Search Results for: future of work

Commercial property sector must take a city scale view of retrofit projects

by • Environment, Facilities management, News, Property

Commercial property needs to 'up its game' on urban retrofit

Some 70 per cent of commercial properties will still be standing in 2050, which is why retrofitting, or re-engineering, a city’s built environment and infrastructure is so essential. However, research led by Professor Tim Dixon of the University or Reading’s School of Construction Management and Engineering  has found that despite examples of ‘light touch’ retrofit (such as LED lighting, improved building services and building management systems), the rate of retrofit in the sector is low; being hampered by complexity, fragmentation and conservatism. And crucially, the commercial property sector does not take a city scale view of retrofit projects and so is ‘city-blind’ to retrofit opportunities, which is also slowing progress. More →

Retaining valuable employees is top global priority for CEOS this year

by • News, Workplace

Retaining valuable employees is top global priority for CEOS this yearThe number one priority of business leaders worldwide this year is how best to develop, engage, manage, and retain existing talent. This worker-centric approach means that employee engagement and better management will take centre stage as the way to improve competitiveness, win new customers and raise productivity. According to new research from The Conference Board and UK partner CMI (Chartered Management Institute), CEOs will concentrate on creating a strong internal talent pipeline rather than seeking to recruit externally, with nine out of the top 10 global Human Capital strategies focused on current employees, including providing training and development, raising employee engagement and increasing efforts to retain critical talent. Other closely linked priorities identified in the CEO Challenge 2014 are customer relationships, innovation, operational excellence, and corporate brand and reputation. More →

Why we should be wary of expert predictions for 2014

by • Comment, Facilities management, Workplace design

Dart throwingAs ever the first day back at work coincides with a flood of forecasts about what will happen in the world in the year ahead. But predictions are often more interesting in retrospect than they are in their own time. For example, each year The Economist produces its one-off ‘The World in…’ publication which asks well-informed academics and writers to tackle an issue that relates to their own specialism. This year these relate to issues such as Scottish independence (it’s a ‘no’, by the way), the rise of African economies and a potential customer backlash against technology businesses and the rich geeks who own them. Interesting though it is to read all of this, The Economist is at least honest in publishing a list of its hits and misses, whereas most people appear to just pretend the misses never happened.

More →

The most read stories on Insight in 2013

by • Comment, Facilities management, Workplace design

Apple 11It’s been one year since Insight first hit the digital streets and it’s been fascinating to see what people have been most interested in. One of the great things about online publishing is you cannot escape from what people think. Printed trade magazines can tell you they send out 12,000 copies or whatever, but they can’t tell you whether the recipients are interested enough to read them or share their contents. Online, that is all made transparent. So it’s been great to start a publication that after just a few months was demonstrably the UK’s most widely read title covering workplace design and management issues. We even know what people like the most. So here, in no particular order, are our most widely read stories from 2013, ranging from the technical to the esoteric, news stories, case studies, the bursting of bubbles and the challenges to received wisdom.

More →

Team announced to review restoration needs of UNESCO World heritage site

by • Facilities management, News, Property, Public Sector

Palace of WestminsterThe House of Commons and House of Lords have announced the team which is to carry out an appraisal of the work that needs to be done to restore and repair one of Britain’s most iconic sites. The study will explore a number of ways in which Parliament can remain operational while implementing long overdue essential works to protect the Palace of Westminster, an important Grade I listed building and UNESCO World Heritage site. Deloitte Real Estate, AECOM and HOK have been chosen to undertake an Independent Options Appraisal as part of the Palace of Westminster Restoration and Renewal Programme. The appraisal was commissioned following the publication of a study in 2012 which showed that, unless significant restoration work is undertaken, major, irreversible damage may be done to the Palace. More →

Advice to Government to stick to carbon reduction budget welcomed by UK-GBC

by • Environment, News, Property

Advice to Government to stick to carbon reduction budget welcomed by UK-GBCThe Coalition must stick to agreed targets to dramatically reduce carbon dioxide emissions, the government has been told. The Committee on Climate Change (CCC), the statutory body set up to advise the government on meeting long-term carbon goals says there has been no change in the circumstances upon which the fourth carbon budget (2023 – 2027) was originally set in 2011 that would justify lowering current proposed levels of emissions cuts. Responding to Chancellor George Osborne’s request to review the carbon budget, the committee said if anything, changed circumstances point towards a tightening of the budget. Its findings were backed by the UK Green Building Council, which says that the construction and property sector has been plagued by Minister’s shifts in energy management policies.

More →

Don’t be caught by surprise by the hidden costs of commercial property

by • Comment, Facilities management, Knowledge, Property

 

let-signAccording to Colliers International’s recent Global Investor Sentiment Report, 2014 will see an increase in commercial property investor confidence, with 74 per cent of UK based investors saying they were more likely to risk investing across all property sectors, although offices remain the most popular category to invest in. Yet despite this vote of confidence, it seems strange to report that the real costs involved in property acquisition and maintenance, are frequently overlooked by the purchasers. It appears that businesses often have a patchy knowledge of the range of costs involved in owning or leasing commercial real estate, which is surprising when you consider that a company’s biggest single investment next to its workforce is commercial property.

More →

New report finds lack of consensus in measurement of social sustainability

by • Environment, Facilities management, News

Green-chainA lack of consensus on what is to be reported on and measured makes comparison difficult when measuring social sustainability. This is one of the key findings of the first annual Sustainable FM Index report, which examines how sustainability is embedded within facilities management service companies. Compiled by Acclaro Advisory, the University of Reading and Workplace Law; the index provides a comparative assessment of FM providers within the UK market. The results, which can be applied to internal and outsourced organisations, aims to showcase achievement, as well as highlighting areas of weakness to stimulate change and raise the delivery of sustainability. The companies which made the index, including Carillion, CBRE and Vinci facilities, have reported high levels of commitment to sustainability in terms of the governance, social and environmental criteria assessed. More →

Benefits of social media for employers are not being realised says CIPD

by • News, Technology, Workplace

Benefits of social media for business relationships and employee engagementResearch launched today at the CIPD’s Social Media in HR conference reveals social media is still a long way off from infiltrating the workplace to the extent it is used in our social lives. Three in four (76%) use social media in their personal lives, but just one in four (26%) use it for work purposes. Given the news this week that the attorney general is to publish guidance on Twitter to help prevent social media users from committing contempt of court, employers could be forgiven in being wary of the risks of social media. This is a mistake, as according to the research, ‘Social technology, social business?’ almost half (47%) of employees who use social media for work on a daily basis already see real benefits for their organisations. More →

Built environment vows to improve accessibility for UK’s 12m disabled people

by • Facilities management, News, Property

Built environment vows to improve accessibility for disabled in UKSix of the top professional institutions that represent architects, town planners, surveyors, engineers and facilities managers have committed to improving accessibility for the country’s 12 million disabled people. To mark International Day of People with Disabilities, built environment institutions, including the Royal Institution of British Architects (RIBA), the British Institution of Facilities Managers (BIFM) and Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), have signed up to the Built Environment Professional Education Project; to  change the curriculum so inclusive design becomes a requirement of all built environment accredited courses at universities and colleges. The aim is to have nearly one third of all built environment professionals proficient in inclusive design within 10 years.  More →

Mid-sized firms are unsung champions of the economic recovery says CBI

by • News, Workplace

Unsung champions of economic recoveryMedium-sized businesses (MSBs) are making a significant contribution to jobs and growth across the UK. Between March 2010 and March 2013 they have created 185,000 jobs, a 4.1 per cent increase compared with 1.9 per cent by large companies and 2.8 per cent by small firms. New CBI research published today shows that despite only accounting for 1.8 per cent of the UK private sector, MSBs, which employ between 50-499 people and have a turnover of £10-100 million, now employ 4.7 million people across the UK – 16 per cent of the total UK workforce. The CBI has launched #MSBMonday to boost recognition for MSBs and is calling on local government and policy makers to do more to recognise and support medium-sized businesses as their local champions. More →

Case study: dPOP’s jaw-dropping new offices light the road ahead for Detroit

by • Case studies, Facilities management, Flooring, Furniture, Workplace design

P1020679If you think you know what’s going on in Detroit based on the stories of the city’s financial woes and pictures of some crumbling buildings, it is worth a visit to the offices of dPOP, the two month old design firm with origins in creating the award-winning office spaces for Quicken Loans and its family of companies.The design firm’s space in the basement of a long defunct Detroit bank embodies what being from the Motor City is all about — being tough, but talented; gritty yet glamorous; fun with a funky twist.They design like they don’t care what you think — and that might just be true. Their own offices and those they created for the 11,000 workers that were moved from divergent suburban sites to the center of Detroit are bold, bright and fun. Most of all fun. But the result is spectacular.

More →

«< 203 204 205 206 207 >»