1. Suppose you were recently hired by Alomega Food Stores and assigned to assist Julie in developing an effective forecasting method for monthly sales. After reviewing Julie's efforts to date, which of the methods she tried would you recommend to her?
2. Based on your choice in Question 1, write a detailed memo to Julie outlining your reasons for your choice, and indicate the extent to which you think this forecasting method would be effective.
3. In addition to the methods Julie was considering, what other forecasting procedures would you suggest? Use Minitab or another forecasting software package to try other methods and compare them with your choice in Question 1.
4. Should Julie combine forecasts?
Example 1.1 described how Julie Ruth, the president of Alomega Food Stores, collected monthly sales data for her company along with several other variables she thought might be related to sales. Cases 2-3, 3-4, 5-6, 8-7, and 10-2 described Julie's efforts to use various Minitab procedures to make meaningful forecasts of monthly sales.