Forecast

Overview

Forecast is an AI-driven project and resource management software that helps professional services teams of 25-200+ efficiently plan, execute, and monitor projects on a single platform. Forecast helps small businesses manage projects, tasks, and budgets with AI-assisted planning and time tracking.

Key Features

Time Tracking

• Automatic and Manual Options: Automatic and manual time tracking options, tie entries to projects/tasks, enforce approvals
• Smart Time Suggestions: Uses recent activity to recommend time entries, reducing manual input and improving tracking accuracy
• Project-Based Tracking: Track time directly against specific projects and tasks
• Approval Workflows: Enforce time entry approvals for accuracy

Resource Planning & Utilization

• Role-Based Scheduling: Ensures the right people are staffed on the right projects
• Resource Forecasting: Helps teams forecast resource needs and balance workloads by analyzing historical data and upcoming project demands
• Utilization Tracking: Improves resource planning and utilization
• Capacity Management: Analyze team capacity and allocate resources effectively

Financial Oversight

• Budget Management: Monitor project budgets in real-time
• Margin Tracking: Track project margins and profitability
• Integration of Timesheets and Financials: Reconcile forecasts to actuals to steer budgets and margins
• Resource Visibility: Provides clear visibility into resource costs

AI-Assisted Features

• AI Planning: Artificial intelligence assists with project planning
• Smart Recommendations: AI suggests optimal resource allocation
• Activity-Based Suggestions: System learns from recent activity patterns
• Predictive Analytics: Forecast future resource needs based on data

Recent Updates (2026)

• Smart time suggestions feature
• Revamped navigation for better usability
• Enhanced mobile capabilities
• Improved integration options

Best Practices from 2026 Resource Management Guide

According to Planisware's 2026 guide, effective resource management with tools like Forecast includes:

• Integrate timesheets, projects, and financials: Reconcile forecasts to actuals to steer budgets and margins
• Measure and refine: Track utilization, forecast accuracy, throughput, and margin; iterate allocation policies

Ideal For

• Professional services teams (25-200+ employees)
• Project-based organizations
• Teams needing structured planning
• Companies requiring financial oversight
• Agencies managing multiple clients
• Consulting firms
• IT services companies

Strengths

• Strong AI-assisted planning capabilities
• Comprehensive resource management
• Financial tracking and budget oversight
• Excellent resource visibility
• Smart time entry suggestions reduce manual work
• Role-based scheduling

Limitations

• Integration gaps noted by some users
• Mobile limitations reported
• May be complex for very small teams
• Learning curve for full feature utilization

User Feedback

Forecast suits teams that need structured planning and financial oversight across multiple projects. Users value its resource visibility and financial tracking, though some cite integration gaps and mobile limitations.

Best Use Cases

• Multi-project resource allocation
• Budget and margin tracking
• Professional services delivery
• Agency project management
• Capacity planning for growing teams
• Financial forecasting for projects