Thanks to the IBF

This column reflects upon the Institute of Business Forecasting and Planning’s (i.e., IBF’s) impressive contributions to the community of forecasters and planners in industry. Its efforts have not only provided a forum for the community to collaborate within, but have also helped to establish the skill domains as legitimate professions. Managers now entering and doing business forecasting and planning can view it as a lifetime career with a growth path, should they desire to pursue it. The IBF has become the preeminent business forecasting and planning organization. LARRY LAPIdE | Dr. Lapide is a Research Affiliate at MIT and a Lecturer at the University of Massachusetts, Boston Campus. He has extensive experience in industry, consulting, business research, and academia as well as a broad range of forecasting experiences. He was an industry forecaster for many years, has led forecasting-related consulting projects for clients across a variety of industries, and has researched as well as taught forecasting. He was also a market analyst researching forecasting and supply chain software. (This is an ongoing column in the Journal, which is intended to give a brief view ...