Explanation

The Forecast Sheet uses historical time-based data to create forecast values and a forecast chart.

Example Data

Month	Sales
Jan-2026	50000
Feb-2026	55000
Mar-2026	59000
Apr-2026	63000
May-2026	68000
Jun-2026	72000

Historical Data

Historical data is the existing data used to estimate future values.

For forecasting, the dataset should have a consistent timeline such as:

• Daily
• Weekly
• Monthly
• Quarterly

Creating a Forecast Sheet

Basic process:

1. Select historical date/time and value columns.
2. Go to Data → Forecast Sheet.
3. Choose a chart type.
4. Set the forecast end point and available options.
5. Create the forecast.

Excel creates forecast values and a chart based on the historical series.

Practice

Create a monthly sales dataset and generate a Forecast Sheet for future periods.

Detailed forecasting will be covered separately in Topic 26 — Forecast Sheet.