Zansa › Answers › Forecasting and data science
What should I ask a data science provider before hiring them to build forecasts?
Ask how they will measure accuracy against a simple baseline, who owns the code and models, where data and models will run, how AI tools are used with your data, what the fixed price and timeline are, and how monitoring and handover work. Clear written answers signal a mature provider.
Further useful questions:
- Will you backtest over several periods and show bias as well as error?
- How will you handle stock-outs, promotions and holidays?
- What happens if the model stops working?
- Can my own team maintain it?
- How is personal data protected under laws such as POPIA or GDPR?
Be cautious of promises of guaranteed accuracy before seeing your data, since achievable accuracy depends on how predictable the underlying demand is.
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