Search Results for: digital transformation

July 14, 2023

To boost productivity in the UK, we need to think big and different

The decline in UK productivity since the Great Recession of 2008/2009 has been a matter of concern for business leaders, policymakers, and economists alike. Despite hopes that the pandemic would act as a catalyst for transformation and boost productivity, recent figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that the UK still lags behind several other G7 economies. (more…)

June 9, 2023

Artificial intelligence will boost short term headcount, claim half of employers

by Neil Franklin • News, Technology, Workplace

More than half (54 percent) of Britain’s employers expect Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies will have a positive impact on their staff headcount over the next two years, according to a survey by Experis, a part of ManpowerGroup. The survey of 2,000+ British employers also suggests that more than two thirds (69 percent) of businesses expect AI tools and technologies – including ChatGPT, Machine Learning and Virtual Reality – to have a positive impact on upskilling and reskilling, as well as on employee training (68 percent). 67 percent of British organisations anticipate a positive impact on employee engagement because of AI technology, and 60 percent think it can positively impact the onboarding process too. (more…)

May 17, 2023

Ahrend UK and Techo UK to merge with opening of joint showroom at Clerkenwell Design Week

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Workplace design, Works Magazine

Ahrend UK and Techo UK have announced their merger which becomes effective on the first of July 1st. The move will see the companies operate under the global name Royal Ahrend and will be evident at the opening of a renovated joint showroom during Clerkenwell Design Week in London from May 23rd to 25th, 2023. The Techo name will continue to exist as a distinctive product brand and will be part of the Royal Ahrend brand portfolio. The firm claims that by combining forces, it will be able to ‘further strengthen the customer experience with an exceptional customer-oriented service, aimed at both the direct market and the dealer market in the UK’. (more…)

May 3, 2023

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

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

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…)

January 20, 2023

Vast majority of IT managers prioritise commercial success over sustainability

by Jayne Smith • Environment, News, Technology

A new poll claims that the vast majority of tech managers prioritise commercial success over sustainability, despite the fact that nearly all agree with the idea that sustainability is good for business. The report from Software AG is based on a survey of 2,000 senior IT decision-makers from the US, Canada, UK, Germany and France. It suggests that most organisations prioritise commercial objectives over sustainability in the face of economic challenges. This is despite the fact that almost all (95 percent) leaders agree sustainability is either a top or high priority and a similar number (97 percent) agree that other firms’ sustainability credentials are either essential or important in their own buying decisions. The annual Reality Check reports seeks to investigate how technology initiatives can benefit both sustainability and commercial objectives. (more…)

June 14, 2022

London Tech Week kicks off with new Government announcements on future of tech

by Neil Franklin • News, Technology

The Government’s review into the future of computing and its new UK Digital Strategy were unveiled at the start of London Tech Week as the world’s technology leaders, founders and next generation of tech superstars gather in the capital to collaborate on the future of the industry. Opening day speakers included Darktrace CEO Poppy Gustafsson, Darren Hardman, VP & General Manager, AWS, Theo Blackwell MBE in conversation with New York City’s CTO Matt Fraser, Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemi?tkowski and The Body Coach CEO & Creative Director Nikki Wicks. (more…)

May 19, 2022

Reinventing procurement for a post pandemic world

by Stuart Waine • Business, Company news, Technology

Most businesses have undergone some form of digital transformation over the last two years simply to remain afloat. This has typically involved a total shift to the cloud, the relocation of inhouse comms rooms to co-location facilities, or incorporating remote login functionality into core IT systems to support home/hybrid working. This also boosted the demand for cloud computing courses. Whilst 5G, all fibre broadband and cloud computing have been gaining traction for a while, the pandemic has given agile working a turbocharge. This change has resulting in businesses relocating to smaller premises with flexible, more appealing leasing contracts. Hybrid working has also affected many internal departments, none more so than procurement which has been totally transformed (more…)

May 9, 2022

Human resources professionals should focus on boardroom partnerships

by Jeanette Wheeler • Comment, Workplace

The future of Human Resources remains a hotly debated topic, with conversations often focusing on whether the term is still accurate and how internal and external changes often put HR in a state of flux. As working models shift and new post-pandemic challenges emerge, the focus should be on what skills today’s HR leaders need to support the business and ensure its continuity and success in an evolving landscape. This includes embracing imminent changes to the HR strategy to develop additional skills and capabilities whilst ensuring compliance with new regulations, overcoming staff shortages and meeting heightened candidate expectations. (more…)

April 27, 2022

A third of workers think their jobs are at risk from automation

by Jayne Smith • News, Technology

A new poll claims that one in three (37 percent) employees consider their current job to be at risk from automation and digital transformation. HR software provider CIPHR has compiled a list of the occupations that are the most and least likely to be replaced by technology or machines, based on the results of a survey of more than 1,000 UK workers: www.ciphr.com/jobs-at-risk-from-automation. Survey respondents were asked to rate the likelihood that their own occupation could become automated in the future, due to advances in smart technologies, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, and robotics. (more…)

March 29, 2022

Making sense of an uncertain but energetic return to some sort of normal

by Eugenia Anastassiou • Features, Flexible working

The first Omnirama event on the 23rd of March launched the series exploring different factors challenging the world of work in a time of prevailing uncertainty. Underlying Ominirama’s raison d’etre is that recent events have turned the status quo on its head with some major structural and systemic changes taking place. Nobody seems to have any clear idea of how to deal with this enormous transformation in the ways we work All the playbooks and all the guidance that we have all relied upon for so many years have now gone out the window. (more…)

February 23, 2022

Employers offering flexible working reap recruitment and retention benefits

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Workplace

Employers who have embraced flexible working policies have seen a 20 percent improvement in employee recruitment and retention compared to two years ago, according to new global research from Targus. According to the poll, seventy percent of senior business decision-makers say flexible working policies and working environments are positively impacting recruitment and a further 76 percent say it’s positively impacting employee retention. (more…)

February 9, 2022

The metaverse will shape the future of work. Here’s how

by Maria Moraes Robinson • Comment, Technology, Workplace design

Although the term ‘metaverse’ was coined in 1992 by science fiction novelist Neal Stephenson, it has only just entered the mainstream lexicon after Facebook changed its name to Meta to reflect its strategic focus on making this sci fi vision a reality. Given that there is no singular definition of what a metaverse is, and there will be many competing metaverses transforming our experience of social media, electronic commerce and how we collaborate and transact online, it is important that leaders start to understand the profound ways in which this new technological paradigm is set to radically impact on the future of work. (more…)