Patent ID: 8892559

Claim:
A system comprising: a processor; a memory, coupled to the processor, having code stored therein and executable by the processor: to receive future predictive forecast data from a first group of users; an analysis server including an OLAP cube; and an information database coupled to the analysis server to support the OLAP cube, the information database to embody the forecast data including forecast numerical values and annotations associated with particular entities of the forecast numerical values including non-numeric textual comments and to receive essentially real-time updates to the forecast data including to the forecast numerical values and to the annotations; the annotations including comments generated by a second group of users different from the first group of users and indicating whether the future predictive forecast data values appear to be incorrect to some of the second group of users and to provide commentary information in association with the forecast values for more meaningful interaction between the first group of users and the second group of users than simple changes to the initial future predictive forecast values and to provide an objective basis for generating a new forecast having modified forecast values; and wherein the memory further includes code executable by the processor: (i) to receive the annotations to the forecast data over time from at least the second group of users after the forecast data was submitted by the first group of users, (ii) to integrate the received annotations including received comments and changes of the forecast information into the database and corresponding OLAP cube in real-time with the receipt of the annotations, the integrating including modifying the future predictive forecast values in the database and the OLAP cube based on any changes of the forecast values, and (ii) coupling the received annotations to the future predictive forecast values or to later modified future predictive forecast values for further review and annotation by the first group of users and the second group of users; and (iii) to iteratively generate a revised forecast including gathering revised forecast values and integrated annotations and making the revised forecast values and integrated annotations available for review and further annotation in real-time until a final forecast cut-off point is reached.