As a supplier, you must meet the following requirements in order to participate in the Forecast Exchange program:
Forecasts for Rite Aid on a weekly basis (ideally at the Rite Aid DC level)
Ability to format data into comma separated values (csv) files (formats will be supplied during
the registration process). The EDI 830 format is also currently supported.
Ability to upload data files weekly to the Forecast Exchange FTP site.
System Requirements:
Internet Access
Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or greater
On the drive that stores the folder of temporary Internet files (cached files) for the browser,
a minimum of 100 MB of hard disk space needs to be available. In the browser, cache settings need to be
set up to allow at least 100 MB of space to be used for the folder
Registration Submitted
After submitting your registration information notification is sent to both your Rite Aid representative and Prescient.
Contacted
Based on your registration information a Prescient representative will contact you to discuss data requirements and answer any questions you may have.
Data Formatting
The data needed to participate in Forecast Exchange falls into two categories: master file data and forecast/order data. Master files define the items being forecast and how these items are grouped. This information needs to be in place prior to receiving forecast/order data.
Prescient will work with you to get the following master files together:
Supplier – basic information about your company such as EDI identifier code
Products – what products will you be collaborating on, including their descriptions, UPC, and SKU codes
Product Groups – how these products should be grouped (for example, into Product Families)
With master files defined, forecast/order data can then be applied. Again, Prescient will work with you to properly format this data.
Testing
During this phase loading of your data will be validated. When data reaches the point where it loads cleanly you will be provided a login to Forecast Exchange’s testing area. Here you can review the data for accuracy and completeness.
Also during this phase, automation of getting your data into Forecast Exchange will be tested. Currently, participants are required to upload files to Forecast Exchange’s FTP area.
Training
Once data has been validated, training on navigating the Forecast Exchange interface can begin. While you are becoming comfortable getting around, Prescient can work with you and your Rite Aid representative to fine tune the exceptions Forecast Exchange looks to identify.
Registration Complete
When you feel confident in both the data and how to get around the data the registration process is complete. Data files can now be sent to Forecast Exchange’s production environment for weekly processing.
