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

Best Practice in Planning Assisted Learning Pathway

Learn how to apply the whole planning cycle, from capacity to scheduling & real-time, with the chance to explore further your role and where it fits in.

After this course, you will;

 - See how each planning stage impacts others
 - Explore the importance of handoffs and the data journey
 - Understand the importance of shrinkage and forecasting in maintaining an effective plan

Capacity Planning, Forecasting & Budgets Assisted Learning Pathway

This course gives you knowledge to support you in your role and overcome the obstacles you face, to help you create a culture of data-driven decision making.

After this course, you will understand;

 - The key numbers in a capacity plan & how to explain them
 - How plans & forecasts flows from strategy & budgets through the entire planning cycle
 - Managing data to ensure a single version of the truth

Scheduling & Wellness: Managing Flexibility Assisted Learning Pathway

Learn about lifestyle and wellness options that help balance people with business needs and explore the volatility of your operations’ workload.

After this course, you will understand;

 - How to analyse your flexibility requirements and opportunities
 - What options are available to improve your coverage while supporting wellness & lifestyle
 - How to develop a flexibility strategy that is a corporate asset

Real-time Effectiveness & Tactical Planning Assisted Learning Pathway

Learn how to determine the optimal approach and build an operational playbook, in order to improve your Real-Time function and tactical planning framework.

After this course, you will understand;

 - The role of Real-Time and how to add most value as analysts
 - The predictability/impact of events. How to set effective triggers and actions
 - How to analyse your flexibility demands and manage shrinkage

Planning & Insight in Field & Branch Operations

Learn how to apply the whole planning cycle, from capacity to scheduling & real-time, with the chance to explore further your role and where it fits in.

After this session, you will understand;

 - The key drivers of performance and how to explain them
 - How to set up effective data, reporting & comms plans
 - Crucial elements of a good plan and their impacts, including shrinkage, models & forecasting

Planning & Insight in the Back Office Assisted Learning Pathway

Learn how to apply the whole planning cycle, from capacity to scheduling & real time, with the chance to explore further your role and where it fits in.

After this session, you will understand;

 - The key elements of capacity plans and backlog management
 - How to set up effective data, reporting & comms plans
 - Crucial elements of a good plan and their impacts, including shrinkage, models & forecasting

Free Webinar - 2020 Vision: Crystallising your knowledge Launch

2020 is The Forum’s 20th year and this year we want to look back on our first 20-years and think ahead for the next 20-years. Our vision, back in 2000, was and remains to raise standards in customer operations helping to set standards across Planning, Insight and Quality. Now, having established communities of best practice we can continue to raise standards and prepare for the future.

This year’s theme refers to the clarity and sharpness of vision required to purposely move forward towards your targets, goals and dreams. Whilst recognising the benefit of our fluid thinking over the past 20-years to crystallise our knowledge of best practice and standards.

 - “Purpose, Learning and Self-Awareness” Keynote from The Forum’s Phil Anderson
 - 2020 Best Practice Guide launch and chapter review
 - 2020 Best Practice Programme – how to get involved

1-Day Stakeholder Engagement and Communication

Learn how to create your own stakeholder map and communication plan, teaching you basic influencing skills to help you succeed. After this course, you will;

• Understand how to identify stakeholders and use a mapping tool
• Create a communication plan and engagement strategies for stakeholders
• Be able to deploy simple influencing skills at work

Measures of Success for Forecasting

The setting of an arbitrary blanket target of say +/-5% forecast accuracy highlights that an organisation does not truly understand the nature of forecasting. Explore the key responsibilities of forecasting and how to take a holistic view when setting measures of success. Learning outcomes include:

- What does good look like? Explore the key characteristics of an ideal forecast and key considerations to develop understanding and learning.
- Define your purpose. Understand how forecasting can support your business strategy and impact it can have on customers and colleagues.
- Creating the right measures. Understand different perspectives and develop a holistic framework of success measures.

Telling Stories with numbers

In this webinar we explore techniques for presenting and communicating data to support turning insight into action.  These include:

- The Pyramid Principle
- Emotional Engagement
- The Pattern of Great Presentations

Introduction to Forecasting (including Best in Class)

This module provides an introductory understanding of:

 - the fundamental inputs and outputs of the forecasting processes.
 - the role of forecasting within the planning cycle 
 - the characteristics of best in class forecasting teams as evidenced throgh The Forum's standards-benchmarking programme

Understanding the Flexibility Toolkit

One you have determined the volatility of your volumes you can start to think of ways to manage this through scheduling. The flexibility toolkit contains 18 options that you can use in your business. Learning outcomes include:

- What are the flexibility options and which can be combined? 

- Pros and cons of each method and case study examples of how they’ve been implemented.

- Understanding how different tool kit options can be used strategically and tactical

Operating models, routing strategic and skill design

How Multi-skilling routing works & load balancing between sites or teams plus more

- IVR Vs Routing

- Operating Models

- Breaking Erlang

- Purposes of multiskilling

- Balancing conflicting view points

- New potential planning logics

Managing Assumptions

Understand the need for everyone to realise the importance of managing your assumptions and how targets can drive behaviour

- Consider the importance of assumptions in your models

- Ensure understanding of the impact of variances through the day and between people

- Build your stakeholder engagement

Advanced Volatility & Flexibility balancing strategies

Develop your flexibility offering with deeper analysis of your supply and demand, driving a workforce strategy.

- Understand the scale of volatility

- Engage your stakeholders with advanced analysis

- Use this to drive decisions and develop a workforce strategy

Measures of Success for Scheduling

Scheduling is much more than creating shifts and therefore the success criteria for shift design is much more than schedule fit.  This module will explore the key responsibilities of a scheduler and how a holistic view is required to set measures of success.  Learning outcomes include:

- What does good look like?  Understand the importance of scheduling and the key responsibilities, including key characteristics of good and bad schedules.

- Define your purpose.  Understand how schedules support your business strategy and its importance to customer and employee satisfaction

- Schedule fit & other measures.  Introduction to different ways of measuring scheduling fit and how these can be incorporated into a more holistic framework of success measures.

Introduction to Scheduling

This module provides an introductory understanding of:

- The fundamental inputs and outputs of the scheduling processes.

- The role of scheduling within the planning cycle 

- The characteristics of best in class scheduling teams as evidenced through The Forum's standards-benchmarking programme

How to drive engagement through shift review

Shift reviews deliver many benefits to many areas of the business

- Performance - Improved customer experience

- Attrition, Absence - Reduced stress of busy peaks and boredom of quiet times

- Employee Engagement - Flexibility to meet lifestyles of your teams

Understand the key principles which will drive engagement across your organisation, face the fear of shift patterns and bring a united, collaborative approach to making change possible

Shrinkage: Tracking, Managing and Optimising

This was held on 9th November: Deeper dive into shrinkage, historical tracking, forecasting and incorporating in long and short term planning.

Understand the importance of tracking and manging your shrinkages so they are optimised for your staff. Learning outcomes include:

- What is included in shrinkage?

- The importance of standardised tracking

- How do you categorise to monitor and report?

- Which numbers should you use for planning?

- Why you should spend as much time forecasting Shrinkage as work volumes.

Measures of Success Real Time

Understand how to create the right measures to track and develop your real time effectiveness. Learn how to create the right process, aligned to your strategy and how to take a holistic view when setting measures of success. Learning outcomes include:

- What does good look like? Explore the key characteristics of an ideal real time function and key considerations to develop understanding and learning.

- Define your purpose. Understand how real-time planning can support your business strategy and impact it can have on customers and colleagues.

- Creating the right measures. Understand different perspectives and develop a holistic framework of success measures.