Search Results for: technology

Want sustainable buildings? Invest strategically in smart technology

Want sustainable buildings? Invest strategically in smart technology

Strategic investment, innovative technology, and collaboration are essential for achieving sustainable buildingsStrategic investment, innovative technology, and collaboration are essential for achieving sustainability and value goals in the real estate sector, according to a new report from Colliers. The  report Realising ESG Performance: The Value-Driven Transformation of Europe’s Built Environment [registration] claims to provide insights into how the real estate industry can embrace sustainable buildings and comply with regulatory demands while creating long-term value. More →

Technology failures are a major headache for small businesses

Technology failures are a major headache for small businesses

A new poll  from TalkTalk Business claims to identify the significant impact technology failures have on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK.A new poll  from TalkTalk Business claims to identify the significant impact technology failures have on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK. According to the survey, nearly one-quarter (23 percent) of these businesses have experienced system glitches within the past year. These technical issues are proving costly for many SMEs, with 17 percent reporting that such problems have cost their business between £500 and £999 over the last 12 months. More alarmingly, 12 percent of SMEs have faced losses ranging from £2,000 to £3,999, while 7 percent have incurred staggering costs between £8,000 and £9,999 due to technology-related failures. More →

Mismatched technology may be driving down productivity

Mismatched technology may be driving down productivity

A new poll from Apogee Corporation claims that current workplace environments are failing to cater to different personality types, leading to significant collaboration challenges, reduced productivity and potentially driving away 'talent'A new poll from Apogee Corporation claims that current workplace environments are failing to cater to different personality types, leading to significant collaboration challenges, reduced productivity and potentially driving away ‘talent’. The survey of 1,001 UK employees in mid-sized businesses suggests that 79 percent of workers struggle with meeting technology when collaborating with colleagues. This is particularly detrimental to extroverts, with 84 percent reporting a drop in productivity while working remotely. More →

Camira announces first printed wool collection using digital print technology

Camira announces first printed wool collection using digital print technology

Camira, an international designer of textiles for hospitality, residential and commercial settings, has launched its first printed wool collection manufactured using its own state-of-the-art digital print technologyCamira, an international designer of textiles for hospitality, residential and commercial settings, has launched its first printed wool collection manufactured using its own state-of-the-art digital print technology. Designed in collaboration with renowned textile designer, Kate Lawrie, Camira’s brand-new Patternmaker presents four timeless designs, Crosshatch, Dot Dash, Hula and Speckle, which are brought to life on 100% pure new wool felted fabric. More →

New RIBA guidance sets out to demystify smart building technology 

New RIBA guidance sets out to demystify smart building technology 

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has published its Smart Building Overlay to the RIBA Plan of Work. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has published its Smart Building Overlay to the RIBA Plan of Work. Developed with ScanTech Digital, Glider Technology, Kier and Hoare Lea, RIBA says this free resource will support anyone involved in the design of newbuild, retrofit or refurbishment projects to implement smart building technology. The Smart Building Overlay introduces smart building terminology and outlines the benefits of embedding smart building technology from the outset. Its principles can be applied to projects of all scales and scopes. More →

Technology is stealing your time in ways you may not realise

Technology is stealing your time in ways you may not realise

Technology is supposed to make our lives easier. Smart phones provide a palm-size window to the world, enabling us to do almost anything at the touch of a button. Smart homes look after themselves, and virtual meetings mean that for many, time spent commuting is a thing of the past. So we should have more free time. Time which is now spent sleeping, relaxing or simply doing nothing – right? More →

Hybrid working and technology are key drivers of change for organisations, claims report

Hybrid working and technology are key drivers of change for organisations, claims report

A new CIPD report says that technology and hybrid working have had a significant impact on people professionals and organisationsThe latest findings from the CIPD’s People Profession 2023: UK and Ireland survey report, which surveyed 1,456 HR and workplace professionals across the UK, show that technology and hybrid working have had a significant impact on their roles and organisations. The report found that rapidly evolving technology, like generative AI, is having an impact on people teams as well as the wider business. Over half of UK people professionals, 55 percent, surveyed believe that advancing technology is transforming the way HR teams operate and deliver in their role.

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Smart technology needs to start with people if it wants to get smarter

Smart technology needs to start with people if it wants to get smarter

A wood carving of a blank, slumped person sitting at a desk with a laptop to depict the dehumanization potential of smart technology“My engineering students had come to class with technology on their minds.” So says artist and design researcher Sara Hendren, author of What a Body Can Do: How we Meet the Built World. It’s a fascinating book in which she consciously pushes back against the prevailing narrative that so-called smart technology has a fix for every problem. As a professor teaching design for disability at Olin College of Engineering, Massachusetts, Hendren draws attention to the assumptions that drive normative behaviours to define what is a ‘problem’ in the first place. More →

Mandatory use of AI technology dampens people’s enthusiasm for the stuff

Mandatory use of AI technology dampens people’s enthusiasm for the stuff

Teams with a positive inclination towards artificial intelligence experienced a dampening effect on their enthusiasm to collaborate when forced to use AI technologyTeams with a positive inclination towards artificial intelligence experienced a dampening effect on their enthusiasm to collaborate when forced to use AI technology, a new study has found. Researchers also found that teams with initial negative views about AI were in fact more likely to collaborate with AI when forced to use it. The research, which has been published in the academic journal Group & Organization Management, underscores the importance of trust in AI and how employers should introduce the growing technology into their businesses. More →

IF AI can replace what you do without anybody noticing, the problem isn’t with the technology

IF AI can replace what you do without anybody noticing, the problem isn’t with the technology

AI is ready to muscle in on our ability to create and consume vast quantities of content. So we need to look at things in a new wayPerhaps the least surprising news from the current AI media frenzy is that Buzzfeed has already been using the tech to publish a lot of its stories. There’s an obvious response to this and it’s not about how amazing the AI is. If an artificial intelligence can write vast quantities of formulaic clickbait stories on your website without anybody noticing, then the problem is with your original approach to ‘content’ and how it’s consumed. More →

Majority of firms currently using technology to plug talent gaps

Majority of firms currently using technology to plug talent gaps

In the face of hiring and skills issues, 77 percent of UK organisations say they are finding ways for technology to do jobs formerly performed by people, according to a new poll from Rackspace Technology.  According to the survey, two thirds (64 percent) of UK companies are downsizing their staff, facilitated by technology, out of a necessity, with roles in customer service the most likely to be automated, as identified by 70 percent of business decision makers – followed by IT operations (62 percent), sales and marketing (57 percent), business operations (56 percent), and HR and admin (56 percent). More →

A great employee experience depends on great technology

A great employee experience depends on great technology

employee experienceSo often, organizations that excel on delivering value for customers, fall short when it comes to delivering the same for their employees. In fact, we can often be guilty of failing to value our employees’ time full stop. Given that we’re living through what’s been dubbed ‘the Great Resignation,’ that’s a major gamble. Companies need to take a step back and understand exactly why employee experience (EX) should be a priority. Plus, how technology can be a key enabler in doing so. More →