Music!

At our office we spend many hours a day. Some of us more, some less, but it is common to have people around all day long. So, the problem since its beginings is how to maintain (us) entertained for such a long time.

The simplest answer? Music.

Music is known worldwide as a means to exchange tastes, and share with other people. It can even be considered a means of communication and identification.

The problem is, how do you share music in an office, without disturbing the people who work there? And, having fix this, how can you agree among so many people?

In our case, we have multiple music options, as explained below.

Jango

It is an easily accessible page which performs a first search according to a favorite artist, and then generates a list of tracks from similar artists, which can be rated as good or bad, according to the preferences of the user. Thus, selected artists lists are generated, and some unknown musics are discovered.

Grooveshark

In case of not wanting to explore new music, Grooveshark may be one of the best options. On this page you can find a variety of artists, songs and choose those you like best, assembling personal lists to your liking. In general, if you do not have a good internet connection is not recommended. However, being without video songs, is a good choice to put background music, without the risk of ending up listening to an artist who is not of your taste.

Youtube

It may happen that the connection to YouTube (since it is a page more developed than the previous ones) works better loading videos. In that case, you can create a list of your own, or use the suggested lists from the page.

Streema

If you are not convinced to listen to a particular artist, an interesting option is to connect to any online radio. Here, our favorite page is Streema, a platform that includes numerous radios from around the world, easy to use and very effective.

Server music

If we are not convinced with all of the above, or if the connection is working very slow, we have music on our servers, which are connected to the speakers of the office and we can access from our own computers. Thus, anyone in the office can change the music if it is not of its liking, or just prefer a change.

All previous cases follow a very particular dynamic that is generated and mutating over time. Sometimes the music is directly censored, and sometimes it is celebrated by most of the office. Also, there are times when it generates some discussion about what music to listen, while in other cases there are fights between two or more people entering the servers to simultaneously choose music, being favored in that case the fastest one with the cursor.

But, of course, the office always has music that entertains our work!

Sharing Knowledge With Our Partners

Continente Siete (C7) is not only a consulting firm, but also a partner for its clients, seeking high impact interventions (in quality and time duration) that would lead them to an upgraded level of performance.

Among all the projects and business areas where C7 has been working on, it can be mentioned the consulting service on S&OP process, Demand Planning and Forecasting. Based on the principle exposed before, the training and knowledge transferring to the client are part of the service given. This allows C7 develop methodologies and tools for specific use according to each particular case and the clients get not only the solutions but also the knowledge of how to obtain the best use from them.

The “Advanced Forecasting Course” developed for Unilever Brazil is a case of the relationship of knowledge sharing. The course had the aim of providing the participants with all the required know-how and techniques that would allow them to improve the demand planning and forecasting in Unilever. After two years of consulting relation with them, Continente Siete knew the opportunities and necessities that Unilever had, and the course was then designed to cover those gaps, also in alignment to the company’s objectives.

The course starts with some basic modules where issues regarding S&OP process and supply chain area are discussed, in order to let participants understand the context and impact of demand forecasting in business results. There are also modules regarding times series models where logics, strengths and weaknesses for each model are evaluated. Do you know when to use a weighted moving average model or the Holt’s method? Can you use the Winter’s method when the historical series shows a trend component?

The following modules include more complex issues, like the understanding and use of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Key Behavior Indicators (KBIs) –a C7’s development of new kind of indicators-, to evaluate the forecasting performance and mainly to understand the type of series the user is dealing with: does they show trend? What about seasonality or volatility?. All these concepts then put together in a C7’s methodology development for forecasting, named: MAP (Model Assignment Process).

The final modules include more advanced issues like: methodologies to include price impact on the forecasting process, the impact of investments in different (type of) events, innovation forecast, range forecasting, Montecarlo Simulation, alternatives for “history cleaning process”, regressions and cannibalization effects. During the training days, C7 also introduces other possible approaches, such as Data Mining, Neural Networks, System Dynamics, Simulation and Artificial Intelligence. The course is complemented with a forecasting contest where participants compete in making the best forecast based on the knowledge brought during the training course.

Finally, it is sought a real application for all those trained issues by the participants on their day-to-day activities. To do that, they carry out an application project during three months where they study, define, develop, evaluate and suggest changes in the processes.

During 2012, C7 started, together with Unilever, the 2nd “Advanced Forecasting” Training Course that finished last January with great success. All Demand Planners have gone through the training allowing them count with technical and business knowledge that led to a significant improvement of the forecasting accuracy results for the company. At the same time, the application projects showed a great level of advance in methodology to be implemented in the Forecasting process.

C7’s objective is to be the client’s partner and to generate high leverage interventions. And the Advanced Forecasting Course for Unilever is a success case in that sense.

"Never regard study as a duty, but as an enviable opportunity to enter the wonderful and beautiful world of knowledge". Albert Einstein.