This document discusses demand forecasting. It defines demand forecasting as predicting future demand. The objectives of demand forecasting are to aid both short-term planning like production scheduling, and long-term planning like capacity expansion. Common techniques for demand forecasting include surveys of consumers to predict future consumption, opinion polls of industry experts, and statistical methods that analyze historical demand trends. The document also discusses factors that influence demand and the various competitive forces that impact businesses according to Porter's five forces model.