October 14, 2021

To hit net zero, sustainable tech investments need to increase tenfold

A large increase in investment in breakthrough technologies such as hydrogen-based fuels, bioenergy and carbon-capture storage solutions is needed to hit the global goal of net zero emissions by 2050. To scale these technologies and take them to market, at least a tenfold increase in investment is needed, according to the How to Finance Industry Net-Zero report. Released by the World Economic Forum and Oliver Wyman, the report outlines how to address the supply-and-demand-side gap and take these technologies to the next level. More →

December 11, 2020

Increased revenue, savings and productivity from tech investments accelerated by COVID-19

by Jayne Smith • Business, News, Technology

Nearly seven in 10 business leaders and decision-makers say that investments in digital technologies in 2020 have enabled their organisations to increase revenue, save money and improve productivity, according to a new survey released by Randstad US. More →

February 14, 2020

Watchdog raises concerns at councils` commercial property investments

by Neil Franklin • News, Property

Some local authorities in England have invested significant public money in buying commercial property over the past three years with the aim of generating a financial return. Debt has increased for many of these authorities as a result, with a small group seeing significant increases in the amount they owe and the cost of repayment, according to the National Audit Office (NAO). More →

February 6, 2019

Majority of businesses fail to see a return on their technology investments

by Neil Franklin • News, Technology

According to a new report from Accenture, the majority of businesses don’t see a return on their technology investments and just 14 percent of businesses manage to realise the full potential of their tech investments. Roughly $3.2 trillion was spent on new technology in the last five years. Businesses that were most successful with their investments were the ones investing in bold moves, rather than incremental shifts.

May 1, 2017

Fresh concerns raised about council investments in commercial property market ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Property, Public Sector

As we reported last month, the level of investment in commercial property undertaken by UK local authorities is raising serious concerns within both central government and the real estate sector. Now, a fresh warning has been issued by the former business secretary Sir Vince Cable that councils face potential bankruptcy if the property bubble bursts. In recent years councils have faced an average 37 percent real term cut in government funding and so have taken to borrowing large sums at low interest rates from the Treasury’s Public Works Loan Board to reinvest in commercial property ventures. The move has already been identified as risky by the Government’sown Public Accounts Committee and Cable joins a chorus of voices in expressing doubts.

May 3, 2023

Around a quarter of jobs will shift over the next five years, WEF report claims

by Neil Franklin • HR, News

Almost a quarter of jobs are expected to switch in the next five years according to a new report from the World Economic Forum. Its Future of Jobs Report for 2023 suggests that employers anticipate 69 million new jobs to be created and 83 million eliminated among the 673 million jobs corresponding to the dataset, a net decrease of 14 million jobs, or 2 percent of current employment. The data is an extrapolation of data from 803 employers employing around 11 million people. More →

March 27, 2023

The importance of an office location in business

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Property

With thousands of businesses converting to online commerce, the importance of an office or storefront is often overlooked. While internet commerce is undoubtedly at an all-time high, millions of consumers still shop and do business with brick-and-mortar companies. Your business location can have a significant impact on your price points, accessibility, and your competition. Where you set up your shop should be one of the most carefully considered aspects of opening your business. Office location is truly everything when it comes to business success. More →

March 16, 2023

The circular economy is a great opportunity, but it doesn’t add up yet

by Joanna Knight • Comment, Environment, Workplace design

The circular economy, carbon measurement, product material content, rental, ‘take back’, reuse and recycling – all actions for a more environmentally responsible workplace sector. But what are the priorities? Manufacturers and suppliers are arguably challenged by lack of clarity, requirements for significant investment, combined with cost pressures in a heavily subscribed market. More →

March 2, 2023

Pipeline of women managers has stalled in wake of pandemic

by Neil Franklin • HR, News

The leadership pipeline for women has hollowed out in the middle, according to a new study “Women in leadership: Why perception outpaces the pipeline—and what to do about it” from IBM Institute for Business Value (IBV) and Chief. The study of 2,500 organisations in 12 countries and 10 industries found a small increase in the number of women at the C-suite and Board level (now 12 percent for both), and an increase to 40 percent representation of women in junior professional/specialist roles (37 percent in 2021). However, the pipeline for top leadership positions still hasn’t recovered to pre-pandemic levels – 14 percent representation of women in senior vice president roles (18 percent in 2019) and 16 percent in vice president roles (19 percent in 2019). More →

February 21, 2023

Four day week pilot results are very encouraging indeed, say researchers

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

Businesses that adopted a four day working week as part of a pilot programme say they are more profitable and their staff are fitter, happier and more productive, researchers have told MPs. A large majority of companies that took part in the pilot now plan to carry on. The programme, led in the UK by non-profit 4 Day Week Global, the UK’s 4 Day Week Campaign and think-tank Autonomy, involved around 3,000 workers through a six-month trial of a four day week, with no loss of pay. This brings the global campaign’s total number of completed pilot participants to 91 companies and approximately 3,500 employees. More →

January 12, 2023

Wellbeing and organisational agility will dominate workplace conversations in 2023

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

Mental health and wellbeing will dominate conversations about the role of work in people’s lives this year, due in part to the effects of the global pandemic, as well as social and economic instability around the world, according to the latest megatrends report from UKG. The report claims that many people are feeling overwhelmed in the face of negative news cycles headlining economic uncertainty, climate change, violence, and political unrest have contributed to a spike in mental wellbeing issues. More →

December 5, 2022

Digital transformation projects rarely meet aims and expectations

by Neil Franklin • News, Technology

New research published by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) claims that while 94 percent of companies have big aspirations to deliver substantial and rapid impact from digital transformation, and companies plan to increase investment in digital transformation in spite of global economic headwinds, the majority of these projects fail to achieve their objectives. More →