Why Spreadsheets Fail at Planner Coding: Capturing Unforeseen Events in Forecasting for $10M–$100M Companies

$10M–$100M companies frequently rely on spreadsheets to apply manual planner coding and reflect unforeseen demand variability within forecasting workflows.

Overrides are typically applied when planners observe emerging demand signals such as viral trends or competitor disruptions.

Overrides applied within spreadsheet environments may not propagate consistently across related SKUs or channels.

Forecast layers become misaligned.

Incomplete capture of unforeseen demand variability leads to stockouts during peak consumption periods.

Overestimated uplift results in excess inventory accumulation after transient events.

Spreadsheet-based overrides may introduce version inconsistencies across planning teams.

Procurement decisions become misaligned.

Manual coding applied after demand spikes become visible often fails to align with supplier lead times.

Inventory arrives after peak consumption windows.

Override maintenance workload increases as SKU portfolios expand.

Planning teams spend more time monitoring exceptions.

Working capital tied to inventory investment becomes increasingly volatile as override logic accumulates without governance.

Liquidity risk increases.

For $10M–$100M companies, spreadsheet-based planner coding limits the ability to capture unforeseen demand variability accurately.

Forecasting systems must evolve beyond override-driven adjustment cycles to structurally model event-driven demand patterns.