Conferences

The Forum holds key conferences through out the year including our flagship Spring Customer Strategy and Planning, Our Summer Best Practice Showcase and Autumn #RaisingStandards conferences that offer a great opportunity to learn, share and network.

Are you a Director or Senior Leader? 
Join our regular forums to raise standards in customer operations together. The Forum holds events for leaders to network and hear from inspirational speakers throughout the year. 

2024 Spring Customer Strategy & Planning (Virtual)

13th - 17th May 2024

Learn WHY we need to keep “Raising Standards in Customer Operations" 
Our flagship Conference, this highly rated event is far more than just a conference. Designed specifically to focus on the hot topics within the industry and thought leadership whilst also delivering practical skills with new ways of thinking that will enhance you as a person.

2024 Best Practice Showcase (In-Person)

Thursday 27th June 2024, Principal Hotel, York

Learn WHAT our award finalists are doing to keep “Raising Standards in Customer Operations”.
This conference offers a unique chance for you to learn directly from our Awards winners. You will hear from the teams and individuals who are making a difference in their business, powerful partnerships whether that is with a technology provider or an outsource partnership. Finally, you can discover how large transformation projects have made massive changes in any business.

Speakers will be announced following the announcement of our award winners in April 2024 at Mercure Hotel, Manchester.

2024 Best Practice Showcase (Virtual)

2nd - 4th July 2024

Learn WHAT our award finalists are doing to keep “Raising Standards in Customer Operations”.
This conference offers a unique chance for you to learn directly from our Awards winners. You will hear from the teams and individuals who are making a difference in their business, powerful partnerships whether that is with a technology provider or an outsource partnership. Finally, you can discover how large transformation projects have made massive changes in any business.

Speakers will be announced following the announcement of our award winners in April 2024 at Mercure Hotel, Manchester.

2024 Autumn Conference #RaisingStandards (Virtual)

14th - 18th October 2024

Learn HOW you can apply "Best Practice"
Designed specifically for Planning, Insight and Quality & Customer Experience Professionals. Learn first-hand from practitioners and business leaders who are delivering successful change whilst having the opportunity to collaborate with others. Bring new ideas and techniques back that will raise standards within your “Customer Operation”.

2024 Autumn Conference #RaisingStandards (In-Person)

Tuesday 5th November 2024, Delta by Marriot - Nottingham Belfry Hotel

Learn HOW our community is applying “Best Practice”
This conference is designed specifically for Planning, Insight and Quality & Customer Experience Professionals. Learn first-hand from practitioners and business leaders who are delivering successful change whilst having the opportunity to collaborate with others. Bring new ideas and techniques back that will raise standards within your “Customer Operation”.

On-Demand Conferences

Catch up on the presentations from our previous conferences.
Shrinkage (1) - Introduction to Shrinkage

Shrinkage (1) - Introduction to Shrinkage

Discover what shrinkage is and the correct way to calculate basic shrinkage and tiered (or primary and secondary shrinkage). In this module, you will;

 - Understand the problems caused by incorrectly calculating shrinkage
 - Learn about when it is best to use budget shrinkage targets and when using recent historical data will be to your advantage.
 - See the value of managing shrinkage and the return on investment that it can bring to your business.

This module is part of the Shrinkage Box Set

Shrinkage (2) - The Planning Wheel (Shrinkage)

Shrinkage (2) - The Planning Wheel (Shrinkage)

In this module, you will be introduced to our Planning Wheel, a device for illustrating how 100% of the time spent in your centre is being used.

 - Learn the critical factors of shrinkage management and the pitfalls to avoid
 - Discover the importance of forecasting human behaviour and shrinkage and how you can influence shrinkage through your work
 - Complete an exercise based on your own business to help you to understand the Planning Wheel

This module is part of the Shrinkage Box Set

Shrinkage (3) - Planning & Tracking Shrinkage

Shrinkage (3) - Planning & Tracking Shrinkage

Deeper dive into shrinkage, historical tracking, forecasting and incorporating in long and short term planning. Understand the importance of tracking and managing your shrinkages so they are optimised for your staff. Learning outcomes include:

 - How to ensure that you are able to track your shrinkage data across all time horizons: annual, Monthly, Weekly, Daily
 - The benefits of shrinkage categorisation when it comes to successful tracking
 - How the inter-connectedness of Shrinkage categories makes effectively managing shrinkage challenging

This module is part of the Shrinkage Box Set

Shrinkage (4) - Tiered Shrinkage

Shrinkage (4) - Tiered Shrinkage

Introduction into shrinkage calculations, tiered shrinkage, historical tracking.  Understand the importance of calculating shrinkages so they are optimised for your operation the key differences and impact on your resource requirements

 - What is included in shrinkage?
 - The importance of calculating shrinkage correctly.
 - Which method should you use for planning, budgeting.

This module is part of the Shrinkage Box Set

Shrinkage (5) - Benchmarking Shrinkage

Shrinkage (5) - Benchmarking Shrinkage

Benchmarking is important in understanding best practice, comparing ourselves with our competitors and becoming the best, but there are many pitfalls to avoid. In this module;

 - Learn different research and benchmarking methods that are available for you to use
 - Find out about the best types of questions that you can ask to assist your benchmarking
 - Get a plan for external benchmarking amongst your peers

This module is part of the Shrinkage Box Set

Conformance & Adherence Value & Management Methods

Conformance & Adherence Value & Management Methods

Measuring and managing adherence and conformance effectively is critical, however this is often mis-understood and can drive the wrong behaviour.  This module takes a close look at both measures, how they should becalculated and classic mistakes. Learning outcomes include:
 - Understand how to calculate and report adherence and conformance
 - Define new measures which drive the right behaviour
 - Learn the pit falls to avoid and how to improve performance

Predictability of Events

Predictability of Events

A chance to practice assessing the predictability of events through a classic exercise from The Forum to help you hone your skills in forecasting ad hoc events.

Building and optimising Real-time RAG Models

Building and optimising Real-time RAG Models

Drive decisions and continuous improvement by building effective RAG status trigger for actions, which engage the operation and improve performance. This module follows the “Using RAG models to take action”.

- Learn how to set appropriate thresholds for in-day reporting
- Understand different ways of engaging the operation
- Create a learning mechanism to drive continuous improvement

Driving Strategy through Real Time

Driving Strategy through Real Time

Daily Real Time tasks work best when they are fully aligned to overarching business goals and objectives.  If they are not, the result in wasted effort and add no value.
 - Learn how to identify the strategy of your business
 - Understand the language of engagement and the benefit of strategic communication
 - See how volatile businesses use Playbooks to their advantage

The Power of One

The Power of One

Teamwork and understanding the plan are critical to achieve strategic objectives.  However, too often this is left to chance and not an embedded behaviour. So easy to get wrong, fortunately easy to improve. This module will help you to:  

 - Understand the “power-of-one” and the impact of small changes.
 - Improve your on-the-day decision making and see the result for your customers and colleagues.
 - Learn the classic mistakes and how to overcome these

Introduction To Real-time

Introduction To Real-time

This module provides an introductory understanding of:
- the fundamental inputs and outputs of Real-Time processes.
- the role of Real-Time Planning within the planning cycle 
- the characteristics of best in class Real-Time teams as evidenced through The Forum's standards benchmarking programme
 

Shrinkage (3b) - Planning & Tracking Shrinkage Exercise

Shrinkage (3b) - Planning & Tracking Shrinkage Exercise

Deeper dive into shrinkage, historical tracking, forecasting and incorporating in long and short term planning. Understand the importance of tracking and managing your shrinkages so they are optimised for your staff. Learning outcomes include:

 - How to ensure that you are able to track your shrinkage data across all time horizons: annual, Monthly, Weekly, Daily
 - The benefits of shrinkage categorisation when it comes to successful tracking
 - How the inter-connectedness of Shrinkage categories makes effectively managing shrinkage challenging

This module is part of the Shrinkage Box Set

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As a member, you are not on your own but part of a community with others facing many similar challenges. We are here to help you to make a tangible impact in your organisation and show how developing the capability of each specialist professional function is fundamental to your business.
Book for one of our events to experience our exceptional community or get in touch to talk about how we can help you and your teams to be fully effective in adding value to your business. Email advice@theforum.social, call 0333 123 5960 or contact any of The Forum Team