2020 Customer Strategy & Planning Speakers

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.

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.

Originally broadcast Wednesday 30th September 2020, 09:30

If the P in planning stood for People Following an extended period of accelerated change across our industry, Keir will explore some of the advantages to putting our people first in the planning process, potential barriers to success and what would need to change for this to be a reality for every customer-centric business. Keir Greenwood is VP & General Manager Customer Success at Arise.

Originally broadcast Wednesday 30th September 2020, 12:30

Hear how Skipton Building Society is on a journey to develop their planning capabilities by proactively collaborating with NICE across a number of initiatives to drive colleague and customer excellence.

Originally broadcast Thursday 1st October 2020, 12:30

Inspired People go above and beyond – so how can you inspire your employees to engage with your planning team to drive impressive ROI? Your employees need to work in a positive environment so they can continue to grow, remained inspired and be more productive. So how can WFM help with this?

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.

Originally broadcast Tuesday 1st December 2020, 12:30

Agile & Reactive Modelling: the key to Modern Planning We must take into account not only future trends but unforeseen events and market conditions. The ability to make good business decisions is completely reliant on a plan that is adaptable and flexible enough to react with resilience and speed. In this session you will see how many scenarios can be created and compared to enable a decision to be made with good principles and alignment to strategy.

Originally broadcast Wednesday 2nd December 2020, 12:30

Enabling Flexible Working Practices As organisations embrace flexible working strategies for their contact centre and back office workforce what working practices are going to change and how can technology enable these? Join Aspect Software to understand more.

Originally broadcast Thursday 3rd December 2020, 14:00

When People Do Your Planning Using a ‘live’ demonstration of their award-winning Starmatic scheduling tool, Arise will demonstrate how you could let your People do your Planning, exploring performance gamification, agent preference scheduling, intraday variation and meeting unplanned demand.

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.

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.

Originally broadcast Monday 26th April. 2021, 12:30

“My supply always meets my demand”. In reality this almost never happens – but how do you bridge the gap between the two? Demand is constant but it is not consistent, nor does it affect every department equally. So how do you optimise your talent pool not only to drive customer satisfaction but maximise your operational efficiency? Come and see how two conflicting constraints on the business can work in harmony by using a Connected Planning platform.  

Originally broadcast Monday 26th April. 2021, 13:15

Fear of missing out? New technological advancements in self scheduling and micro shifting. Planners and Schedulers are under increased pressure to provide hyper flexibility in the scheduling methodology and the general opinion is that micro shifting is too confusing and complex to manage. Life may have changed for all of us; for some, this means the ideal schedule is a couple hours early, a few hours midday and maybe a couple of hours later in the day. 

Originally broadcast Tuesday 27th April. 2021, 10:30

The Evolving World of Workforce Engagement Management (WEM) in the Cloud: Five Tactics that Help Keep Agents Engaged in a Modern Contact Centre It’s no secret the contact centre is forever changed. Moving to a cloud contact centre can prove valuable with virtually limitless resources; fast, cost-effective scalability to accommodate seasonal changes and sustained growth; and access to new or more robust technology. 

Originally broadcast Tuesday 27th April. 2021, 12:30

How to support your agents better in remote operations by optimising the delivery of coaching and training Want to find out how to support your agents better in remote operations by optimising the delivery of coaching and training? Hear how real time planning & operations teams at British Gas delivered this with the help of Intradiem’s award winning Intelligent Automation Technology solution. Join a panel of business leaders facilitated by Matt Rumins (Head of Customer Success) to discuss the engagement & effectiveness improvements and tangible results that leading organisations are experiencing with Intelligent Automation.

Originally broadcast Wednesday 28th April 2021, 10:30

The Engagement Capacity Gap… and How to Close It: The new research propelling resourcing strategies Discover the latest study on the fast emerging, and critically important Engagement Capacity Gap – the difference between resources available to meet customer demand and the exploding volume of customer interactions and communication channels.

Originally broadcast Wednesday 28th April 2021, 13:15

Empowering Your Workforce with Flexibility As contact centres have changed forever understand how technology can deliver the flexibility your workforce craves whilst delivering the service your customers expect. Now is the time to re-examine your WFM technology. Is your workforce management solution: Fit for the new normal? And most importantly, can it do all this in a public cloud environment from 250 to 25,000 advisors?

Originally broadcast Wednesday 28th April 2021, 14:15

The past 12 months have been rocked by disruption; and with lockdown lifting, what are the important factors and considerations you should take into account when planning for your teams to return to the office? Join Chris Haggis, Chief Operating Officer at Sabio as he shares Sabio’s plans and provides his insights into the challenges, research, attitudes, safety protocols, systems/processes and long-term plans you should be thinking about.

Originally broadcast Thursday 29th April 2021, 12:30

What Communications & Collaboration systems and processes are needed in Hybrid Working Environments that put all citizens on a level operating field Having problems with absenteeism and engagement? Declining performance and productivity? People isolation and motivation? Is the new world of working making these problems worse?In this session, Steve Mosser will examine today’s burning work-from-home (WFH) and hybrid (home/office) challenges.

Originally broadcast Thursday 29th April 2021, 13:15

Balancing contact centre staffing with demand is tough Discover how Nationwide tackled this challenge along with many others by introducing Intraday automation into their business. Lateness reduction of 75%. 5% improvement in adherence. 1.3% Shrinkage reduction. 15% reduction in manual tasks, allowing the team to be value add Analysts instead

Originally broadcast Thursday 29th April 2021, 14:15

Hear from Jen Lee (Chief Strategy Officer) & Paul Milloy (Forefront Executive Council Chair) at Intradiem on how leading organisations are investing in real time capabilities to optimise customer channels, increasing support for agents and creating improved experiences with less effort by leveraging data and Intelligent Automation to deliver increased optimisation.

Originally broadcast Thursday 29th April 2021, 15:15

Tactical Planning: performance expectations in the ‘new normal’ As we move into new ways of working, we will need to look at new ways of managing our people on the day. How are we going to monitor adherence? How are we going to update our playbook to take hybrid or homeworking into account? What factors do we need to take into account

The moment of truth; critical time for your workforce strategy and hybrid operating model. Strategy is about to become the reality as organisations look to introduce strategic Hybrid operating model at scale post the summer holidays which will have important consequences for the future.

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.

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.

Originally broadcast Monday 1st November 2021, 10:30

Paddy Coleman, hear from the founder of QStory, his journey into planning and driving innovation with Real-Time automation

Originally broadcast Monday 1st November 2021, 12:30

David Preece talks about why Agility is the only defence your Contact Centre has against volatility and why Intraday Automation is the key to achieving it.

Originally broadcast Monday 1st November 2021, 13:15

 Join Sabio as we explore the #1 megatrend in the customer experience industry that nobody is talking about. 

Originally broadcast Tuesday 2nd November 2021, 12:30

Ed Creasey discusses how the potential to work more flexible shift patterns and in remote locations has thrown resource planning into a new era. 

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. 

Originally broadcast Tuesday 2nd November 2021, 14:15

Mark Brown of Virgin Media and Paul Milloy of Intradiem discuss how investing in people and technology is the key to the future of Customer Service. 

Originally broadcast Wednesday 3rd November 2021, 12:30

A panel discussion on the tools and processes required to deliver flexible work-from-home options for employees, as well as high productivity, cost savings and great CX

Originally broadcast Wednesday 3rd November 2021, 14:15

The evolution of workforce management with intelligent automation, hear how this has made a real difference at AXA. 

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.

2021 was our year for Unlocking Opportunities. Doing more of what we do well is a great opportunity that we don’t always fully exploit. One of the most valuable things we can do is put time aside to reflect on what has gone well. When things go wrong we are quick to review, so that we can learn from our mistakes. We are not so good at learning from our successes. If we can repeat and build on our successes then that has to be a good thing. As we come to the end of 2021 it is time to look back on what we have done well, so that in 2022 we can do it again only better.

Our actions, or inaction, will define us. We are the key to our own success. During 2021 we focused on unlocking opportunities and the part each of us can play in helping to shape the future. For 2022 we want to focus you on your Moment of Truth and being confident to succeed.

Attrition, Attraction and Absence will be on going challenges during 2022. With a continued uncertainty around COVID and an indecision on what hybrid working really means, a number of problems will be experienced due the “3-A’s”.

• Understand how to control your attrition and benchmark against the industry.
• Develop an attraction strategy, helping to develop careers.
• Learn how to manage absence to reduce the impact of Pandemic related sickness.

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.

Originally broadcast Tuesday 5th April 2022, 12:30

Agents are now used to flexibility in every aspect of their lives, they can choose when to do their banking, catch up on box sets and even play games. We need to reflect this flexibility and customization in the work place.

Originally broadcast Thursday 7th April 2022, 12:30

Webhelp & Centrical – WEM’s Moment of Truth?  Transformation leaders from Webhelp will share how they’re redefining their CX operating model, leveraging real-time performance management, advanced gamification, and microlearning to engage employees and push the limits of performance with Centrical. 

Originally broadcast Tuesday 12th April 2022, 12:30

Workforce Wellbeing Recovery Toolkit: Practical strategies & resources to turn workforce wellbeing into your competitive advantage with Calabrio.

Originally broadcast Wednesday 13th April 2022, 12:30

In a live session of Dear Dave, David Preece from QStory will answer real-life questions and show how IDA and QStory’s latest features make Real-Time teams’ lives easier

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?

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

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).

Originally broadcast Monday 14th November 2022, 10:30

Hear from Gold Sponsors QStory as they showcase examples of how NatWest and Anglian Water are using Intraday Automation to transform the experience for agents, team leaders and planners. 

Originally broadcast Tuesday 15th November 2022, 12:30

The Psychology of Adaptive Choice Join Graeme and David from NICE, as they revisit The Psychology of adaptive choice, the challenge of offering our agents choice and empowerment over their schedule.

Originally broadcast Tuesday 15th November 2022, 12:30

The Struggle is Real: Insider Tips to Empower Your Remote Agent. Join this insightful and lively fireside between renowned experts Chris Rainsforth of the Forum and Huw Jones, Workforce Management Guru at Verint.

Originally broadcast Friday 18th November 2022, 12:30

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

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. 

Staff turnover is higher in the contact center than in almost any other industry. A common assumption is that call center attrition is simply a fact of life - it can't be controlled or 'fixed'. I'd like to challenge that assumption. One of the responsibilities of call center managers and team leaders is to constantly assess the reasons why people leave the center. Perhaps more importantly, it’s also critical to talk to happy staff and find out what keeps them there and constantly strive to reduce unwanted turnover.

UK businesses are firmly committed to a flexible working future but the majority are still in the planning stage of their hybrid working projects according to a new industry survey of contact centre industry professionals.

What is your contact center service level goal? Odds are, some or all of the groups are at either 80/20, 70/30 or some combination of those. They are extremely common. Do you use average speed of answer (ASA)? If so, is it 20 seconds or 30 seconds? Those are by far the most utilized ASAs. But what do these actually mean and how do you know if you have the right measure?

These familiar metrics are critical to managing every contact center. And it’s vital to take them into account properly within the workforce management process. The problem is, they all sound very similar and are sometimes confused with one another. Let’s examine them one by one.

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.

Powerful member stories reveal a sea-change in empowering operational teams and developing the role of real-time in our new hybrid world. Alison Conaghan and Dave Vernon explore the operational end of the planning cycle.

As planners do we see time away from the operation mainly as a cost to control? Instead, how could we analyse where each different area of shrinkage time is adding value? We need to look from the colleague as well as the customer and commercial point of view.

Dave Vernon explores how we can look at shrinkage as a value not a loss, and change how we think about shrinkage targets.

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.

Originally broadcast Monday 15th May 2023, 12:30

WEM and wellbeing, understanding AX during operational change. Join Sabio's expert team to discover the power of their new and cutting-edge wellbeing technology, integrated into the agent desktop and WEM capabilities. This innovative approach provide a systematic view of the impact of the workplace on the employee, as well as practical guidance to promote success.

Originally broadcast Monday 15th May 2023, 13:15

Powering Game Changing Contact Centres. QStory will be showing you how to use next level automation to supercharge agent engagement and unlock maximum performance.  

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.

Originally broadcast Wednesday 17th May 2023, 12:30

One Workforce. The Future of Customer Contact? Join this fascinating session with Verint as we explore how to engage customers in the right way at the right time by removing role and people silos to increase capacity, flexibility, and agility. 45mins

We see how operational playbooks prepare us, so we’re poised to take the best actions, not looking back and wondering what has happened.

An operating model is like a set of playbooks. You layer down into the detail with a hierarchy of playbooks. You can evolve them step-by-step as your operating strategy requires.
 

Calabrio customers swept The 2023 Forum Awards with 8 shortlisted and 4 wins, including the Department for Education and Hoover Candy who both picked up prestigious Planning awards. Join self-confessed WFO enthusiast and expert, Scott Budding, for a lively discussion on best practice from our award-winning customers, and live demonstration of the top capabilities of Calabrio's solution as voted by our users! 

See what contact centre agents are looking for in employers. Filling vacancies used to be easy. Full time? No problem. Temporary staff? Easy. All within 10 miles of the contact centre? Sure. But fast forward to today, and this is no longer the case.

We need new workforce strategies to drive a change in culture, deliver more flexible ways of working and offer more opportunity for people to learn and progress. Phil Anderson describes how to approach the 8 Key Considerations and use Playbooks to design a new joined-up approach that attracts, motivates and releases the potential of our people.

Uncover opportunities to raise customers’ experience of your brand and focus on what matters most. Ed Creasey charts the major new insights from Calabrio’s latest research.

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.

Originally broadcast Wednesday 11th October, 12:30

Graeme and Colin will talk about the differences in requirements for delayed response contacts and how NICE WFM is supporting them.

In such a complex technology marketplace, how do we make the right strategic choices? Nigel Medforth uncovers how to set yourself up for success with a customer and user-led IT project, and not the other way around.

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

Bank of Ireland has embarked on a transformative journey aimed at enhancing efficiency, transparency, and employee engagement across its branch network. Through the implementation of new systems and working practices, the bank is not only streamlining operations but also fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement.

Learn how eBay are nurturing personal and professional growth within the team, underlining the organisation’s commitment to continuous improvement and talent development. By prioritising personal and professional growth, eBay is poised to unlock the full potential of its workforce, driving sustained success and organisational resilience in the ever-evolving business landscape.

Innovation isn’t just about groundbreaking ideas; it’s about promoting a culture where every voice is heard, and every challenge is met with collaborative solutions. Firstflex illustrates how it allows team members to engage in various projects based on their interests. Learn how Firstsource developed their own technology in pursuit of sustainability, underscoring the team’s commitment to fostering innovation from within.

This platform, a brainchild of collaborative efforts between the development team and operational stakeholders, has revolutionised the way business is conducted, ushering in a new era of efficiency, connectivity, and streamlined operations. The adoption of Firstlink has heralded a new dawn for the organisation, propelling it towards greater efficiency, connectivity, and operational excellence.

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.

A cultural transformation built on visibility and transparency of data and how this is used to drive better decisions. Trust has been built in understanding and using the data to change the decision-making dynamic. Confidence with data has improved the understanding of customer and colleague behaviour. This case study demonstrates the transformative power of data-driven decision-making and strategic evolution in driving operational excellence.

The integration of the WFM team into operations was hailed as a game changer with tangible value, from strategic support to operational efficiency gains. The transformative power of consistent messaging, stakeholder support, and a clear plan for the future emerged as catalysts for success. By leveraging ‘playbook’ meetings to align resources with forecasted service levels, the team maintained stellar performance amidst challenges.

In a bid to bolster operational efficiency and foster employee engagement, Leeds Bradford Airport undertook a transformative journey built on core planning principles and operational effectiveness. Through candid discussions and strategic foresight, the team navigated challenges and harnessed opportunities, heralding a new era of organisational resilience and employee empowerment.

Implementing a shift review program in a large organisation comes with its own set of challenges, from negotiating with unions to designing fair shift patterns. Flexibility, effective communication, and a focus on employee satisfaction are key elements in navigating these challenges successfully. By learning from experiences and adapting strategies, Lloyds have demonstrated how to create a shift systems that meets both operational and employee needs effectively.

The implementation of the workforce management tool exemplifies Motorway’s commitment to innovation and employee empowerment. Through effective communication, strategic planning, and a flexible approach to change, the team successfully navigated through challenges, ultimately enhancing operational efficiency and fostering a work environment conducive to growth and success.

Novuna exemplified the importance of effective team integration and operational efficiency in driving organisational success. Through collaborative efforts, transparent communication, and a commitment to continuous improvement, organisations can navigate challenges and seize opportunities in today’s ever-evolving business landscape.

OVO Energy epitomised the intricate balance between innovation and transformation, underscored by the team’s dedication to strategic planning, technological advancement, and people-centric growth. The journey towards staying competitive requires strategic planning, agile processes, and a people-centric approach. This case study provides the essence of this journey, highlighting the challenges, strategies, and future vision of a dynamic team.

The TSB Planning team have demonstrated the importance of collaboration, skill development, and innovative tools in driving operational excellence within organisations. By creating a culture of open communication, embracing upskilling initiatives, and leveraging data-driven insights, teams can enhance performance, drive innovation, and achieve sustainable growth. This transformation has seen the adoption of Power BI and the transition from using excel spreadsheets to the implementation of a real-time alert system.

This planning team, led by Steven Miller, defined clear goals, maximised technology, and fostered collaboration, achieving remarkable improvements. Their success extended to reducing attrition, improving offline availability, and gaining influence in IT planning. While transitioning systems, their collaborative efforts showcased their expertise, offering a blueprint for effective resource planning. The planning team consists of only three people, including Steven, which is testament to what they’ve been able to achieve and build upon in a relatively short space of time.

eBay’s Real-Time team has revolutionised risk management with its proactive approach and collaborative ethos. Quantifiable results show significant time savings and workload reductions, thanks to retiring outdated processes and implementing informative playbooks. Challenges that once hindered efficient risk management have been eliminated, promoting transparency and trust across the organisation. The team’s resilience in a rapidly evolving landscape has helped drive these improvements.

This team revolutionised operations by adopting data-driven planning, refining stakeholder engagement, and streamlining processes, planning for security operations. Customer satisfaction saw huge improvements following queue times plummeting from 24 to 6.5 minutes and improved communication internally optimised resource planning and reduced errors. They removed inefficiencies, boosted employee satisfaction, and were able to attract high-quality recruits as a result. Through a culture of innovation and collaboration, they set a new standard for excellence in the aviation industry.

NFU Mutual’s planning team evolved rapidly from a modest operation to a central strategic pillar within their organisation, overcoming scepticism, significantly increasing the team’s size and scope, and demonstrating the tangible benefits of strategic planning. Key to their success was establishing a strong, data-driven decision-making process, stakeholder engagement, and the ability to demonstrate the practical value of planning initiatives, leading to a broader acceptance and integration of the planning team’s efforts across the organisation

Wheatley Housing Planning Team is committed to enhancing operational efficiency and customer satisfaction through collaboration, automation, and strategic planning. Initiatives included streamlined communication, automating payroll processes, and implementing new telephony and WFM solutions. Challenges such as manual transitions and peak season volumes have been addressed with a focus on long-term strategies and cost efficiency. Process improvements have reduced processing times, while integration supports cohesive operations.

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.

Katherine’s shift pattern comparison tool has revolutionised shift planning, empowering team leaders and reducing reliance on planning input. Pre-launch, bespoke pattern requests surged at 10% monthly, dropping to a 3% overall reduction. Enhanced collaboration with operations ensured the tool was used to its full potential. The “Try Before you Apply” initiative streamlined recruitment into the planning team, allowing team members to understand what planning do and improving candidate selection.

Kristie-Leigh spearheaded a transformative journey in workforce management, with an  emphasis on communication, collaboration, and employee well-being. Through initiatives like Flexi-breaks, My Day and Uni-flex, she has helped shape a culture of accountability and inclusivity, reducing shrinkage and increasing coverage. Kristie-Leigh’s dedication to personal development and support for colleagues inspires others to embrace change, drive innovation, and prioritise the welfare of their teams.

Through streamlined processes and a commitment to continuous improvement, Iain achieved significant savings and operational efficiencies. By fostering a culture of learning and embracing challenges, Iain empowered his team to excel and innovate. He exemplifies the potential for personal growth within the organisation, with a focus on operational excellence and customer satisfaction.

Zach’s journey at eBay showcases the transformative impact of curiosity, collaboration, and innovation. From simplifying processes to implementing ground-breaking features, Zach’s proactive approach has not only solved long-standing challenges but also inspired others to embrace learning and teamwork, setting a blueprint for success in today’s dynamic customer operations landscape.

Mohamed led the implementation of the Genesys system at emovis. Through comprehensive testing with a test team and frontline feedback integration, he was able to ensure the necessary adjustments for operational efficiency. Colleague commendations highlighted Mohamed’s strong planning skills and proactive attitude, with his innovative suggestions proving successful. His contributions exemplify a commitment to excellence and continuous improvement.

Kat led initiatives to enhance planning for admin and outbound calling, improving efficiency and customer service. By scheduling dedicated admin time and implementing an outbound booking tool, agents experienced reduced pressure and increased productivity. Collaboration with the operations team streamlined referrals, while understanding underwriters’ workload improved processes and built stronger relationships.

Michael champions accessible data presentation, pre-emptive issue identification, and real-time response strategies. His approachability and dedication to learning earn praise from stakeholders, while his collaborative spirit fosters a culture of innovation. Projects include self-scheduling implementation and a shift towards future-focused data analysis. Michael’s efforts not only streamline operations but also cultivate a data-centric culture.

Stephen implemented innovative forecasting methods, driving efficiency and cost reduction through leveraging data-driven insights. Collaborative solutions, guided by his effective communication style, helped tackle challenges such as integrating new features like chat. Stephen exemplifies the transformative power of experience and strategic thinking, setting a standard for excellence in modern workforce management.

Cameron’s partnership-driven approach to workforce planning at Motorway showcases transformative outcomes. By prioritising collaboration, his team achieved a 13% FTE saving, equating to £1.3 million in savings. Challenges like manual administrative tasks were reduced by 23%. Cameron’s leadership style has an emphasis on delegation, integration, and continuous improvement, driving efficiency and skill development within the workforce.