Introducing the forecasters' toolkit

High quality financial forecasts are increasingly important in an unpredictable world, especially for businesses seeking to break out of traditional planning systems based on the annual budget.

• financial directors, managers, accountants and others who produce, consolidate or receive forecasts
• anyone involved in redesigning forecasting processes, particularly those seeking to replace a traditional budget based 'command and control' management with a more agile externally focused model.

• a proven approach to improving your forecasting
• simple but effective forecasting tools which you can use immediately on your return to work.

The forecasters' toolkit is an integrated approach to forecast improvement, made up of a structured methodology supported by a set of Excel based diagnostic tools which help professionals apply statistical concepts in a simple way.

Bijan Tabatabai, BSc (Maths), PhD (Maths), Director of BBS Ltd.  Bijan has been a business consultant since 2002, developing tools to solve common chronic management problems and training practitioners to implement them. One such tool, the forecasters' toolkit, was developed by Bijan in collaboration with Unilever Plc and has successfully enabled Unilever to implement and maintain a more reliable, effective and transparent forecasting process.

Before consulting, Bijan was a university lecturer for over 16 years. He developed and delivered mathematically based courses on undergraduate and postgraduate programmes and directed and supervised PhD research projects. Bijan was extensively involved in developing and delivering adult education and distance learning programmes. 

9.00 Registration and coffee

9.30 Start of seminar

• characteristics of business forecasting
• key forecasting terms and concepts
• how forecasting practices can support a more dynamic approach to performance management
• the principles of managing a forecasting process
• forecast error, what it is and how we can use it
• bias and other key measures of forecasting quality
• introduction to the forecasters’ toolkit
• a practical approach to measuring forecast quality
• how to use simple, Excel based, diagnostic tools
• how to design reliable and efficient forecasting processes.

5.00 Close of seminar

6 CPD hours (where applicable)

Morning coffee, a light lunch and afternoon tea are provided

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