manual | Frozen every month | Collaborative, with approvals |
| ERP | Copy and paste | CSV | Optional integration |
| Users | One or several, uncontrolled | One planner | The whole team, with roles |
| Where it runs | Your PC | Your PC | Dedicated server managed by DataSolve, with remote access |
How it is implemented
Diagnosis
We review your history, your product and customer hierarchy and how you close the cycle today. We define the scope: which items, which levels and which KPIs.
Load and modeling
We load the data, run the engine and validate the results together on past months, so you see the error before trusting the forecast.
Process and team
We configure roles, the cycle calendar, business rules and the views for each S&OP meeting. We train the team on its own data.
Support
We close the first cycles with you. Afterwards, error tracking and model adjustments when the business changes.
Typical implementation time depends on catalog size, data quality and whether there is ERP integration. The results figures shown on the home page are industry references, not measurements from a specific customer.
Frequently asked questions
How much does DemandSolve cost?
DemandSolve costs from USD 3,500 per month for the planning team, with the dedicated server, administration and support included. The final amount depends on the number of users, catalog size and ERP integration. In 15 minutes we give you a concrete figure.
Do I need to integrate the ERP to start?
No. Many teams start with periodic sales and inventory extracts and add the integration later, once the process is stable and they want the approved plan to feed purchasing or production automatically.
Which ERP does it integrate with?
Any that can export sales and inventory on a schedule (files, database or API). Tell us which one you use and we will explain how we would do it.
How many users does it support?
As many as your process needs: planners, sales managers reviewing their territory, supply consuming the plan and finance reconciling it. Licensing is defined per team, not per loose seat.
What about intermittent demand or new items?
The engine classifies every series before modeling it. Intermittent ones use methods designed for them (Croston and variants) and launches are forecast with profiles of similar items until they have a history of their own.
Where does DemandSolve run and what do I have to install?
Nothing on the computers of the team. DemandSolve runs on a dedicated server that DataSolve provides and manages; each user signs in through secure remote access with their own user and permissions. Your IT team does not have to install or maintain anything, and we apply updates in one place.
What if my team is one person today?
Then ForecastSolve, the previous step, will probably serve you better: the same model and cycle approach, in Excel and with no implementation. You move up to DemandSolve when more people need to take part in the plan.
How do I know the forecast is good?
Because you measure it. DemandSolve saves every cycle and computes the error against actual sales by item, family and customer. In the demo we do it on your own past months, not on sample data.
Want to see DemandSolve with your data?
Book a 15-minute call. We will tell you what we need to build a demo on your real history.
Request a demo →