The Backcast: A Sales Performance Evaluation Tool at Coca-Cola

Charles L. Hubbard, N. Carroll Mohn and John C. Reid
Additional contact information
Charles L. Hubbard: Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia 30303
N. Carroll Mohn: Analytical Methods, The Coca-Cola Company, P.O. Drawer 1734, Atlanta, Georgia 30301
John C. Reid: Market Analysis, Coca-Cola USA

Interfaces, 1979, vol. 9, issue 4, 38-45

Abstract: Future sales can normally be estimated using a variety of tools, e.g., long-range or current year sales forecasts based upon business cycle, industry, or company considerations. However, only one method is usually available to a sales manager or salesman for assessing current sales performance: comparison of the most recent (actual) sales figures to those estimated in the latest annual sales forecast. At Coca-Cola USA, it was determined that a longer-range sales performance evaluation tool was needed to supplement the conventional annual forecast in response to the question, “Are my sales growing or declining?” This new information/evaluation tool, termed the “backcast,” is described and related in reference to the management control obtained by the use of the more conventional forecast. Subsequent sections describe the use of backcasts at Coca-Cola USA and outline some possible extensions for the use of the backcast.

Keywords: forecasting:; marketing:; measurement (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 1979
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/inte.9.4.38 (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:inm:orinte:v:9:y:1979:i:4:p:38-45

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in Interfaces from INFORMS Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Chris Asher ().