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Forecast Tool Accuracy Comparisons

The table below shows the accuracy of various forecast applications when applied to 3,003 sets of test data used in the M3 competition. Lower values represent lower forecast error (better performance). The Vanguard results are based on a 100% automatic batch forecast run (about 2 minutes run time).

Vanguard produced the most accurate forecasts in all time horizons, beating all other software and academic teams.

Average Symmetric MAPE (Mean Absolute Percent Error)
Figures in bold represent first place finishes.

   Forecasting Horizons   Average of Forecasting Horizons
SOFTWARE 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 12 15 18   1-4 1-6 1-8 1-12 1-15 1-18
Vanguard 8.1 9.1 10.5 11.8 12.4 13.0 11.8 12.7 15.4 17.3    9.88 10.82 11.04 11.40 11.84 12.40
Forecast Pro V3 8.6 9.6 11.4 12.9 13.3 14.3 12.6 13.2 16.4 18.3   10.64 11.69 11.86 12.14 12.60 13.19
Autobox-1 9.8 11.1 13.1 15.1 16.0 16.8 14.2 15.4 19.1 20.4   12.30 13.67 13.78 14.00 14.56 15.23
Autobox-2 9.5 10.4 12.2 13.8 13.8 14.9 13.2 15.2 18.2 19.9   11.48 12.44 12.63 13.10 13.70 14.41
Autobox-3 9.7 11.2 12.9 14.6 15.8 16.5 14.4 16.1 19.2 21.2   12.08 13.43 13.64 14.01 14.57 15.33
Autocast 9.1 10.0 12.1 13.5 13.8 14.7 13.1 14.3 17.7 19.6   11.20 12.21 12.40 12.80 13.34 14.01
ForecastX 8.7 9.8 11.6 13.1 13.2 13.9 12.6 13.9 17.8 18.7   10.82 11.73 11.89 12.22 12.81 13.49
SmartForecasts 9.2 10.3 12.0 13.5 14.0 15.1 13.0 14.9 18.0 19.4   11.23 12.34 12.49 12.94 13.48 14.13
ACADEMIC TEAMS                                  
ADAPTA 15.5 16.2 17.1 18.2 18.1 18.9 15.7 18.6 20.9 22.3   16.74 17.33 16.98 17.21 17.62 18.12
AMM1 9.8 10.6 11.2 12.6 13.0 13.5 14.1 14.9 18.0 20.4   11.04 11.76 12.43 13.04 13.77 14.63
AMM2 10.0 10.7 11.3 12.9 13.2 13.7 14.3 15.1 18.4 20.7   11.21 11.95 12.62 13.21 13.97 14.85
ARARMA 9.7 10.9 12.6 14.2 14.6 15.6 13.9 15.2 18.5 20.3   11.83 12.92 13.12 13.54 14.09 14.74
AutomatANN 9.0 10.4 11.8 13.8 13.8 15.5 13.4 14.6 17.3 19.6   11.23 12.38 12.58 12.96 13.48 14.11
B-J automatic 9.2 10.4 12.2 13.9 14.0 14.8 13.0 14.1 17.8 19.3   11.42 12.41 12.54 12.80 13.35 14.01
COMB S-H-D 8.9 10.0 12.0 13.5 13.7 14.2 12.4 13.6 17.3 18.3   11.10 12.04 12.13 12.40 12.91 13.52
DAMPEN 8.8 10.0 12.0 13.5 13.7 14.3 12.5 13.9 17.5 18.9   11.05 12.04 12.14 12.44 12.96 13.63
FLORES-PEARCE-1  9.2 10.5 12.6 14.5 14.8 15.3 13.8 14.4 19.1 20.8   11.68 12.79 13.03 13.31 13.92 14.70
FLORES-PEARCE-2  10.0 11.0 12.8 14.1 14.1 14.7 12.9 14.4 18.2 19.9   11.96 12.77 12.81 13.04 13.61 14.29
HOLT 9.0 10.4 12.8 14.5 15.1 15.8 13.9 14.8 18.8 20.2   11.67 12.93 13.11 13.42 13.95 14.60
NAIVE1 11.6 12.5 14.6 16.1 16.5 16.9 15.4 16.0 20.5 22.1   13.69 14.70 14.92 15.24 15.84 16.59
NAIVE2 10.5 11.3 13.6 15.1 15.1 15.9 14.5 16.0 19.3 20.7   12.62 13.57 13.76 14.24 14.81 15.47
RBF 9.9 10.5 12.4 13.4 13.2 14.2 12.8 14.1 17.3 17.8   11.56 12.28 12.42 12.77 13.25 13.75
ROBUST-TREND  10.5 11.2 13.2 14.7 15.0 15.9 15.1 17.5 22.2 24.3   12.38 13.40 13.73 14.57 15.42 16.30
SINGLE 9.5 10.6 12.7 14.1 14.3 15.0 13.3 14.5 18.3 19.4   11.73 12.71 12.84 13.13 13.67 14.32
THETA 8.4 9.6 11.3 12.5 13.2 14.0 12.0 13.2 16.2 18.2   10.44 11.49 11.62 11.95 12.42 13.01
THETAsm 9.8 11.3 12.6 13.6 14.3 15.0 12.7 14.0 16.2 18.3   11.81 12.76 12.77 13.04 13.40 13.88
WINTER 9.1 10.5 12.9 14.6 15.1 15.9 14.0 14.6 18.9 20.2   11.77 13.01 13.19 13.48 14.01 14.65

Data from Hibon M. and Makridakis S. [2000]. The M3 Competition: results, conclusions and implications. International Journal of Forecasting 16, 451-476. MAPE for Vanguard and some other software in this table was compiled after the M3 Competition.

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