My Life as Soothsayer: 25 Years of Forecasting at British Telecom

Clive reflects on the changes that have taken place during his time as a forecasting practitioner at British Telecommunications PLC (BT) and its predecessors, back to and including the Post office. He does not intend this paper to be a definitive study of forecasting methods in the telecommunications market. Rather, he focuses on the changes in the operating environment of BT over the past 25 years, considers the implications of these changes for forecasting practitioners, and examines the responses to challenges faced. He also discusses the evolution of the forecasting tool kit from simple graphical projection to automated systems. Copyright International Institute of Forecasters, 2005