2021 National Conference Speakers and Panellists

Technology Showcase: Anaplan

Originally broadcast Monday 28th September 2020, 12:30

Planning for the Workforce of the Future Join Anaplan’s online session to hear how strategic workforce planning can provide much needed agility in the face of digital disruption, financial pressures and turbulent external market factors. During this session we will showcase how to quickly and strategically realign your workforce to shifting skill and resource demands. We will showcase workforce analytics, deploying initiatives to right-size the workforce and reconcile with financial targets, as well as explore capabilities in workforce talent management. Join us to discover how to improve collaboration across thousands of users and how you can realise a 10x return on investment through organisational right-sizing.

Keynote: Digital Acceleration - Planning

Originally broadcast Monday 28th September 2020, 14:00

The Great Digital Acceleration The pandemic has fundamentally changed the way that customers engage with organisations. Digital adoption has leapt forward by a decade and the contact centre is playing catch up. During this session Sabio’s Stu Dorman, will describe how deep integration between the contact centre and digital experiences and the use of the latest generation of AI to support customers and agents can be deployed quickly and scaled to meet the needs of a more digitally savvy customer.

Technology Showcase: Calabrio

Originally broadcast Friday 2nd October 2020, 12:30

The State of the Contact Centre: Embracing the Evolving World of Work Join Ed Creasey, Director of Pre-Sales for Calabrio, as we explore how leading contact centres are turning disruption to their advantage. From the rapid increase in importance of the contact centre, to changes in demands from employees and customers, we will be envisioning the contact centre of the future. Join us to discuss tangible ways to embrace this evolving world of work.

Conference Endnote

Originally broadcast Friday 4th December 2020, 09:15

Positive habits for a successful career With so much uncertainty in the world, it is important to take control of our conduct, behaviour and attitude. Developing simple positive habits can make a huge impact on how you learn, share ideas and ultimately transform yourself and our career. This endnote presentation will take a look at the role of professionalism, how to build positive habits and an opportunity to hear from members who have transformed themselves during 2020.

Keynote: Unlocking Opportunities

Originally broadcast Monday 26th April. 2021, 09:30

Hear from Phil Anderson, Director at The Forum with the conference opening keynote. Understand how disruption can pave the way for new opportunities and how you can become key to unlocking change and development.

Standards and Business Accreditation

The Standards programme is designed as a journey of improvement leading towards accreditation for Planning, Insight and Quality teams and functions. Whether you are at the start of your journey, wanting to understand the fundamentals of best practice, or an established team wanting to become best-in-class this programme is you.

Keynote: Unlocking Opportunities

Originally broadcast Monday 1st November 2021, 09:30

How has our thinking changed during 2021? Phil Anderson and Dave Vernon, Directors at The Forum will explore the ever-changing business environment and the different approaches being taken to drive forward with improvements.

Technology Showcase: NICE

Originally broadcast Tuesday 2nd November 2021, 13:15

Graeme Gabriel and David Kay share practical top tips, tactical insight and strategic vision for digital planning. 

Conference Endnote

Originally broadcast Friday 5th November 2021, 09:30

Learn how to invest your time wisely to help you spend time on the things that matter the most. Doing something different on a daily basis.

Keynote: Your Moment of Truth

Originally broadcast Monday 4th April 2022, 09:30

Confident to Succeed Every day we practice living versus an ever-changing world and environment. Those who strive to learn and improve can adapt better. Those who are contempt with how they are or refuse to accept the changes around them will find it hard to catch-up as the change required to survive and thrive becomes bigger.

Your Moment of Truth: confident to succeed

For our 22nd year, we focus on the opportunity we have, as professionals, to drive successful improvements, whether in planning, insight, or customer experience. This Best Practice theme for 2022 represents the next stage of this coming of age for our professional disciplines.

So, we invite you to consider your moments of truth. What makes you confident to succeed?

Liquorice Consistents – Does somebody at Bassetts not like me?

At our Customer Strategy & Planning Connections conference in Newcastle on 26th April ‘22 we explored probability using Liquorice Allsorts.

Questions to consider for annual leave

As the world reboots after the firm reset of the Pandemic, we have the opportunity to revisit, redefine and reshape how we have done things. 2020 was a strange year, especially for annual leave, as lockdown restrictions changed how we used annual leave and the Government stating leave can be carried over, firmly “kicking the can” down the road, to give us a problem for another day (or year).

Community Learning Keynote

Originally broadcast Friday 18th November 2022, 12:30

Hear from a Forum Hero and organisations who have taken a team approach to learning.

Partner Article: Improve Contact Centre Operations with Robotic Process Automation

Alvaria Automate™ Attended and  Alvaria Automate™ Unattended allows centres to optimise normal and repetitive operational activities and automate error-prone tasks through robotic process automation (RPA) —improving accuracy, efficiency and consistency, while helping maintain compliance. 

Strength in numbers the value of community

We build strength when we focus on how we collaborate and who we do this with. When we bring together trusted data, analysis and insight alongside a group of people with a collective desire to improve, we can achieve greatness.

Keynote: Strength in Numbers

Originally broadcast Monday 15th May 2023, 09:30

Hear from The Forum team on this year's theme - Strength in Numbers, The Value of Community and what this personally means to them. This thought provoking session will frame the week of learning that will be available through the rest of the Virtual Conference and challenge you to own your learning.

Technology Showcase - NICE

Originally broadcast Tuesday 16th May 2023, 13:15

Forecasting and AI working together to drive Accuracy. Join Colin and Graeme from NICE as they will  be demonstrating the role of data and AI in the forecasting process, and how it drives improved accuracy.

Interactive Keynote: Does AI really have a place in Quality Assurance?

Originally broadcast Tuesday 16th May 2023, 15:15

Join Chris Rainsforth and Chris Mounce from EvaluAgent for a discussion on the ever increasing presence of AI and the place it has in Quality Assurance.

Keynote: The Value of Community

Originally broadcast Monday 9th October, 09:30

In this opening keynote, The Forum team members will discuss the importance of community. They will provide practical advice to help you expand your connections within and beyond your organisation.

Interactive Keynote: Davies

Originally broadcast Monday 9th October, 12:30

Generative AI and the Contact Centre Experience
Join Mark Odlin from Davies as he delves into the transformative power of generative AI in the modern contact centre.

Interactive Keynote: Uniphore

Originally broadcast Wednesday 11th October, 13:30

Generative AI - Your trusted co-pilot for transformative customer and employee experiences.

Interactive Keynote: AI & Machine Learning

Originally broadcast Wednesday 11th October, 14:30

In this keynote we will be hearing from David Bruce and Alfy Reid from NEA Consulting to explore recent developments in AI, how it's being applied, the risks to consider and what the future might look like.

Operational Readiness

This video is to accompany the article in the 2024 Best Practice Guide: Shaping the Future

2024 Innovation & Transformation Awards: Empowering Workforce Through Employee Flexibility at hgs

Creating flexibility and improving work-life-balance is at the heart of this case study. The Planning team have embraced technology to support the  digital first strategy by utilising key features to provide greater flexibility for its people. Empowering people, allowing them to have more control over the working schedules and breaks has also meant removing unnecessary communication and manual tasks, to free the Planning team to add more value.

2024 Planning Awards: Mark Lincoln at Aviva

Mark aligned working patterns with demand which led to improved service quality and a 9% increase in queries handled and he was able to recognise nuances between voice and chat scheduling to optimise agent efficiency. By leveraging both experiential knowledge and analytical tools Mark advocates for a blend of instinct and data-driven insights, with an emphasis on the importance of historical data for forecasting.

2024 Planning Awards: Sam Collings at OVO Energy

Sam renewed the approach to recruitment and training. With her approach, the blend of weekend and remote workers has enhanced operational efficiency and relieved pressure on agents whilst improving morale. Embracing social media, they maintained service levels and reduced contact volume, achieving a 70% satisfaction rate and a 33% decrease in queries. Sam’s data analytics have driven continuous improvement, enabling personalised service and proactive customer engagement.

2024 Data, Analytics & Insight Awards: Three Ireland Insight Team

The ROI insight team at Three Ireland have utilised Microsoft Power Apps to revamp internal processes and enhance workplace culture. This move aimed at ditching outdated communication methods for a more efficient, engaging approach to reporting. The initiative led to improved operational efficiency, higher employee engagement, and significant cost savings. Power Apps helped automate tasks, saving 900 hours annually and fostering a culture of innovation. Future plans include developing an “Everything App” and integrating AI to further advance their digital efforts.

2024 Data, Analytics & Insight Awards: The AA Forecasting Team

The AA’s forecasting team has been pivotal in optimising breakdown services through a predictive model linking weather data to breakdowns, improving resource allocation and response times. Their analysis has driven digital advancements, streamlining operations and enhancing customer interactions by filtering simpler queries online. They also evaluate economic and market trends for strategic planning. This work ensures The AA adapts efficiently to customer needs and maintains leadership in service excellence, highlighting the team’s essential role in operational and strategic decisions.

2024 Data, Analytics & Insight Awards: Ravi Kumar Samala at Firstsource

Firstsource Solutions revolutionised its risk management with a digital-first strategy, under Ravi’s leadership. This case study highlights the transition from expensive, rigid third-party tools to custom digital solutions, enhancing operational risk management and business continuity. Implementing in-house tools like the Operations Health Dashboard significantly cut costs and improved efficiency. This transformation not only saved £170,000 in licence costs over two years but also fostered a robust risk-aware culture, showcasing the impact of digital innovation on organisational resilience and efficiency.

Opening Keynote: Shaping the Future

Originally broadcast Monday 13th May, 09:30

How can we prepare ourselves for whatever happens? How can we think forward and be confident with our best next decisions?

Hear from The Forum’s team of Specialists as they each share their inspiration thoughts on how to Shape the Future.

Endnote: Shaping the future: supporting your best next actions

Originally broadcast on Friday 17th May, 12:30.

Rounding off the virtual conference and first stage of this year's best practice programme with inspiration, ideas and clear next steps. This endnote will support your learning, and give you takeaway ideas on how to turn this into an action plan. 

Opening Keynote: How to Learn

Originally broadcast Tuesday 2nd July 09:30

How you can use this week to learn from our members. 

Learning & Development with The Forum

Originally broadcast Monday 14th October 2024, 13:30

Hear from Chris and Dave, Directors at The Forum as they take you through some of the learning journeys of our members and how our cloud-based Learning Management System is enhancing the learner experience. 

90% of bad Trustpilot reviews trace back to email, paper, and phone

If you want to see a new way to solve this problem, then this session is for you.

Mat Elliott from Nivo will share lessons from working with over 100 financial services companies to digitise customer facing processes, and dive into case studies with brands like CoOp bank, Barclays, and United Trust Bank, where Verified Identity Messaging has transformed NPS from minus figures to +90 and slashed timescales from weeks to hours.

Opening Keynote - Raising Standards

Originally broadcast Monday 24th March 2025, 09:30

The Forum has spent 25 years building a vibrant, future-focused community that embraces change, disrupts complacency, and fuels innovation. As we look ahead to the next 25 years, the challenge isn’t just keeping up—it’s leading the way. Join us on this journey of continuous improvement, where we redefine what’s possible, break through limitations, and shape the future of business excellence.

Membership Panel Discussion

Originally broadcast Monday 24th March 2025, 10:30

Membership – The Value of a Professional Community
Talking with members Anglian Water Services, Aviva UKGI and PTSB and discussing how they get value from being part of a professional community and the items that gives them the most value for their teams, organisation and personally

Technology Showcase: NICE

Originally broadcast Tuesday 25th March 2025 at 13:30

WFM Augmentation 
AI and Robotic assistance are buzz words and topics amongst the industry at the moment. NICE demonstrates how technology is supporting the operation, both from an agent experience viewpoint and an administrative and operational perspective. Practical application and examples of AI in the contact centre

Technology Showcase: Verint

Originally broadcast Wednesday 26th March at 12:30

Moving from AI Experiments to AI Success in the Contact Centre and Beyond
Hear inspiring success stories from Verint customers who have transformed their operations with AI. Learn how they overcame challenges, achieved efficiencies, and delivered exceptional customer experiences. Discover practical steps to move from AI experiments to tangible successes, and gain insights for your own AI initiatives.

25 Years of Innovation & Transformation Keynote

Originally broadcast Friday 28th March at 09:30

Celebrating 25 years of the Innovation & Transformation Awards, this keynote takes a look back from a finalist and judges perspective. Discussing key industry shifts, from workforce flexibility and real-time analytics to automation and omnichannel experiences. We will also explore what the next 25 years of Raising Standards could look like.

Endnote: Raising Standards

Originally broadcast Friday 28th March 2025 at 13:30

Closing the week with practical tips on how to use learning to drive action and raise standards.