Question

What factors should be considered when trying to put together a sales forecast? Which departments should be involved in this process? 

Answer 1

Factors to that need to be kept in mind while making a sales forecast are
Past performance of the organisation
The past performance wrt to the sales gives a reasonable idea to the makers of the forcast in regard to the starting point of the forecast
Current Economic conditions
The current economic / market scenario will determine the sales due to factors such as disposable income , demand of the good or service etc
Seasonal Nature of product
The seasonal nature of the goods and service offered need to be considered while making a sales forecast in order to base demand assumptions
Marketing Effort
The marketing effort put in by the organisation to market the product and sell it to the cinsumer will also affect the sales forecast
Internal organisational changes
The internal organisational changes need to considered before making a sales forecast , for eg a favorable change in the manager may boost sales due to increased effort
Departments involved in making a sales forecast
1	Accouting and finance
2	Production department
3	Purchasing department
4	Marketing & sales department