The Cost of Flying Blind of Forecasting

In today’s rapidly changing and uncertain economic climate, neglecting to engage in sales trend analysis and economic forecasts means you’re flying blind: relying on outdated data, gut feelings, or anecdotal evidence.  In contrast, companies that actively use MTI’s reporting and forecasting, gain clarity, stability, and foresight. If you are not engaging in these reports, you risk missing growth opportunities, misallocating resources, misjudging demand cycles, or being caught unprepared when the market shifts.

Especially in periods of economic uncertainty…inflation, supply-chain disruption, labor shortages…having up-to-date, accurate forecasts becomes a competitive differentiator.

Here are some key reasons to engage with sales trend analysis and economic forecasting:

Avoid Guesswork — Make Data-Driven Decisions

Relying on instinct or anecdotal experience in a volatile economy is risky. MTI’s program turns a scatter of individual data points into a comprehensive, objective picture of the market. That empowers management teams to make strategic decisions based on evidence, not assumptions.  With ITR Economics 94.7% accuracy rating for projecting the future ups and downs in the economy, 4 quarters out, you and your team can make solid decisions based on highly-accurate data. 

Benchmark Your Performance — Understand Your Position in the Market

By comparing your company’s performance to regional and national peers, you can identify where you stand in terms of market share, growth, and efficiency. This helps you set realistic, fact-based goals, and spot competitive gaps or opportunities.  MTI’s sales trend reports show how your company ranks in your local region and nationally, as well as your market share. 

Plan Ahead — Align Strategy with Expected Trends

With forecasts out to three years (and quarterly updates), you and your leadership can better align investments…whether in equipment, staffing, capacity, or pricing, to market cycles rather than reacting after the fact.  

Improve Financial Health & Risk Management

Access to solid, third-party-backed trends gives you data-driven insight into profitability, cost structures, and supply-chain vulnerabilities. That knowledge supports budgeting, resource allocation, and risk mitigation, which is especially important in an industry facing inflation, interest-rate swings, and supply-chain uncertainty.  

Gain Credibility with Stakeholders — Banks, Investors, Lenders

Well-documented, industry-standard data helps when you need financing, communicate with investors or lenders, or justify capital expenditures. Several MTI Members credit their access to financing during downturns to the confidence provided by MTI’s reports.  

Foster Accountability within Your Team — Turn Data into Action

Sharing monthly rankings and trends with operations, sales, and leadership teams can create healthy internal competition, drive performance improvements, and build a culture of accountability.  

How to Make the Most of MTI’s Forecasting Program

• Submit sales data monthly, without fail. Regular data keeps benchmarking accurate and ensures forecasts are timely.  
• Integrate the reports into regular management reviews. Use the monthly trend reports and quarterly forecasts to guide strategy, budgeting, and operational planning.
• Share results with your entire leadership team and key stakeholders. Transparency builds alignment and supports data-backed decisions across departments (sales, operations, finance, HR).
• Use the data to drive continuous improvement. Compare performance against benchmarks, identify inefficiencies or weaknesses, and take action proactively rather than reactively.
• Leverage the forecasting for investment decisions. Whether it’s capital equipment, hiring, or expansion, align investments with forecasted demand and industry trends.

The MTI Sales Forecasting Program delivers monthly and quarterly insights to Member companies by collecting submitted sales data and combining it with industry-wide data to generate actionable benchmarking, trend reports, and long-range forecasts. These reports NEVER show another Member’s sales data in a report. All Member data is secure and confidential behind your password protected account. The only figures you see are industry averages.  Engaging in the monthly reporting does the following:  

• Each month participating companies submit their sales figures. The system then shows real-time comparisons of your monthly sales trends, your share of the market, and your ranking both regionally and nationally.   
• That data is aggregated across all Members and handed off to ITR Economics, which leverages decades of forecasting experience (94.7% accuracy over 60+ years) to deliver 1-, 2-, and 3-year outlooks for the heat treat industry.  
• As part of MTI’s broader business-intelligence offerings, Members also receive quarterly webcasts, sector-by-sector breakdowns (e.g. automotive, aerospace, electronics, medical, construction, heavy-duty equipment, oil & gas, and more), and related operational and economic insights.  

In short, by participating, you get institutional-level forecasting without the ~$50,000 cost you’d otherwise pay in the open market. That is what MTI invests annually to provide these highly-accurate trend and forecasting reports.

Engagement = Competitive Advantage

The MTI Sales Forecasting Program isn’t just a perk of membership — it’s a strategic tool that transforms raw sales data into actionable intelligence. In an industry as cyclical and influenced by external economic factors as heat-treating, having reliable, up-to-date forecasting and benchmarking is not optional. 

By engaging consistently…submitting data monthly, reviewing reports with your team, aligning strategy to forecasted trends, you give your company a distinct advantage. You move from reactive to strategic, from hoping your business survives cycles to proactively positioning it to thrive through ups and downs.

If you’re not yet using the program, now is the time. And if you are, make sure you’re using it to its full potential.  

CLICK HERE to complete your account set-up form.  If you have any questions contact MTI’s Director of Member Experience at kristen@heattreat.net.