What is exponential smoothing?
Eleanor Gray
Updated on April 03, 2026
- Select the data that contains timeline series and values.
- Go to Data > Forecast > Forecast Sheet.
- Choose a chart type (we recommend using a line or column chart).
- Pick an end date for forecasting.
- Click the Create.
.
Considering this, what is exponential smoothing in forecasting?
Exponential smoothing is a time series forecasting method for univariate data that can be extended to support data with a systematic trend or seasonal component. It is a powerful forecasting method that may be used as an alternative to the popular Box-Jenkins ARIMA family of methods.
Similarly, what is Alpha in exponential smoothing? ALPHA is the smoothing parameter that defines the weighting and should be greater than 0 and less than 1. ALPHA equal 0 sets the current smoothed point to the previous smoothed value and ALPHA equal 1 sets the current smoothed point to the current point (i.e., the smoothed series is the original series).
Beside above, what is the purpose of exponential smoothing?
Exponential smoothing is a way to smooth out data for presentations or to make forecasts. It's usually used for finance and economics. If you have a time series with a clear pattern, you could use moving averages — but if you don't have a clear pattern you can use exponential smoothing to forecast.
What is a smoothing factor?
The controlling input of the exponential smoothing calculation is known as the smoothing factor (also called the smoothing constant). It essentially represents the weighting applied to the most recent period's demand.
Related Question Answers