This survey-based paper examines forecasting software use in US corporations. The results highlight the fact that forecasting software is not yet widely used.

The authors indicate that there are several reasons why forecasting software is not currently used by many corporations. These include dissatisfaction with software performance. Those organizations that do use such software, however, report lesser mean absolute percentage errors than those that use ad hoc techniques, such as spreadsheets, locally developed systems, or no mechanisms at all. The major reason for reluctance to adopt these software systems seems to be a lack of knowledge about such analysis tools, as well anxiety about effectively mastering them. The need for these software systems to provide simplified reporting interfaces, to help users understand results, and present those results persuasively to executives, is highlighted as a potential enhancement for developers of forecasting software systems.

Although preliminary, the results of this study are interesting enough to provide a case for adopting the use of such software to reduce developmental errors.