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Forecast Hierarchy Management

Forecast Hierarchy Management allows you to control how forecasting data is shared across roles in your organization. For example, if you place sales managers above sales reps in the hierarchy, sales managers automatically see all forecast data owned or viewed by sales reps.

If your hierarchy already exists in Salesforce or another source system, you can import it into Backstory using a CSV file so there is no need to re-build it manually. You can also make small adjustments directly in the Forecasting Hierarchies Admin UI.

Note: Forecast Hierarchy Management requires a Backstory administrator account.


What This Article Covers

  • Creating a forecast hierarchy using a CSV file exported from Salesforce

  • Viewing and managing your forecast hierarchy

  • Downloading your forecast hierarchy to make bulk updates or save historical snapshots


Create a Forecast Hierarchy

  1. Export a CSV from Salesforce or your source system, then format it to meet Backstory’s requirements. To get the correct template for your system, work with your CSM or contact support@backstory.ai.

  2. Open Unified Backstory Application and click the menu icon in the top left of the page.

  3. Select Admin Panel from the dropdown.

  4. In the left-hand menu panel, click the + icon next to FORECAST HIERARCHIES.

  5. In the pop-up window, enter the name of your hierarchy and select “User” or “Territory” based on the type of CSV file you exported from Salesforce.


Update Your Forecast Hierarchy

You can edit your hierarchy name and add or edit territories directly in the Forecasting Admin UI. Alternatively, you can make updates to an existing CSV or export an updated CSV from Salesforce.

Update Using the Existing CSV

This is the best option if you have not made any changes to your forecast hierarchy in Salesforce since last importing it to Backstory.

  1. Open your forecast hierarchy in the Forecasting Hierarchies Admin UI.

  2. Click Update with CSV in the top right corner.

  3. When the pop-up window appears, click Download CSV.

  4. Open the file, make your changes, and save it.

  5. Return to the pop-up window, click Browse, and upload the updated file.

Update Using a New CSV From Salesforce

This is the best option if you have made changes to your forecast hierarchy in Salesforce since last importing it to Backstory.

  1. Export an updated CSV file from Salesforce, then format it to meet Backstory’s requirements. To get the correct template for your system, work with your CSM or contact support@backstory.ai.

  2. Open your forecast hierarchy in Forecasting Hierarchies Admin UI.

  3. Click Update with CSV.

  4. In the pop-up window, click Browse, select your updated file, and import it.


Frequently Asked Questions

Do updates in Salesforce automatically sync to Backstory?

No. You must manually update or import user assignment changes into Backstory.

Can we assign one user to multiple hierarchy levels?

Yes. A user can be assigned to multiple levels with different permission settings.

Can we manage assignments entirely via CSV?

Yes. You can both export and re-import user assignments for faster updates.


Need Help?

Reach out to your CSM or email support@backstory.ai.

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