2010 Forecasting Software Survey

The information in the survey that follows was provided by the vendors in response to a questionnaire developed by Jack Yurkiewicz. The survey should not be considered as comprehensive, but rather as a representation of available forecasting packages. Questionnaires were sent to vendors drawn from previous survey participants, the OR/MS Today database and other sources. It includes the products of those vendors who responded by the deadline. If you know of a forecasting package that is not in this survey, please contact Patton McGinley at (770) 431-0867, ext. 214 or e-mail them to patton@lionhrtpub.com. They will be included in an online version.

Be sure to read the accompanying article.

Page 1
Publisher
Operating Systems
Platform: (e.g., 32Bit, 64 Bit, purchaser must specify platform, one version which works on both, etc.)
Software Capabilities: Automatic; Semi-automatic; Manual

Page 2
Data Entry:
Is there a maximum number of observations in time-series?
How many?
Import:
Reads Excel files
If Not, What Modifications Must be Made?
Additional Import File Formats Available?

Page 3
Exports: Exports Output to Excel Files; Exports Sessions; Exports Graphics (Formats)

Page 4
Graphics Types: Time-series Plot; Scatter Diagram; Forecast Plot; Autocorrelation Partial; Autocorrelation Function; Residual Plot; Bar, Pie, Other Business Chart; Others

Page 5
Techniques Available:
- Exponential Smoothing:
Brown's Methods (Simple, Double, Triple Exponential Smoothing); Holt's Two-Parameter Method; Winter's Three Parameter Method; Adaptive Response Rate

Page 6
Techniques Available (continued):
- Exponential Smoothing (continued):
Harrison's Harmonic Smoothing; Damped Trend; Program Finds Optimal Parameters; Other Features (smoothing parameters outside zero-one interval, etc.)

Page 7
Techniques Available (continued):
- Time Series Decomposition:
Moving Average Methods; Classical Decomposition; Census Bureau Methods
- Box-Jenkins (ARIMA):
Program Recommends Optimal Model

Page 8
Techniques Available (continued):
- Regression:
Maximum Number of Independent Variables; Maximum Number of Observations; Other linear regression models (stepwise, best subsets, etc.); Nonlinear Regression Models; Dynamic Regression
- Other Univariate Techniques:
Trend Analysis; If yes, specify trend models (i.e., exponential, S-Curve, Pearl-Reed, Logistic, Gompertz, etc.)

Page 9
Techniques Available (continued):
- Multivariate Techniques:
Spectral Analysis; Kalman Filter; Fourier Analysis; State Space Models; Transfer Function Model; Interventional Analysis; Econometric Models; SABL; Neural Networks; Others; For those additional capabilities indicated, does the software automatically find the optimal model?

Page 10
Documentation:
On-line Help and Tutorial; Other Features (e.g. software offers forecating advice, etc.)
Price:
Commercial; Educational, Downloadable trial version

Page 11
New Features (since June. 2008))
Comments

Vendor List

The survey appeared in the June 2010 issue of OR/MS Today. To order a copy of this issue, contact Customer Service at 770-431-0867, ext. 201 or send e-mail to: csr@lionhrtpub.com.



OR/MS Today copyright © 2010 by the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences. All rights reserved.


Lionheart Publishing, Inc.
506 Roswell Street, Suite 220, Marietta, GA 30060 USA
Phone: 770-431-0867 | Fax: 770-432-6969
E-mail: lpi@lionhrtpub.com
URL: http://www.lionhrtpub.com


Web Site © Copyright 2010 by Lionheart Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.