C-Desk Technology
C-Desk Technology
The Old Vicarage
Station Road
Rolleston
Newark
Nottinghamshire
UK
NG23 5SE
Tel: (+44) 01636 816466
Fax: (+44) 01636 816882
Freehone 0800 0187682

Email: alec@visualrota.co.uk

C-Desk Technology


Specialists in Optimised Shift Patterns


We design shift patterns that work
Optimisation: we have been creating shift patterns that:
increase productivity and minimise staffing costs for 15 years.
Our Training Seminars can teach you how to do it too.

More Information Pages
The essential manual on managing shiftworking
Managing The Credit Crunch
Changing shift patterns guide
Consultancy in Staff Rostering
Staff rostering projects
Training in staff rostering
Call centres
Homepage


Changing Shift Patterns
Annual Hours
Computer Modelling of Shift Patterns
Solutions to Staff Absence & Holiday Problems


CDT01-Shift Pattern design New dates: Monday 19th September 2011
CDT02-Managing shift patterns New dates: Tuesday 20th September 2011
CDT03-Implementing new shift patterns New dates: Wednesday 21st September 2011
CDT04- Workload analysis New dates: Thursday 22nd September 2011
CDT05-Operations researchNew dates: Friday 23rd September 2011

Price: £500/day/delegate, £1000/3 courses/delegate, 10% discount for 2 or more delegates.

Location:: Rolleston, Nottinghamshire, UK.

Contact details

These seminars are designed for the broadest possible cross section of organisations.
Organisations attending previous seminars include: Criminal Prosecution Service, Northampton University, UYT, Bord Gais,
Serious Organised Crime Agency, Cargill, Cosmote Greece, Coors, Glasgow CC, Kalmar, Croda Adhesives, Heinz,
London Borough of Merton, MAN, Martin-Baker, NIID, Royal Hospital Chelsea, Metropolitan Police.


Most organisations require different numbers of staff on duty at different times of the day and night,
or have different requirements for weekends than during the week.
If your organisation needs a shift pattern that gives you asymetric staffing across the day,
or week or even the whole year, then these seminars will tell you how to do it.



CDT01- How To Create: The Perfect Shift Pattern

This workshop is design to give you an understanding of the Perfect Shift Pattern and how you can create it for your own organisation. This workshop will be applicable to anyone who's organisation runs a shift patterns and would like to improve their understanding of shift pattern design. It includes:

  • Introduction to Shift Pattern Design
  • Workload Analysis
  • Converting Workload into a Shift Pattern
  • Basic Shift Patterns
  • Design Checklist

  • Learning Objectives:



    · Understand how a shift pattern is created
    · Designing for a constant workload
    · Designing for random,unpredictable and variable workloads
    · Know the key elements of shift pattern design
    · Be able to implement coping strategies for absences
    · Comprehend annualised hours
    · Be able to identify the most common problems and formulate coping policies
    · Appreciate how to include holidays as part of the shift pattern
    · Understanding of Workload Analysis
    · Be able to identify the most common and popular shift patterns
    · Eliminate all overtime or include a budgeted amount of overtime as a contracted flexible resource


    Detailed Seminar Outline:

    Introduction to Shift Pattern Design Objective: Gain an understanding of how a shift pattern is designed and their key elements..
    · How to Create your Workload Profile
    · How to Convert Workload into a Head Count
    · What Shifts to Use
    · Combining Shifts into a pattern
    Workload Analysis Objective: Understand how to calculate your workload.
    ·Determining different types of workload
    ·Variable Workloads: how to convert a random workload or a variable hourly/daily/weekly/seasonal
    workload into an operational shift pattern
    · What Workload are you Covering
    · How to Calculate Workload
    · How to Convert Workload into Man-Hours of work
    Checklist Objective: Understand all of the different factors, which need to be address in any shift pattern.
    · What is the Checklist
    · How to incorporate all the Checklist into a Shift Pattern
    · Understanding the issues associated with shift pattern design
    Holidays Included/Excluded
    Shift Patterns & Summer Holiday
    Objective: Learn how to include all the holidays, especially the summer holiday, in a shift pattern
    · Why you should include Holidays in shift patterns whenever possible
    · Advantages & disadvantages of including holidays
    · Summer Holiday Period
    · Options
    Examples of Shift Patterns Objective: Observe the main shift pattern designs from 4-day working to 24/7
    · 12-hour Shift Pattern
    · 8-hour Shift Pattern
    · Combining Different Length Shifts (8 and 12 hour shifts)
    · Variable Length Shifts



    CDT02- How To Manage Your Shift Pattern

    The aim of this seminar is to provide you with the tools and techniques that will be applicable to anyone who manages shifts and would like to improve their methods for dealing with the day-to-day problems associated with working shifts. It includes:

  • Introduction to Running a Shift Pattern
  • Holiday Management
  • Absence Management
  • Bank (Reserved) Hours Management
  • Fatigue and Shift Working
  • How to Include Training
  • Terms and Conditions of Employment

  • Learning Objectives:



    · Learn holiday management tactics
    · Be able to implement coping strategies for absences
    · Be able to identify the most common problems and formulate coping policies
    · Know how to tackle fatigue on shift work


    Detailed Seminar Outline:

    Introduction to Running a Shift Pattern Objective: Gain an understanding of how to run a shift pattern, the main problems you will come up against and how to tackle these issues.
    · Different Types of Shift Patterns
    · Calculating How Many Staff You Need to Provide Cover
    · Bank Holidays
    · Annual Shut Downs
    · Authorised Leave
    · Avoiding An Overtime Culture
    Holiday Management Objective: Discover how to incorporate everybody's holiday without effecting the operation. · Holiday Management · Summer Holidays, Christmas Time, Bank Holidays, Annual Shutdown, Weekends · Working Time Directive Rules
    Absence Management Objective: Learn how to include absence cover arrangements in your shift pattern.
    · Why do you need Cover Arrangements
    · Options
    · Cross Skills Training
    · Banked Hours
    · Short Term Abscess
    · Long Term Abscess · Authorised Leave
    Banked (Reserved) Hours Management Objective: To learn what they are and how they are used..
    · The uses of Banked ( or Reserved ) Hours
    · How to calculate Banked Hours
    · The associated costs and benefits
    Fatigue and Shift Working Objective: Learn how to avoid fatiguing staff
    · Causes and Consequences of Fatigue
    · Shift System
    · Health and Environment
    How to Include Training Objective: Learn how to include Training Into Your Shift Pattern
    · Team Training & Individual Training
    · Rotating onto Training
    · Selecting Training Days
    Terms and Conditions of Employment Objective: How to change your company's terms and conditions of employment.
    · Changes required for Holiday and Abscence Solutions
    · Definitions for Shift Work



    CDT03- How To Implement Your New Shift Pattern

    The aim of this seminar is to provide you with the correct approach to introducing your new shift pattern and will be applicable to anyone planning a new shift pattern due to changes in workload, legislation, cost reduction or new products and methods. It includes:

  • Negotiations with Staff
  • Timetables
  • Reward Structure
  • Migration Planning
  • Task List

  • Learning Objectives:



    · Know how to approach negotiations with your staff
    · Have complete answers to your staff's questions
    · Be able to calculate the cost of a shift pattern
    · Learn how to migrate your staff from one shift pattern to another without reneging on previously agreed arrangements


    Detailed Seminar Outline:

    Negotiations with Staff Objective: Understand how to approach your staff with a new way of working.
    · "Big bang" versus piecemeal introduction
    · Meetings timetable
    · Staff questions
    · Voting procedures & tactics
    Reward Structures Objective: Learn what rewards you want on the new shift pattern and how much it will cost.
    · Budgeting
    · Compensation for loss of earnings
    · Costing
    · Shift allowance
    · TOIL
    Migration Planning Objective: : Learn how to move your staff from their current shift pattern to the new one.
    · Smooth transfer arrangements
    · Fitting in booked holiday dates
    · Time constraints
    · Annual Reconciliation
    Task List Objective: Discover all you need to do on changing shift patterns.
    · How to create a "To Do List"
    · Negotiations
    · Software
    · Management support
    · Terms of employment
    · Absence cover
    · Finance
    Software Objective: Learn about software requirements for operating a shift pattern.
    · Time and Attendance
    · Excel
    · Visual Rota



    CDT04- Workload Analysis

    The aim of this seminar is to provide you with the tools and techniques you need to analyse your workload correctly. This will be applicable to anyone planning a new shift pattern, wishing to check their workload calculations, or anticipating a change in workload. It includes:

  • Hourly staffing levels
  • Shift start and finish times
  • Break times and durations
  • Number of staff to employ in each skills group
  • Seasonal variations
  • Convert workloads into shifts

  • Learning Objectives:



    · Learn how estimate your workload
    · Learn how to forecast your workload
    · How to incorporate variations in your workload
    · Learn how convert workloads into manhours per year and shifts per year


    Detailed Seminar Outline:

    Hourly Staffing Levels Objective: Convert workload into an hourly staffing table.
    · Staffing ahead and behind the workload
    Layout of software ·
    Expansion from 1 day to 1 week ·
    Expansion from 1 week to 1 year ·
    Shift Start & Finish Times Objective: How to determine the optimum start and finish times for the shifts
    · Fatigue considerations
    · Legal constraints
    · Shift overlaps
    · Commuting constraints
    · Staff considerations
    Break Times & Durations Objective: : How to determine the optimum break time and duration
    · Constraints: Legal, capacity, practical
    · Terms of Employment
    · Fatigue considerations
    · Purpose of breaks
    · Staggered breaks
    · Continuous workloads and self-determined breaks
    Number of Staff to Emply in Each Skills Group Objective: Determining the optimum number of staff with each skill
    · Workload by skill analysis
    · Cover arrangements by skill
    · Cross-skills training matrix
    · Constraints: Legal, training, practical, financial
    Seasonal Variations. Objective: Estimating a variable, expanding or contracting workload
    · Analysing workload variation hour by hour through the day
    · Inclusion of one-off workloads and special promotions
    · Incorporating: agency staff, temporary staff, reduced hours staff, students & Bank zero-hours staff.
    · Forecasting expanding or contracting workloads.
    · Call centre simulation software.
    Converting Workloads Into Shifts Objective: .How to convert a daily 'peak & trough' workload into a shift pattern
    · How to analyse the workload to create a staffing table
    · Converting the staffing table into shifts
    · Assembling the shifts into a shift pattern



    CDT05- Operational Research

    The aim of this seminar is to introduce you into the Operational Research techniques applicable to optimising your business. This seminar is to enlighten you to the possibilities of using the latest research to increase your productivity, output, profits or efficiency, whilst reducing your staffing costs. It includes:

  • Queuing Theory
  • Forecasting
  • Workload Management
  • Sequences & Schedules
  • Modelling

  • Learning Objectives:



    · Introduction to Queuing Theory
    · Fundamentals of Forecasting
    · Batch or continuous production: setting up a new operation.
    · Learn about planning operations


    Detailed Seminar Outline:

    Queuing Theory Objective: Introduction to when and how you can apply Queuing Theory.
    · Different types of queues
    · Modelling queuing systems
    · Shift patterns for queues
    Forecasting Objective: Understanding the fundamentals of forecasting
    · Forecasting: for purchasing, one-offs, trends, predicting workloads, predicting prices.
    · Trends, extrapolation, Delphi method
    · Forecasting models
    Workload Management Objective: : Learn how to manage and manipulate your workload
    · Jobbing, batch, mass production, continuous process
    · Matching the shift pattern to the process
    · Skills management
    · Fitting in non-time critical projects
    · Project planning
    Sequences & Schedules Objective: Learn how to put jobs in order to acheive your objecture
    · Flow patterns
    · Critical path analysis
    · Single machine problems
    · Useful Heuristics
    Modelling Objective: Learn how to model and test your systems
    · Run 'what-if' scenarios
    ·Test current procedures on past history versus new systems
    · Determine how system and processes work
    · Simulation models
    · Predict future events


    Call (+44) 01636 816466 to discuss the seminars.
    The seminars can be held anywhere in the UK


    The cost of each day arranged for a company at their location is £2500 +vat for up to 8 people.

    More information about Shift Working

    Health & Shiftwork

    Daily task scheduling

    Training in Staff Rostering

    specialist advice

    user guides,help & video

    records

    holiday entitlements

    pay rates

    creating new schedules

    shift pattern generator

    changing to VR

    hotel staffing

    staffing costs

    EC Worktime Directive

    FAQ

    Statistics & decisions

    Managing Change.

    annual hours

    Whatif analysis?

    staff & quality

    short staffed

    Downsizing

    email alec@visualrota.co.uk

    Theory

    Consultancy

    Large organizations Total capacity flexibility Examples
    Business plans Saving Money Mergers/Acquisitions More: info1, info2
    3 Case Studies -> New venture NMEC Acquisition/expansion Expanding services

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    Tel: +44 01 636 816466 Fax: +44 01 636 816882
    email alec@visualrota.co.uk

    Contact: Alec Jezewski CDT (C-Desk Technology) http://www.visualrota.co.uk

    The Old Vicarage, Station Road, Rolleston, Nottinghamshire, Great Britian, NG23 5SE