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

Accuracy is important in any insight or forecast we produce but 100% accuracy is often not possible. In this module we will explore some statistical techniques to understand the accuracy and limitations of our insight and forecasts and how to communicate this with your stakeholders. In this module we will cover:
 - Standard Deviation  
 - Margin of error  
 - The language of confidence

The basis of a best practice scheduling strategy is a clear understanding of the volatility of workload and the amount of flexibility to need and can afford.  This module introduces you to theoretical models and calculations to understand your flexibility need.  Learning outcomes include:
 - What does volatility & flexibility mean and the importance of defining these for your business.
 - How to calculate the volatility of demand and amount of flexibility available
 - Understanding different flexibility needs based on different starting positions, e.g. annually and daily, compared to average, compared to budget

To innovate and be the best that we can we need to identify and exploit the best opportunities not just to improve but also to learn.

In this module we explore,
 - How to find the right opportunities
 - Creating time to learn and improve
 - Striking the right balance between proactive & reactive insight
 

Our best practice framework for data, analytics & insight, has the Scientific method at its heart and draws inspiration from methods that drove success with the planning framework last year. In this module we;   
 - Explore the scientific method
 - Introduce our new insight cycle
 - Share an exercise to identify the gaps and opportunity in your data, analytics and insight processes.

There are two different ways to approach budget planning – but some organisations find themselves involved in a hybrid third approach. There is no right or wrong way but it is vital to understand the process and to understand if it is appropriate.
 - Learn the benefits and drawbacks of each approach
 - Look at how your overall business strategy should determine your budget process
 - Understand if your business is led by demand or by supply

Following on from Descriptive Statistics Part 1. In this module we look at applying these techniques to real life scenarios, you will receive exercises to complete before we talk you through the solutions.

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.

Not all ad hoc requests are time-stealers!  Some of them add value and insight and quickly become BAU work.  This session looks at the art behind identifying what is urgent and valuable and what isn’t.
 - Understand the inevitability of Ad Hoc requests
 - Learn how to prioritise requests and eliminate waste
 - See how asking the right questions enables you to quickly understand the driver behind the request

Understanding Growth / Fixed mindset:

- What happens in our heads when we hear or say "no"
- Learn to handle objections

Develop your understanding of stakeholders using ‘People Patterns’. Often, those we find difficult to engage with are simply different to ourselves
 - The Psychology of People Patterns
 - Identify the differences between you and your audience
 - Practice Exercise to complete

Clear documentation and structure can help us remove single points of failure, avoid arguments, ensure a single version of the truth and avoid duplicated work. In this module;
 - See how to create a data dictionary to ensure a single version of the truth
 - Learn techniques to ensure metrics are used to drive the right behaviours
 - Facilitate exception based reporting with agreed triggers

This module has been designed to introduce you to best practice ways of capture feedback and experiences from recent events to take into account for future projects. Key learning objectives:
 - Creating timelines and tagging data effectively
 - Capture quantitative and qualitative data
 - Learn different ways to review work and identify improvements

Before setting targets and goals it is important that these are aligned to strategies that support your organisational goals. In this module;
 - Understand your organisational goals
 - See how to balance your strategies
 - Learn how to align the right metrics and targets to your strategies

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

How is your new virtual contact centre performing? Following on from the panel discussion last month, this is an opportunity to reflect on what you’ve achieved, learn from what other organisations have done and start to consider your long-term operating model.
 - Hear from industry professionals around their approach to Planning for COVID-19
 - What would you have done differently?
 - Start to consider your exit strategy and prepare for the future “business as usual” 

The need for agility and flexibility is always great: at times like these, they are of paramount importance.  This session will show you how a focus on automation can help to release bandwidth for insight and analysis to benefit your organisation. 

 - Understand the flexibility toolkit and how it can be applied
 - Automate key functions and speed up Real Time response times
 - Close the loop to enable Learning & Understanding

This is the fourth in a four-part series in the Planning COVID-19 learning academy series.
 

Discover different ways to add and increase your flexibility to meet the changing demands for your business. Learn how to prepare your colleagues and how to support them into temporary changes to their working patterns. Learn how to increase and decrease hours, depending on your need.

 - Learn how other organisations have applied the flexibility toolkit
 - Pitfalls to avoid and classic mistakes that can come back to haunt you
 - Distinguish being tactical trials and pilot schemes and long-term strategy 

This is the second in a four-part series in the Planning COVID-19 learning academy series.
 

Explore how to create more certainty from unknown unknown’s and develop a strategic view to planning for COVID-19 (Coronavirus). When there is so much uncertainty and rapidly changing customer behaviours how can we stay ahead of the game and put the right solutions in place? This learning academy module will look at the value of forecasting and alignment to strategic direction.

 - Understand your starting point and effectiveness of your workforce strategy/operating model
 - Collaborate to provide a trusted business forecast
 - Track and measure success and identify improvements

This is the first in a four-part series in the Planning COVID-19 learning academy series.
 

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

Understand the positives and limitations of using Erlang C to calculate your headcount. Learning outcomes include:
 - How many people do we need?
 - What is Erlang trying to do?
 - Limitations of Erlang C
 - Using Erlang in practice

 - How to Identify Sample Bias & ensure you reduce the likelihood of bias
 - The impact on your data and insight validity from Sample Bias and the potential impact to your business
 - Common Sample Bias issues to look out for

Understand the positives and limitations of using Erlang C to calculate your headcount. Learning outcomes include:
 - How many people do we need?
 - What is Erlang trying to do?
 - Limitations of Erlang C
 - Using Erlang in practice

Learn the role planning plays in implementing your strategic objectives.  Understand the importance of your role and how you can help others.
 - Understand how the strategic objective is implemented into a forecasting, scheduling and real-time plan.
 - Learn about the importance of effective data checkpoints, change governance and hand-overs
 - Play a part in driving continuous improvement and become the nerve-centre of the business

Understand the benefits of taking a more in-depth view into the volatility of your supply and demand, and flexibility requirements.
 - Understand the value of further analysis.
 - Learn analysis techniques to measure variance
 - Translate this into a practical output for flexibility

Explore effective ways of presenting data in a meaningful, interesting and engaging way. Improve the way you inform and persuade your key stakeholders.  
 - Understand why your existing reports don’t excite or engage your stakeholders
 - Learn the basics of data visualisation and how to communicate information
 - Apply “2 key questions” and start the use the tools and resource you need

Explore effective ways of presenting data in a meaningful, interesting and engaging way. Help to make your Capacity Plans easier to understand and improve the way you inform and persuade your key stakeholders. 
 - Understand why your existing reports don’t excite or engage your stakeholders
 - Learn the basics of data visualisation and how to communicate information
 - Apply “2 key questions” and start the use the tools and resource you need

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 

Understanding how to create effective thresholds to really drive improvement through easy to understanding Red, Amber and Green status.  This module will explore classic mistakes and top tips to improve how you communicate numbers:
 - The purpose of Red, Amber and Green status
 - Mistakes to avoid
 - Top tips, new techniques and tried and tested examples

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:
 - 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

Explore effective ways of presenting data in a meaningful, interesting and engaging way.  Improve the way you inform and persuade your key stakeholders.  
 - Understand why your existing reports don’t excite or engage your stakeholders
 - Learn the basics of data visualisation and how to communicate information
 - Apply “2 key questions” and start the use the tools and resource you need 

This course is part of the “strategic analyst” series of webinars, designed to help everyone in analytical roles become a more active contributor to their organisation’s strategic narrative.
In this webinar we will explore:
 - What is strategy
 - Benefits of working at the strategic level
 - Making sense of your organisational strategy
 - Building capacity plans with you strategy in mind
 - Influencing strategy through capacity planning

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

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

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 through The Forum's Standards Benchmarking programme

This course is part of the “strategic analyst” series of webinars, designed to help everyone in analytical roles become a more active contributor to their organisation’s strategic narrative.
In this webinar we will explore:
 -  What is strategy 
 -  Benefits of working at the strategic level 
 -  Making sense of your organisational strategy
 -  Forecasting with you strategy in mind
 -  Influencing strategy through forecasting

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

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.