What is a Forecast User?

Forecast Users are the reps and managers included in the forecasting hierarchy, contributing to and adjusting forecasts.

What happens if a rep isn't in the forecast hierarchy?

Users outside the forecast hierarchy don't contribute opportunities to the rollup, so they're effectively invisible in the forecast.

When should the forecast hierarchy be updated?

The hierarchy must reflect current team structure to produce accurate forecasts, so it should be updated whenever the team changes.

Forecast User

Sales🟡 Intermediate

Definition

A Salesforce user included in the forecasting hierarchy who can submit forecasts, typically a sales rep or manager whose opportunities and adjustments contribute to the forecast rollup.

Real-World Example

When a senior account executive at GreenField Solutions needs to streamline operations, they turn to Forecast User to improve sales team productivity and pipeline visibility. Forecast User gives reps a clear view of their deals and next steps, while managers use aggregated data to forecast revenue and plan territory assignments with greater precision.

Why Forecast User Matters

A Forecast User is a Salesforce user included in the forecasting hierarchy and authorized to submit forecasts. Typically this includes sales reps (whose opportunities contribute the raw forecast data) and sales managers (who can adjust forecasts and see their team's aggregated view). The forecasting hierarchy determines who rolls up to whom, which controls what each user sees and what adjustments they can make.

Configuring forecast users correctly is important because the forecast rollup depends on it. If a rep isn't in the forecast hierarchy, their opportunities don't contribute to the rollup. If a manager's team isn't configured correctly, they can't see or adjust their team's forecast. The forecasting hierarchy is typically set up once at the start of a forecasting implementation and then maintained as the team changes. Changes in team structure (new hires, departures, reorgs) need to be reflected in the forecast hierarchy or the forecast will drift from reality.

How Organizations Use Forecast User

•Cobalt Ventures — Maintains their forecast user hierarchy as part of standard HR onboarding, adding new sales hires to the hierarchy as soon as they start.
•TrueNorth Software — Audits the forecast hierarchy quarterly to catch team structure changes that haven't been reflected, preventing forecast drift.
•GreenField Solutions — Distinguishes between reps (who contribute opportunities) and managers (who adjust and roll up) in their forecast user setup.