Export and Import Traffic Patterns

For a forecast category at the site level or below, you can export daily traffic patterns into a spreadsheet format before you generate the labor forecasts. This allows you to compare the 15-minute interval values from the Forecast Manager with your internal reports.

You can edit the values, import them back into the Forecast Planner, and generate your forecast.

You can also import them into another location or date to create a similar or identical traffic pattern for a new site, a new department or a different date. For accuracy, if you are importing at a different site, department, or date, the effective volume drivers should match as closely as possible.

1. Load the forecast week and the site or department that contains the traffic pattern you want to export.
2. Click Tools > Export Traffic Pattern.
3. From the menu of loaded forecast week, select the day that has the traffic pattern you want to export.
4. Select a the location that has the traffic pattern you want to export.
5. Click Export.

1. Load the forecast week and the site or department where you want to import the traffic pattern.
2. Click Tools > Import. The Import Traffic Pattern panel opens.
3. Click Browse and select the file that contains the traffic pattern for the location and date you want to import.
4. Click Import.

Notes:

The imported file must be in the exported traffic pattern spreadsheet format. This means that:

• Only one location can be described in a single imported file.
• The values for location and date in the file must correspond to the desired import location and date.
  • The cell at the first column, first row must contain the business structure path including the site or department intended to receive the import.
  • The cell at the first column, second row must contain the date intended to receive the import.
• The Time columns represent 96 15-minute intervals (four per each of 24 hours) and the corresponding rows represent the values of the labor drivers for each interval.