Forecasting Many Groups of Data

[DylanDowrick]

Hey Alter Team!

I am playing around with some Time Series tools and I have some questions. Please redirect me if I am going in the wrong direction!

I am using some fantasy football numbers to test out the process.

I can get the forecasting how I expect per team, although I would like to forecast for every team! 

My thoughts:

I can either use a summarize tool to group by the team and input into a batch macro (with a text to rows tool inside) 

OR

I can uniquely tile by team and input into an iterative macro (which I have less experience with)

Any thoughts on which would be better? Or am I climbing up the wrong tree? (P.S. I do have Intelligence Suite)

[IraWatt · Accepted solution]

Hey @DylanDowrick,

Id definitely try the macro approach. I would also consider TS factory tool the https://help.alteryx.com/20221/designer/ts-model-factory-tool in theory it allows you to generate many TS models at once which is your use case. 

[IraWatt]

I've also heard people using the optimization tool for fantasy football if your aim is to just generate an optimal team?

[DylanDowrick]

Thank you, @IraWatt. I like the idea of the TS Factory! Also, I like the idea of this Optimization tool, I need to dig more into it!

[IraWatt]

Great no worries! best of luck :)

[DylanDowrick · Accepted solution]

For anyone interested I created a macro that accomplishes this need (I could probably use some help making it a bit more seamless).

The workflow 'zips' each grouping of data into a single record, then the batch macro 'unzips' as it comes in to Time Series data for forecasting.

[IraWatt]

Thanks for workflows @DylanDowrick 😄

Just to follow up on the optimization tool, I found today there is actually a fantasy football example in Designer go to:

Help -> Predictive tool samples -> Prescriptive analytics -> Optimisation Fantasy Football

[DylanDowrick · Accepted solution]

Hey thanks @IraWatt! 

I also wanted to provide a fully-fleshed macro that batches forecasts as I hoped for above! Works like the ETS/TS Forecast tools present.