ReThink Productivity Podcast

Hosted by ReThink Productivity

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Episodes

322

Latest episode

May 2026

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EN-GB

About the show

Join Simon Hedaux , founder of ReThink Productivity, as he and a focused network of industry leaders and clients share a new playbook for organizational excellence This is the essential podcast for leaders looking to drive measurable, sustainable performance across corporate, operational, and customer-facing teams With our new 2.0 approach , we’ve shifted to a highly focused rhythm, delivering two essential episodes per month —giving you less noise and more strategic intelligence Inside Every Month, You’ll Discover: 1. The Productivity Pulse (Early Month) Data-Driven Action: Hear directly from our internal experts— Sue, Simon, and James —who share real-world trends, new data findings, and actionable productivity insights emerging from live projects Align & Engage Your Teams: Discover practical ways to connect head office goals with on-the-ground execution, ensuring everyone is pulling in the same direction Learn from Real-World Wins: Get tactical advice and success stories from organisations that have achieved transformative productivity across the board 2. Basket & Barometer (Late Month) Elevated Insights: In conversation with industry expert Diane Wehrle to move beyond surface-level metrics and tackle complex, data-driven metrics around customer shopping behaviour For leaders in Operations, Strategy, and HR , this podcast provides the modern tools to build a smarter, more efficient, and ultimately more profitable business Subscribe now and start truly rethinking your productivity

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60 recent

June 16, 2026Episode 1037 min

Productivity Pulse Episode 7 - ReThink Academy

Send us Fan MailWhat separates guesswork from actual, sustainable efficiency? Professional training.In this episode, our resident experts—Sue, Simon & James—are joined by special guest Phil to break down why credible productivity work must start with the right foundations. They dive into how the ReThink Academy is shaping the next generation of industry experts through our four core courses:Introduction to Productivity – Building the baselineWork Study – Measuring the essentialsMethod Study – Designing smarter workflowsLabour Modelling – Optimising your workforceReady to level up your team's capabilities? 🌐 Explore the Academy: ReTime Academy📅 Save the Date! Join us live at the Productivity Forum on 10th September in Birmingham. 🎟️ Secure your spot: ReThink Forum 2026 Executive Wins PodcastThe Executive Wins Podcast features inspiring Executives who share their biggest wins.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify #theproductivityexpertsRegister for the 2026 Productivity ForumDownload a copy of our first ReThink Productivity Retail ReportConnect to Simon on LinkedInFollow ReThink on LinkedIn

May 31, 2026Episode 3915 min

Basket & Barometer May 2026

Send us Fan MailDiane Wehrle CEO at Rendle Intelligence and Insights joins Simon for their monthly chatApril’s numbers look grim on the surface, but Easter timing shifts spending into March and distorts the year on year story. We discuss the real signals behind falling footfall and softer sales, then ask what rising costs and uncertainty are doing to jobs, confidence and everyday choices. • Easter timing and strong comparables shaping the headline results • Footfall declines across high street, shopping centres and retail parks • BRC sales turning negative and what that suggests about demand • Beauclair town-centre spend falling with discretionary categories hit hardest • Inflation cooling overall while hospitality and transport stay high • The “how expensive is too expensive” question and what markets will bear • Unemployment at 5% with much higher youth unemployment • Wages keeping pace with inflation for those in work • Consumer confidence staying low and driving caution • Experiences still winning over material purchases #theproductivityexpertsRegister for the 2026 Productivity ForumDownload a copy of our first ReThink Productivity Retail ReportConnect to Simon on LinkedInFollow ReThink on LinkedIn

May 14, 2026Episode 912 min

Productivity Pulse: Retail Technology Show Live 2026

Send us Fan MailWe recorded our first live ReThink Productivity podcast at the Retail Technology Show after-show party, talking candidly about what retail tech is actually doing for productivity right now. Chris Chandler and Steve Young share what is changing with AI, wage pressure, training, and the practical realities of running stores on land and at sea.• AI at the show feeling more integrated and less like marketing • Cruise ship retail productivity focused on freeing time for guest experience and sales • Training challenges with rotating contracts and the value of app-based learning • AI forecasting as a key lever, especially when demand varies by itinerary • National Living Wage at £12.71 pushing retailers beyond “low-hanging fruit” tech • Shifting focus towards operating models, partners, and commercial arrangements • AI workflow management to drive the right task at the right time • Supply chain visibility and QR codes for end-to-end product tracking • Funding AI through a mix of labour efficiency and sales growth Download your copy of the Retail Report #theproductivityexpertsRegister for the 2026 Productivity ForumDownload a copy of our first ReThink Productivity Retail ReportConnect to Simon on LinkedInFollow ReThink on LinkedIn

May 4, 2026Episode 17149 min

The ReThink Productivity Retail Report 2026 and NotebookLM

Send us Fan MailWe gave Notebook LM our first ReThink Productivity Retail ReportNotebookLM digs into why shops can look perfectly staffed and still fail you at the checkout or on the shop floor, then trace the problem back to how retail measures efficiency. We use the ReThink Productivity Retail Report 2026 to show how a push for 100% utilisation creates a capacity cap that burns out colleagues and leaks sales• The £6.25bn annual opportunity hidden inside “wasted” labour time • How the efficiency index is built and why 80% is healthier than 100% • the capacity cap and why small disruptions collapse service • Demand-led rotas that protect peak trading hours and use quiet periods well • Security tagging as a labour cost that can exceed the value it protects • Omnichannel services that add seconds which turn into queues • Self-checkout friction and why design beats blame • Pragmatic tech wins like electronic shelf labels that lift morale Download your copy of the Retail Report Executive Wins PodcastThe Executive Wins Podcast features inspiring Executives who share their biggest wins.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify #theproductivityexpertsRegister for the 2026 Productivity ForumDownload a copy of our first ReThink Productivity Retail ReportConnect to Simon on LinkedInFollow ReThink on LinkedIn

April 29, 2026Episode 3812 min

Basket & Barometer April 2026

Send us Fan MailDiane Wehrle CEO at Rendle Intelligence and Insights joins Simon for their monthly chatWe read the March 2026 retail and economic data against a month shaped by war and an early Easter, where strong headlines hide weaker high street reality• March footfall rising year on year but flattered by a weak 2025 comparison• BRC sales growth driven mainly by food as households buy ahead of Easter• Non-food sales growth lagging inflation and remaining fragile• High street sales down sharply with food and drink spend falling hardest• Pay-cycle spending patterns and how Easter timing shifts monthly demand• GfK consumer confidence sliding with personal finance views turning negative• Inflation pressure from housing and fuel costs pushing consumers to save more• Major purchases feeling riskier as caution rises• Unemployment dipping while economic inactivity increases, changing the real story• War-driven fuel prices feeding uncertainty with a possible staycation upsideDownload a copy of our first ReThink Productivity Retail Report #theproductivityexpertsRegister for the 2026 Productivity ForumDownload a copy of our first ReThink Productivity Retail ReportConnect to Simon on LinkedInFollow ReThink on LinkedIn

April 20, 2026Episode 914 min

Productivity Pulse Future Ready Retail Benchmarking Report SPECIAL

Send us Fan MailSue, Simon, & James share the top-line findings from ReThink Productivity Future Retail Ready Benchmarking Report and explain how a £6.25bn opportunity could be unlocked. They walk through six golden rules to improve store performance, protect customer experience, and avoid hidden workload that quietly harms sales.• Why retailers feel the squeeze after the ‘easy wins’ are gone• The efficiency index and why 80% is the realistic target• How running above 80% removes the cushion for peaks• The productivity paradox where cost cuts can damage sales• Managing capacity intelligently with better demand modelling• Simplifying security so tagging does not erode profitability• Unlocking self-checkout by reducing interventions and friction• Designing services deliberately so complexity does not swamp teams• Deploying technology pragmatically with training and real ROIDownload the report, have a read, get in touch with any questions #theproductivityexpertsRegister for the 2026 Productivity ForumDownload a copy of our first ReThink Productivity Retail ReportConnect to Simon on LinkedInFollow ReThink on LinkedIn

April 12, 2026Episode 815 min

Productivity Pulse 6

Send us Fan MailHear directly from our experts—Sue, Simon, & James —who share real-world trends, new data findings, and actionable productivity insightsWe share the latest ReThink Academy training updates and why we built courses we wish we’d had when we first stepped into productivity and workload modelling roles. We also unpack how measuring work can remove customer friction, from mobile phone sales processing to the daily annoyances of hotel check-in, and why buy-in makes or breaks operational models• ReThink Academy expansion and what’s new • Introduction To Productivity course for new starters and teams • Workload Modelling course and the wider ecosystem around it • Method study as a practical process improvement framework • Time and motion study, work measurement and MTM pathways • Why productivity data supports better customer experience • Mobile phone retail example where processing time dominates • Workload model trust, overstaffing vs understaffing and queue impact • Retail Technology Show and benchmarking report launch plans We will be at the Retail Technology Show (RTS) the 22nd and 23rd of April at the Excel in London Book a meeting at RTS #theproductivityexpertsRegister for the 2026 Productivity ForumDownload a copy of our first ReThink Productivity Retail ReportConnect to Simon on LinkedInFollow ReThink on LinkedIn

March 29, 2026Episode 3712 min

Basket & Barometer March 2026

Send us Fan MailDiane Wehrle CEO at Rendle Intelligence and Insights joins Simon for their monthly chatThey break down why February 2026 turns into a tough month for UK retail, with record rain dragging down footfall and high street sales. They also zoom out to consumer confidence, inflation pressures, and the April policy changes that could reshape hiring and costs.• Record wet weather and why it hits retail demand fast• Footfall declines across high streets, centres and retail parks• High street debit card sales tracking below last year• Category performance across fashion, food and drink, general retail, grocery, health and beauty• GfK Nielsen consumer confidence falling and what it signals for March• Major purchases weakening and the savings index rising• Inflation staying at 3% overall while essentials run hotter• Discounting effects in clothing and muted inflation in big-ticket categories• Average transaction value rising in food and drink and health and beauty• National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rises from 1 April• Key headlines from the first phase of the UK Employment Rights Act #theproductivityexpertsRegister for the 2026 Productivity ForumDownload a copy of our first ReThink Productivity Retail ReportConnect to Simon on LinkedInFollow ReThink on LinkedIn

March 23, 2026Episode 743 min

Productivity Pulse Nov 2025 - Feb 2026 NotebookLM Summary

Send us Fan MailWe gave NotebookLM our Productivity Pulse podcasts from November 2025 to February 2026 with Sue, Simon, & James and this is what it came up with...We follow the stop-watch data behind everyday queues and show how “efficient” labour models can still create predictable chaos at peak demand. We trace how wage pressure, algorithmic scheduling, and physical layout decisions reshape what workers do and what customers feel.Minimum wage pressure and the knock-on effects of wage compressionThe efficiency index and why zero slack systems lose resilienceVariable efficiency and why two stores can feel like different companiesAlgorithmic break scheduling that prioritises compliance over footfallHidden travel time that turns a short break into a bigger productivity hitManager role drift and why leadership disappears into shelf-stackingHow quick service restaurants redesign space for delivery driversKiosks, upselling psychology, and the customer dithering factorMicro efficiencies in kitchens that function like pit-stop engineeringParcel collection bottlenecks and the shaky maths of the halo effectStock replenishment waste, taking stock for a walk, and lean batch processing Executive Wins PodcastThe Executive Wins Podcast features inspiring Executives who share their biggest wins.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify #theproductivityexpertsRegister for the 2026 Productivity ForumDownload a copy of our first ReThink Productivity Retail ReportConnect to Simon on LinkedInFollow ReThink on LinkedIn

March 15, 2026Episode 616 min

Productivity Pulse Episode 5

Send us Fan MailHear directly from our experts—Sue, Simon, & James —who share real-world trends, new data findings, and actionable productivity insightsWe dig into stock to shelf benchmarking and reveal how much replenishment time is lost to movement and returns. We share early findings and details of our benchmarking report and Retail Technology Show plans• Early look at our retail benchmarking report launch • Why benchmarking gives context beyond raw task times • The real cost of replenishment and movement waste • Impact of returning stock to backroom and double handling • Lean-inspired fixes: batching, pull signals, one-touch flow • Resource vs demand mismatches driving “keep busy” habits • Per-item cost insights and how to track them We will be at the Retail Technology Show the 22nd and 23rd of April at the Excel in LondonWe’ve got the VIP party in partnership with Solvedby.AI on the 22nd April. Register here... VIP AftershowOur Productivity Forum takes place on 10th September in Birmingham. Register here... ReThink Forum 2026 #theproductivityexpertsRegister for the 2026 Productivity ForumDownload a copy of our first ReThink Productivity Retail ReportConnect to Simon on LinkedInFollow ReThink on LinkedIn