What is a "best practice" when using salesperson input as information for improving forecasting? Use several waves of iteration between salespeople and planners until the two groups are within $\backslash (1\backslash \%\backslash )$ agreement, in order to maximize accuracy. Ask the salespeople to forecast from a blank sheet of paper$/$computer screen first, then compare that forecast with the forecast generated by statisticians, and take the mean. Take salesperson input with a grain of salt; salespeople are probably hedging in order to lower their quotas. First send an initial forecast to salespeople, and then ask them to make adjustments.How does the number of available demand planners compare to the number of available jobs in planning$/$forecasting$?$ There is a shortage now of planners$/$forecasters$,$ and the gap is expected to grow. There are too many people trained to be planners for the number of jobs available. Demand basically meets supply for planners. No one knows; not enough data exist about the demand planning field to understand this problem.