How Can I Use My Order History to Forecast Next Year's InstaKey Expenses?

Order history is one of the most critical data points to use for annual forecasting because it reflects actual program demand. The Order Analysis widget provides a high level overview of the last 12 months by order type, helping you see whether spending is driven by keys, cores, hardware, store conversions, or labor

Categorize Your Orders

Routine Operations: Additional or replacement keys, cores, and rekey kits
Planned Projects: New construction, store conversions, and scheduled hardware work
Reactive Activity: Emergency rekey kits, urgent replacement orders, or unplanned labor
Other Program Costs: Software subscription, Fire Keys, or any client specific requirements
Remove expenses tied to projects that will not repeat
Add known projects that were not present in the prior year
Adjust recurring categories for planned location growth or reductions
Include freight separately so shipping choices do not distort material demand
Document assumptions beside each category so the forecast is easy to explain

Look for Frequency and Seasonality

Compare order activity month by month. Repeated peaks may reflect a seasonal operating pattern, annual projects, employee turnover trend, or ordering behavior. If demand is consistently higher during a particular period, plan purchasing and internal approvals before that period begins to ensure there are no delays or added fees for expediting

Use the Right Report

The Program Expense Summary includes a high-level overview of year-to-date orders broken down by order type. This is a one off report that can be pulled any time.

The Closed Order Summary report generated via our Scheduler app provides a more comprehensive view of what types of orders are being placed, freight costs, and month on month trending to see specifically what materials are being ordered.

Schedule one or both of these reports to automatically hit your inbox on a predetermined cadence and you will receive real time, updated data throughout the planning cycle.

Forecast with Context

Remove expenses tied to projects that will not repeat
Add known projects that were not present in the prior year
Adjust recurring categories for planned location growth or reductions
Include freight separately so shipping choices do not distort material demand
Document assumptions beside each category so the forecast is easy to explain

How Can I Use My Order History to Forecast Next Year's InstaKey Expenses?

Use Order Analysis and Reports Scheduler to understand what your program buys and how often you buy it.