The starting point for the consensus forecasting process was the business assumptions package
(BAP), which contained price plans for each SKU, intelligence about market trends and competitors’
products and marketing strategies, and other information that was relevant to the industry in
general. The product planning and strategy (PPS), marketing, and DMS groups helped to assess the
impact of the information on future business performance that they entered into the BAP. (The BAP
was an Excel document with multiple tabs for different types of information and an accompanying
PowerPoint presentation.)