Explanation
Account forecasts are long-term projections of revenue and volume for accounts based on sales agreements, opportunity products, and account manager targets. Account forecasts can be generated and displayed monthly or quarterly, depending on the business needs. The forecast frequency can be changed in the account forecast settings by an administrator. However, changing the forecast frequency has some consequences that the administrator needs to be aware of. First, a full regeneration of all the eligible account forecasts will be carried out, meaning that all the existing account forecasts will be recalculated based on the new frequency. This may take some time and consume system resources. Second, all the previously active account forecasts will expire, meaning that they will no longer be available for viewing or editing. This is to avoid confusion and inconsistency in the forecast data. Therefore, the administrator should carefully consider the impact of changing the forecast frequency and communicate the change to the account managers and other stakeholders. References: Define Account Forecast Settings, Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud Flashcards, Configure Forecast Generation and Display Settings

* To populate a custom metric so that it shows on the forecast grid, you can use either of the following
* options:
* Implement a record trigger flow on Account Product Forecast (APF): A record trigger flow is a type of Salesforce Flow that runs when a record is created, updated, or deleted. You can use a record trigger flow to update the custom metric field on the APF object based on some logic or formula. The APF object stores the forecast data for each account and product combination. The custom metric field must be added to the APF object as a custom field. For example, you can create a record trigger flow that calculates the profit margin as a custom metric by dividing the revenue by the cost for each APF record1.
* Implement a record trigger on Account Product Period Forecast (APPF): A record trigger is a type of Apex trigger that runs when a record is inserted, updated, deleted,or undeleted. You can use a record trigger to update the custom metric field on the APPF object based on some logic or formula. The APPF object stores the forecast data for each account, product, and period combination. The custom metric field must be added to the APPF object as a custom field. For example, you can create a record trigger that calculates the average revenue per unit as a custom metric by dividing the revenue by the quantity for each APPF record2.
* The other options are not valid methods to populate a custom metric for the forecast grid.
* Implementing an apex trigger on APF or APPF will not work because apex triggers cannot update the same object that triggered them. This will cause a recursive loop and throw an error3.
* Using the recalculate all forecast button on the account forecast settings page will not work because this button only recalculates the existing metrics based on the account forecast calculation settings. It does not populate any custom metrics that are not part of the calculation settings4. References: 1: Create a Record-Triggered Flow | Salesforce Help 2: Triggers | Apex Developer Guide | Salesforce Developers 3: Apex Trigger Best Practices and the Trigger Framework - Salesforce Developers Blog 4: Recalculate All Forecasts | Salesforce Help

Explanation
To collaborate with channel partners in Manufacturing Cloud, it is recommended to use external apps and Experience Cloud. External apps are applications that run outside of Salesforce but can integrate with Salesforce data and functionality. They can provide custom solutions for specific business needs and extend the capabilities of Manufacturing Cloud. For example, external apps can enable partners to access inventory levels, order status, product catalogs, and pricing information from Salesforce. Experience Cloud, formerly known as Community Cloud, is a platform that allows you to create branded digital experiences for your customers, partners, and employees. It can help you engage with your channel partners and provide them with self-service tools, collaboration features, and personalized content. For example, Experience Cloud can enable partners to view and update sales agreements, account forecasts, rebates, and targets from Salesforce. It can also help you train and onboard your partners, monitor their performance, and reward them for their achievements. References: Engage with Your Partners, Re-Imagining Partner Relationships with Manufacturing Cloud, Manufacturing Cloud