ForecastIQ User Manual
Complete guide to using the ForecastIQ Production Planning Platform
Quick Start (5 min)
Get familiar with ForecastIQ in 5 minutes. The system is pre-loaded with demo data representing a manufacturing facility with 7 workshops, 24 work orders, and realistic production scenarios.
- Use Quick Login buttons on the login page
- Click 'Global Planner' for full visibility
- You'll land on the Dashboard
- Click 'Operations' in the sidebar
- View the Workshop × Week grid (7 workshops, 8 weeks)
- Notice color coding: Green = OK, Amber = Risk, Red = Blocked
- Hover over cells to see load percentage and order counts
- Look for RED cells - these have production issues
- Click on any colored cell (e.g., WS-MECA Week 2)
- Explore the 5 tabs: Overview, Production, Orders, Materials, Team
- Overview: See capacity metrics, AI suggestions, and action items
- Production: View step-by-step production routing across workshops
- Materials: Check component availability and stock status
- Team: See assigned workers and their skills
You now understand the core interface. Continue reading for detailed feature guides and interactive exercises.
Overview
What is ForecastIQ?
ForecastIQ is a production planning visibility platform that provides a consolidated view of your manufacturing operations. It connects material availability, workshop capacity, and production routing to give planners real-time insight into what can be produced and what's at risk.
Key Features
Visual workshop × week matrix showing production health at a glance with drill-down to order details
Track work orders as they flow through multiple workshops with predecessor dependencies
Component stock levels, availability dates, and shortage alerts for BOM requirements
Worker assignments, skills tracking, and capacity utilization per cell
Demo Data Summary
System Access
Quick Login
Use the Quick Login buttons on the login page to instantly access the system with a demo account. No need to type credentials.
Demo Accounts
Full system access including data management and user administration
Factory-wide visibility and planning actions (recommended for demo)
Limited to WS-MECA workshop only
Read-only access to all data
All demo accounts use password: password123
Control Tower
The Control Tower is the main operational dashboard. It shows a grid of all workshops (rows) across planning weeks (columns). Access via Operations in the sidebar.
Grid Layout
Rows = Workshops
7 workshops: WS-MECA, WS-ELEC, WS-WELD, WS-PAINT, WS-TEST, WS-PACK, WS-FINAL
Columns = Weeks
8 weeks by default (adjustable: 4, 8, 12, or 16 weeks)
Cell Colors
Cell Information
Each cell shows:
- Capacity load percentage
- Number of work orders/steps scheduled
- Status breakdown (green/amber/red counts)
Cell Drawer Details
Click any cell in the Control Tower grid to open a detailed drawer with 5 tabs of information.
Overview Tab
- • Capacity metrics (load %, required hours, available hours)
- • Status breakdown with counts (green/amber/red)
- • AI Suggestions panel with recommended actions
- • Open action items for this cell
Production Tab
- • List of production steps scheduled for this cell
- • Multi-workshop routing visualization (Step X of Y)
- • Predecessor dependency status (blocked/ready)
- • Operation names and planned hours per step
Orders Tab
- • Work orders (OFs) assigned to this workshop/week
- • Client information and priority levels
- • Feasibility status with blocker details
- • Reschedule preview functionality
Materials Tab
- • Aggregated component requirements for all orders
- • Stock on hand vs. required quantities
- • Availability status (OK, Low, Shortage, Out of Stock)
- • Expected delivery dates for pending items
Team Tab
- • Workers assigned to this cell
- • Total assigned hours and coverage ratio
- • Worker skills and proficiency levels
- • Staffing alerts (understaffed/overstaffed)
Try It Yourself
Here are some interactive exercises to explore the system. Each takes 2-3 minutes.
Exercise 1: Find a Blocked Order
- Go to Control Tower and find a RED cell
- Click to open the drawer
- Go to the Materials tab
- Look for components with "SHORTAGE" or "OUT OF STOCK" status
- Note which component is blocking production
Exercise 2: Trace a Multi-Workshop Order
- Open WS-WELD, Week 1 (Jan 5) cell drawer
- Go to Production tab and find OF-MW-001
- Note it shows "Step 1 of 4"
- Click on the routing to see: WS-WELD → WS-MECA → WS-ELEC → WS-TEST
- Open WS-MECA Week 2 to see Step 2 of the same order
Exercise 3: Check Team Coverage
- Open any cell with orders (e.g., WS-MECA Week 2)
- Go to the Team tab
- Check the coverage ratio (assigned hours / required hours)
- Look at worker skills - are they matched to the workshop?
- Note if there's an understaffing alert
Exercise 4: Explore AI Suggestions
- Open a cell with issues (AMBER or RED status)
- In the Overview tab, expand the AI Suggestions panel
- Read the recommendations (reschedule, expedite, add capacity)
- Check the confidence level for each suggestion
Roles & Permissions
| Feature | Admin | Global | Workshop | Viewer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Control Tower | ||||
| Open Cell Drawers | ||||
| View All Workshops | ||||
| Reschedule Preview | ||||
| Data Console |
Business Rules
Status Color Logic
Capacity Thresholds
Capacity thresholds are defined by the engine's own traffic-light rules, not by this page. Each cell, worker, and piece of equipment shows the colour the engine computed for it — refer to the colour shown per row rather than a fixed percentage listed here.