2025 Best Practice Guide
Raising Standards

Learning Academy On-Demand Modules

Over 100 modules of learning form the backbone of our academy, allowing you to focus on what is most relevant and important. Join the courses as online modules for just £65pp and pace yourself, to build a development plan for the year that is bespoke to your needs. If you have interest in a specific category click on the link below any module to see more in that topic.

Root Cause Analysis

Root Cause Analysis

Root cause analysis is a core skill for analysts and forecasters but is something that few of us do well.  If we want to predict or shape the future it is vital that we understand the past. In this webinar we will explore:

- Why do we need root cause analysis
- How do we ensure we are asking the right questions
- Common Mistakes
- Use of technology to support root cause analysis

Understanding the Flexibility Toolkit

Understanding the Flexibility Toolkit

Once 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

Erlang v Linear

Erlang v Linear

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

Operating & Budget Plans

Operating & Budget Plans

Learn how important it is to define the operating model and then agree the key assumptions to form the budget.  See practical examples of budget and operating models and explore the importance of accurate forecasts and agreed assumptions.
 - Understand the key assumptions to start calculating FTE requirement.
 - Classic mistakes and pitfalls to avoid

Understanding & Managing Sample Bias

Understanding & Managing Sample Bias

 - 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

Advanced Vol & Flex Balancing Strategies

Advanced Vol & Flex 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

Intro to Advanced Vol & Flex Balancing Mathematics

Intro to Advanced Vol & Flex Balancing Mathematics

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

Forecastable Metrics

Forecastable Metrics

In many organisations forecasting is limited to volumes of contacts or work, but we can do so much more. Whether we are forecasters or analysts, applying these techniques to our other metrics can open up a wealth of opportunities for improvement.
 - Learn how using forecasting techniques can open up new opportunities in your organisation.
 - Hear how innovation awards finalists are putting this into practice.

Using RAG Models to Take Action

Using RAG Models to Take Action

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

Measures of Success: Balanced Scorecards

Measures of Success: Balanced Scorecards

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

Measures of Success for MI and Insight

Measures of Success for MI and Insight

Understand how to create the right measures to track and develop your MI and Insight efforts. 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.

How to drive engagement though shift review

How to drive engagement though 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

Measures of Success for Real Time

Measures of Success for 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

Introduction to Scheduling (with lessons from the best in class)

Introduction to Scheduling (with lessons from the best in class)

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

Introduction to Forecasting (With Lessons From The Best In Class)

Introduction to Forecasting (With Lessons From The 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 through The Forum's Standards Benchmarking programme

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