Introduction to Resource Planning

To deliver the best customer experience and service levels and make optimum use of your company’s resources it’s critical that you understand how many people you need, how many you have, and how best to allocate those resources. Resource planning is a critical discipline in any successful contact centre from building budgets to managing on the day performance.

This intensive two-part virtual training course will help you understand the planning cycle, the importance of each element, and provide a foundation in strategic demand and supply planning, scheduling, and managing the plan on the day.

Course Description

This course will take you step by step through the resource planning cycle, with helpful hints and exercises to put the theory into practice. From how to understand the key elements of strategic demand and supply, putting together shift patterns, to managing the day to deliver for the customer, and colleagues.

Topics covered include a resource planner’s perspective on:

The importance of strategic demand and supply planning
What is needed and how to produce weekly, daily & interval Forecasts
What to consider when producing a Schedule
The challenges of managing Real Time
The use of playbooks to manage on the day performance
The impact of Average Handle Time, correct use of Aux codes and Adherence on the accuracy of the outputs.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course, you will have gained a good understanding of the Resource Planning Cycle from beginning to end and full circle, including:

How to produce a strategic demand a supply plan
Building a simple forecast and what it is used for
The challenges of scheduling to meet forecast demand
The importance of Real Time Management and what it entails
An appreciation of how advisor behaviours and other factors influence Resource Planning Outputs

Benefits to your business

When more people in the business understand the resource planning cycle, the gap between plan and reality shrinks — and that’s where performance, cost, and customer satisfaction all improve.

Course Content

Session 1

Resource Planning Cycle explained
Strategic demand planning
How to produce a simple weekly volume forecast
The importance of Average Handling Time (AHT)
Shrinkage – What is it and why is it important
Calculating demand requirements
Strategic supply planning
Understanding recruitment requirements
Key factors to consider
Building a supply plan
Distribution profiles – what are they are why do they matter.

Session 2

Scheduling – the challenges of meeting demand and satisfying advisor work-life balance
Scheduling options
Real Time Management – the challenges of the role and the importance of planning
Playbooks – triggers and actions
The power of one – why every agent matters
Engagement and Feedback – Ownership, handovers, and learning

Book this Course

About the Trainer

Steve Woosey

Steve is an industry recognised expert in planning and operational management. Having worked for the Forum (Professional Planning Forum) for over 12 years, the last 5 as CEO, Steve has run numerous industry events, created standards frameworks for planning and insight, developed a University degree programme in Customer Contact Management and worked with many businesses to raise standards in their operation (Sky, Direct Line, RSA, Tesco Bank Insurance, Co-Op). Since starting in consultancy in September 2018, Steve has worked with numerous businesses in both the public and private sector assisting them in delivering improved resource planning and customer contact performance.

Where and when?

Date: Wed 23 Sep 2026 - Thu 24 Sep 2026

Time: 09:00 - 12:00

Location: Online

Format

2 x 3 hour online sessions using Zoom.

Who is it for?

Resource Planners, Schedulers, Workforce Management Analysts, Team Managers

Why should you go?

Empower your teams with the skills to forecast, schedule, and manage real‑time performance so your contact centre delivers smoother operations, stronger service levels, and a consistently better customer experience.

How much is it?

£340 + VAT for members

£425 + VAT for non-members.