Description

Features

For undergraduate and graduate courses in Business Forecasting.

Written in a simple, straightforward style, Business Forecasting 9/e presents basic statistical techniques using practical business examples to teach students how to predict long-term forecasts.

How do you emphasize the correlation between theoretical concepts and real-world applications? What types of projects, assignments, and exercises help reinforce class material?

Emphasis on the 9th edition has been placed on the application of theoretical concepts and techniques by incorporating end-of-chapter exercises such as:

• Twelve additional cases.
  
• Thirty two new problem sets.
  
• Minitab Applications are presented at the end of each chapter with step-by-step guidance.
  
• Excel 2003 Applications have been added to demonstrate how a forecasting problem is solved.
  

OTHER KEY POINTS OF DISTINCTION

How do you structure your course to ensure students will successfully absorb the material?  Do students typically have a fundamental knowledge of basic statistics on the first day of class?

All chapters in this edition have been revised to enhance the clarity of the writing and increase teaching and learning effectiveness.  Six sections have been constructed which include:

• Background material on the nature of forecasting and a quick review of statistical concepts.
• The exploration ofdata patterns, averaging, smoothing techniques, and an introduction to time series decomposition in terms of underlying components.
• Causal forecasting techniques.
• Judgmental forecasting and managing the forecasting process.

How do you incorporate computers into the classroom to introduce business forecasting software? Are your students comfortable using Minitab, SAS, and Excel?

The authors have tried several different approaches to help faculty and students use the computer for forecasting.  This edition features the following:

• Minitab instructions.
• Excel instructions.
• Three data collections are available on the Companion Website.
• Examples of different computer outputs are place throughout the text.

New To This Edition

How do you emphasize the correlation between theoretical concepts and real-world applications? What types of projects, assignments, and exercises help reinforce class material?

Emphasis on the 9th edition has been placed on the application of theoretical concepts and techniques by incorporating end-of-chapter exercises such as:

• Twelve additional cases.
• Thirty two new problem sets.
• Minitab Applications are presented at the end of each chapter with step-by-step guidance.
• Excel 2003 Applications have been added to demonstrate how a forecasting problem is solved.

How do you structure your course to ensure students will successfully absorb the material?  Do students typically have a fundamental knowledge of basic statistics on the first day of class?

All chapters in this edition have been revised to enhance the clarity of the writing and increase teaching and learning effectiveness.  Six sections have been constructed which include:

• Background material on the nature of forecasting and a quick review of statistical concepts.
• The exploration ofdata patterns, averaging, smoothing techniques, and an introduction to time series decomposition in terms of underlying components.
• Causal forecasting techniques.
• Judgmental forecasting and managing the forecasting process.

How do you incorporate computers into the classroom to introduce business forecasting software? Are your students comfortable using Minitab, SAS, and Excel?

The authors have tried several different approaches to help faculty and students use the computer for forecasting.  This edition features the following:

• Minitab instructions.
• Excel instructions.
• Three data collections are available on the CD included with this book.
• Examples of different computer outputs are place throughout the text.

OTHER TOPICS OF DISTINCTION

*An updated instructor’s manual is available online with the 9th edition.

*Data sets have been updated.

*A section on Cointegrated Time Series has been added to Chapter 8.

Table of Contents

 1. Introduction to Forecasting. 

 2. Exploring Data Patterns and Choosing a Forecasting Technique. 


 3. Moving Averages and Smoothing Methods. 


 4. Time Series and Their Components. 


 5. Simple Linear Regression. 


 6. Multiple Regression Analysis. 

 7. Regression with Time Series Data. 


 8. The Box-Jenkins (ARIMA) Methodology.


9. Judgmental Forecasting and Forecast Adjustments.


10. Managing the Forecasting Process.


Appendix A: Derivations.


Appendix B: Data for Case Study 7.1.


Appendix C: Tables.


Appendix D: Data Sets and Databases.

Index.