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Plans and scenarios are the foundation of planning in SIMCEL. They allow you to create, compare, and evaluate different versions of your business plan.

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Plans

A plan represents a planning cycle with a defined time horizon. Each plan contains one or more scenarios.

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Plan types

TypePurposeTypical horizon
BudgetAnnual strategic planning focused on broad business goals across brands, channels, and regions12-24 months
TacticalRegularly created plans (weekly or monthly) used to build the committed plan6-12 months

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Creating a tactical plan

1

Open plan creator

Click + Plan and select Tactical plan.
2

Configure the plan

Set the plan title (e.g., “Feb 2026”), select a forecasting method (e.g., LightGBM), and choose the plan period (e.g., Feb 2026 - Jan 2027). Add an optional description.
3

Wait for forecast generation

SIMCEL runs the forecaster to generate a demand projection. This may take several minutes. A loading page shows the forecaster progress.
Plan creation dialog showing fields: Plan type (Tactical selected), Title text input, Forecasting method dropdown (e.g. LightGBM), Plan period date range selector, Description textarea, and Create button
Plan creation dialog showing fields: Plan type (Tactical selected), Title text input, Forecasting method dropdown (e.g. LightGBM), Plan period date range selector, Description textarea, and Create button
4

Review the Forecast Base

Once complete, the default Forecast Base scenario appears, showing the unbiased demand projection free from event influence.
Once a plan is created, SIMCEL automatically generates a Forecast Base scenario using the selected forecast method. This serves as your starting point for building scenarios.

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Plan initialization and continuity

When a new plan is created, SIMCEL ensures seamless continuity with previous planning cycles:
  1. Forecast generation - The forecaster runs using historical data and the selected method
  2. Event carry-forward - If the primary scenario of the previous plan had events applied, those events shape the new Forecast Base
  3. Inventory continuity - Ending stock from the reference data (actual or previous plan) becomes the initial inventory for the new plan
  4. Data source priority - SIMCEL uses actual data when available; when actual data is missing for a period, it falls back to the primary scenario of the preceding plan (“Update Current”)

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Managing plans

  • Switch between plans using the Plan Bar in the top navigation
  • Only the most recent plan of each type can be deleted
  • Each plan maintains its own set of scenarios, events, and simulation results

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Scenarios

A scenario is a version of your plan with specific assumptions and events applied. Scenarios let you ask “what if?” questions.

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Scenario types

TypeDescriptionEditable?
Forecast BaseAuto-generated baseline forecastNo
PrimaryYour main working scenario selected for executionYes
CustomAdditional what-if scenarios for analysisYes
ActualReal performance data imported from your systemsNo
CommittedEvents and actions the organization has decided to executeYes

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Creating a scenario

1

Add new scenario

Click + Add New Scenario in the demand planning page.
2

Configure

Set the scenario name, select a supply plan, and choose the event versions to apply.
3

Save

Click Save. The events are now reflected in the scenario demand.

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Making a scenario primary

The primary scenario becomes the execution plan used as the reference for your entire business:
  1. Click the three-dot menu next to the scenario
  2. Select Make Primary
  3. A “Primary” badge appears on the scenario
Scenario Bar showing a scenario chip with three-dot menu expanded, highlighting the 'Make Primary' option. Another scenario chip displays the green 'Primary' badge
Scenario Bar showing a scenario chip with three-dot menu expanded, highlighting the 'Make Primary' option. Another scenario chip displays the green 'Primary' badge

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Committed plan

The Committed Plan is created by concatenating the non-overlapping initial periods of primary scenarios from different plans. It represents what your organization has decided to execute, based on evaluating the impact on:
  • Revenue
  • Cost
  • Profit
  • Service Level
  • Working Capital
Planning Adherence compares the Committed Plan with historical performance to measure how well the plan aligns with actual results and evaluate execution quality.

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Comparing scenarios

Toggle multiple scenario chips on in the Scenario Bar. Charts and tables display all active scenarios side by side. Color coding highlights differences:
  • Green - Favorable movement (higher revenue, lower costs)
  • Red - Unfavorable movement (lower revenue, higher costs)

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How plans and scenarios work together

Plan (Budget 2025)
├── Forecast Base (auto-generated)
├── Primary Scenario (your execution plan)
├── Scenario A: "Best Case" (optimistic assumptions)
├── Scenario B: "Conservative" (cautious assumptions)
└── Actual (imported real data)
Each scenario within a plan shares the same time horizon and master data but can have different:
  • Events applied (promotions, market changes, disruptions)
  • Demand adjustments (manual overrides, shaping)
  • Simulation results (supply chain outcomes)
  • KPI values (calculated from the above)