October 19, 2021
October 15, 2021
Hybrid working will define the future of work, but firms are unprepared
by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Technology
While the move to flexible and hybrid working is widely accepted by businesses, their preparedness to implement such a strategy is not yet fully realised. That is the key finding of a new report from Siemens subsidiaries Comfy and Enlighted. Commissioned by Siemens from analyst firm Verdantix, the study polled 75 corporate real estate (CRE) executives from global companies with annual revenues of over $1 billion on the strategic considerations of redefining workforce models due to the COVID-19 pandemic. More →
October 13, 2021
Business leaders concerned about digital inequality in the future hybrid working model
by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Technology
A new report from Actual Experience, claims organisations are becoming increasingly concerned about the impact of digital inequality on employees, as hybrid working looks set to become the new normal. This new working model is causing concern across multiple sectors; 67 percent of C-Suite representatives cite that they’re worried these new ways of working will introduce inequalities in how people access and use digital tools. More →
September 22, 2021
Employers worry about remote work productivity, but majority fail to invest in solutions
by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Technology
New research released by Ricoh Europe claims that employers are failing to invest in technology to maintain productivity across their remote workforce, despite concerns about their output. More than 18 months since the Coronavirus pandemic took hold across Europe, forcing businesses to adopt remote working practices, just over a third (36 percent) of employers say their organisation has provided the tools and technology to maintain employee productivity while working from any location. More →
September 15, 2021
Majority of firms subject to successful network security attacks
by Jayne Smith • Business, News, Technology
More than two-thirds (70 percent) of UK businesses have been the victim of a successful network security attack in the last year, and 65 percent have been the victim of at least one ransomware attack in the last 12 months, according to new research from Barracuda Networks. More →
September 2, 2021
Artificial Intelligence is critical enabler of the energy transition
by Jayne Smith • News, Technology
The World Economic Forum has published a new study on how artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to accelerate a more equitable energy transition and build trust for the technology throughout the industry. As the impacts of climate change become more visible worldwide, governments and industry face the urgent challenge of transitioning to a low-carbon global energy system. More →
August 27, 2021
I’m a Luddite. You should be one too
by Jathan Sadowski • Comment, Technology
I’m a Luddite. This is not a hesitant confession, but a proud proclamation. I’m also a social scientist who studies how new technologies affect politics, economics and society. For me, Luddism is not a naïve feeling, but a considered position. And once you know what Luddism actually stands for, I’m willing to bet you will be one too — or at least much more sympathetic to the Luddite cause than you think. More →
August 25, 2021
Changing workplace means a changing role for finance heads
by Martyn Draper • Comment, Jobs, Technology, Workplace
The CFO and Finance Director role is undergoing rapid change. Not only are they required to manage the traditional priorities of the job, but they must now also juggle a wide array of operational, transactional and commercial responsibilities. With added pressure from clients because of Covid-19 and a rapidly evolving workplace, the role is increasingly hard to navigate. To gain a deeper insight into this and the evolution and future planning of a department that is central to the success of modern businesses, Totum recently surveyed CFOs and Finance Directors from among UK headquartered legal firms with annual revenue of £20m or more. More →
August 18, 2021
Workplace technology helped meet short term lockdown challenges, but its real impact is yet to come
by Simon Haighton-Williams • Comment, Technology
Thinking back to the fast pace of life 18 months ago, the working day looked very different. COVID-19 forced a significant adjustment in how many workforces operate, including the enforced use of multiple workplace technology tools to collaborate. How will our use of collaboration tools change as we go through pandemic recovery? How can businesses ensure they continue to transform their workflows in a way that gives them maximum efficiency and productivity? More →
August 13, 2021
Digital twin and other tech to benefit from landmark $3.5trillion infrastructure package
by Mark Eltringham • Facilities management, News, Property, Technology
Growth in key tech sectors is set to rocket after a landmark $1 trillion infrastructure package bill passed in the US Senate, part of a comprehensive $3.5 trillion plan within President Biden’s post-COVID Build Back Better initiative and paralleling the UN’s Race To Zero campaign. There had been an upward trend in share prices for companies in several tech sectors already, but Pitchbook research identified nanotechnology and digital twin technology as most likely to gain from the new bill – the largest public investment in America’s infrastructure for decades. More →
August 12, 2021
Almost half of UK firms have decreased their research and development since covid-19
by Jayne Smith • Business, News, Technology
Almost half (45 percent) of UK firms have decreased their research and development initiatives during the covid-19 pandemic, with even 18 percent of firms halting theirs altogether, according to new research from Durham University Business School. More →
September 30, 2021
The truth about the workplace comes out of the well
by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Property, Technology, Wellbeing, Workplace design