Which approach uses the previous period's actual sales figures as the current forecast without adjustments?

The approach that employs the previous period's actual sales figures as the current forecast without any adjustments is known as the rollover or naïve approach. This method is straightforward and assumes that future sales will be equivalent to the most recent sales performance. Essentially, it takes the idea that there isn’t enough evidence to predict changes, so it relies on the last known data point.

This approach can be particularly useful in stable market conditions where sales figures do not fluctuate dramatically, allowing for a quick and easy method to estimate future performance. However, it may not account for trends or seasonal variations, which could impact accuracy in more dynamic markets.

In contrast, the weighted moving average, simple moving average forecast, and exponential smoothing methods all involve calculations that incorporate adjustments based on historical data and can accommodate trends, patterns, or weighting of more recent sales data. These methods aim to provide a more nuanced view of future sales based on past performances rather than directly equating them to the latest actual figures.