Question: QUESTION 4 ( 2 0 Marks ) Based on the information provided below, answer the following questions. The demand planner at Radasys Enterprises ( RE

QUESTION 4(20 Marks) Based on the information provided below, answer the following questions. The demand planner at Radasys Enterprises (RE) is dedicated to enhancing forecasting precision to better align inventory management with market demand. To this end, he is undertaking a comparative analysis of two candidate forecasting techniques: the Simple Exponential Smoothing method and the Moving Average method. This evaluation aims to determine which method delivers superior accuracy, thereby supporting improved inventory management, optimising resource allocation, and enhancing overall operational efficiency. The sales data presented in the table below was extracted from REs database for the evaluation exercise. Year Quarter Sales, R 2020 Q1300000 Q2350000 Q3480000 Q44200002021 Q1330000 Q2390000 Q3540000 Q44800002022 Q1360000 Q2450000 Q3600000 Q45400002023 Q1390000 Q2480000 Q3720000 Q4600000 REQUIRED: 4.1.Discuss any three (3) strategic importance of demand forecasting in supply chain and operations management. (4 Marks)4.2.Using the quarterly sales data extracted by the demand planner, prepare the 3-quarter movingaverage (3QMA) forecast for each of the fourteen quarters spanning from Q42020 to Q12024. Ensure that your calculations are clearly presented in a table, with all forecast values displayed. (4 Marks)4.3.Using the quarterly sales data extracted by the demand planner, prepare the simple exponential smoothing (SES) forecast for each of the sixteen quarters spanning from Q22020 to Q12024. Assume that the forecast for Q12020 is R300000 and use a smoothing constant (a) of 0.5. Ensure that your calculations are clearly presented in a table, with all forecast values displayed. (4 Marks)4.4.Calculate the Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) for both the 3QMA and SES forecasts over the thirteen quarters from Q42020 to Q42023. Show the detailed calculations for obtaining the MAPE values and round off answers to two decimal places. (6 Marks)4.5.Based on the results obtained in question 4.4, which of the candidate forecasting methods should be selected by the demand planner? (2 Marks)

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