Forthcast

What is Forthcast?

Forthcast provides Demand Planning and Inventory Management functionality specifically for Shopify e-commerce environments. By integrating with a Shopify store, the platform's Machine Learning models generate demand predictions with a six-month horizon, calculate optimal inventory levels, and automate Purchase Order workflows. These features are designed to mitigate stockouts and reduce excess inventory.

The solution is positioned for growing retail businesses, focusing on replenishment decisions—such as determining reorder timing and quantities—rather than broad warehouse management. Forthcast aggregates historical sales data with external demand signals, including Seasonality, market trends, and Lead-Time variability. This multi-layered analysis is intended to identify demand shifts and prevent the accumulation of dead stock.

What Forthcast does:

AI-based Demand Forecasting: Generates rolling six-month forecasts using Machine Learning algorithms.
Dynamic Stock Optimization: Performs dynamic calculations for Safety Stock and Reorder Points at the SKU level.
Automated Replenishment: Provides automated alerts and generates Purchase Orders.
Inventory Health Management: Identifies risks associated with stockouts and overstock scenarios.
Peak Period Planning: Accounts for seasonal fluctuations, holidays, and high-volume periods such as Black Friday and Q4.
Inventory Analytics: Surfaces insights regarding ABC Analysis, Sell-Through Rate, and Inventory Turnover.
Native E-commerce Integration: Features direct Shopify connectivity to eliminate manual spreadsheet management.

The vendor provides a flat-rate subscription model priced at $19.99 per month, which does not include per-SKU fees. A 14-day trial period is available. According to the vendor, this pricing structure is intended to maintain consistent costs as product catalogs and location counts increase, distinguishing it from inventory tools that scale pricing based on SKU volume.