Sales & Labor Forecasting
Overview of the UnitOps AI forecasting module — sales projections, labor optimization, events, actuals, and variance analysis
The Sales & Labor Forecasting module provides multi-unit restaurant operators with intelligent weekly forecasts that drive scheduling, purchasing, and operational planning decisions.
How It Works
- Historical data feeds the model — POS sales and labor actuals flow from your Data Store (Snowflake or PostgreSQL) into UnitOps
- Projection models generate forecasts — Configurable algorithms (trailing average, weighted average, same-week-last-year) produce daily sales projections
- Labor is derived from sales — The Labor Matrix translates forecasted sales into required labor hours by position
- Events modify projections — Holidays, promotions, and closures adjust forecasts up or down
- Publish and track — Published forecasts become the operational plan; actuals are compared for variance analysis
Module Pages
| Page | Description |
|---|---|
| Forecasting Overview | The weekly forecasting workspace — view, adjust, and publish forecasts |
| Projection Models | Configuration of sales projection algorithms and forecast metrics |
| Labor Matrix | Define staffing requirements by position based on forecasted sales volume |
| Forecast Events | Manage holidays, promotions, and operational events that impact projections |
| Actuals & Variance | Track actual sales/labor against forecasts and analyze variance |
| Forecast Dashboard | Multi-tab ECharts dashboard with KPIs, trends, and labor efficiency metrics |
| Forecast Settings | Location-level configuration — day parts, operating hours, fiscal calendar |
Permissions
Access to forecasting features is controlled by role:
| Role | View Forecasts | Adjust Forecasts | Publish | Configure Settings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admin | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| General Manager | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Manager | Yes (own locations) | No | No | No |
Data Flow
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Data Store (Snowflake / PostgreSQL) │
│ ├── vw_unitops_sales_actuals (daily POS sales by location) │
│ └── vw_unitops_labor_actuals (daily labor hours by position) │
└───────────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────────────┘
│ Sync
▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ UnitOps AI Platform │
│ ├── Projection Engine → Weekly Sales Forecast │
│ ├── Labor Matrix → Labor Hours by Position │
│ ├── Event Adjustments → Modified Projections │
│ └── Variance Engine → Forecast vs Actual Analysis │
└───────────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────────────┘
│ Outputs
▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Operational Decisions │
│ ├── Scheduling (hours needed per position per day) │
│ ├── Purchasing (projected covers → ingredient demand) │
│ └── P&L Planning (labor % targets, prime cost monitoring) │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘