September 28, 2021

Create collaboration corners with ThinkingWall mobile walls from Logovisual

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Workplace design

Collaboration furniture specialist Logovisual have expanded their range of ThinkingWall® mobile walls. The range answers the increasing demand on modern office spaces to be flexible to meet the needs of different workers and tasks. From small team huddles to a video call, the team at Logovisual believe building in visual and acoustic privacy is key in an open plan space. The new ThinkingWall® Mobile Acoustic Curve and ThinkingWall® AV Divider fit with other units from the ThinkingWall® Mobile range to create amazing, adaptable collaboration spaces. They are quick and simple to switch out and move around as often as required to divide workspaces and make flexible layouts. (more…)

September 27, 2021

Remote working led to drop in high quality output, Microsoft study concludes

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Working lives

A new study of 61,000 Microsoft employees claims that the sudden shift to remote working had a profound effect on their work behaviours and output. Overall, remote workers spent less time in meetings, had fewer real time conversations and worked in more siloed ways. Crucially it found that there was a reduction in the strengths of ties between people and fewer networking opportunities. While not suggesting that office based work and remote work are necessarily better than the other, the study concludes that the drop in loose connections and chances of networking with other teams could have a negative impact on higher quality work outputs and working culture. (more…)

September 23, 2021

Resilient companies need the trust of their employees more than ever

by Kate Field • Comment, Workplace

Since offices reopened, there has naturally been a much greater focus on health and safety. Office managers everywhere have deployed one-way corridors, anti-viral disinfectant wipes, and daily temperature checks in order to ensure that those who have returned to the office feel safe. Globally, businesses have learned to cope with these adverse circumstances, but there are other lessons from the past year that we should use to refresh the workplace as well. (more…)

September 9, 2021

Sedus Stoll AG appoint new Management Board member for Marketing and Sales

by Freddie Steele • Company news

Christoph Kargruber will be taking over as Sedus Stoll AG’s Chief Marketing and Sales Officer from 1 October 2021. The native Austrian graduated in business administration with a focus on corporate management from the Leopold Franzens University in Innsbruck and brings with him over twenty years of international management experience in the B2B2C sector. (more…)

September 8, 2021

Landlords and occupiers must work together to meet climate change challenge

by Neil Franklin • Environment, Flexible working, News, Property

Disruption, cost, building style, individual goals, responsibility and shared space are cited as the key sustainability challenges for the flexible office sector, according to the latest research report from The Instant Group. But while there is still a lot of work to be done in the sector as the role of the workplace evolves, Instant says that flex operators have an opportunity to lead the way in meeting the challenge of climate change. By creating innovative, low-carbon buildings, curating a clear engagement strategy with occupiers and landlords, and ensuring a low-carbon ambition is understood and adopted by everyone, flex operators can be the first to implement highly sustainable workplaces. (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…)

September 2, 2021

Herman Miller increases use of ocean-bound plastic with Aeron chair

by Jayne Smith • Company news, Environment

The Aeron Chair Portfolio, including new colourway Onyx Ultra Matte, and other product and packaging solutions will incorporate mismanaged plastic waste found near waterways as part of the company’s commitment to use 50 percent recycled content in all materials by 2030. (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 13, 2021

The future of work will be shaped by the needs of workers

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace design

As the UK government has withdrawn its advice for employees to work from home, more organisations than ever will be instituting what have become known as hybrid working models: 68 percent globally, according to research from Steelcase. Definitions of “hybrid work”, however, are often contradicting and unclear – leaving business leaders without definitive guidance about how to approach the future of work. To provide businesses with a more concrete view of what hybrid working looks like in reality, and provide tangible actions to help streamline productivity and collaboration, Steelcase have researched the experiences and needs of workers worldwide in their report: Changing Expectations and the Future of Work. (more…)

August 10, 2021

Policymakers should encourage the responsible use of AI in decision-making

by Jayne Smith • Business, News, Technology

A new report from the Center for Data Innovation claims businesses are increasingly adopting artificial intelligence tools to support workforce decisions in areas such as hiring and retaining high-performing employees. But to successfully deploy and maximize the productivity benefits of these AI tools, employers should address potential concerns to ensure the technology does not exacerbate biases or inequalities, produces fair and accurate results, and does not unduly compromise worker privacy. (more…)

July 26, 2021

Only a tenth of global businesses are front-runners in inclusion and diversity practices

by Jayne Smith • Business, News, Working culture

Ninety percent of global businesses struggle with inclusion and diversity practices within their technology/ IT teams according to ‘The key to designing inclusive tech: creating diverse and inclusive tech teams’ report by the Capgemini Research Institute. (more…)

July 20, 2021

Firms don’t use artificial intelligence much, so the current hype is tripe

by Wim Naudé • Features, Technology

Many governments are increasingly approaching artificial intelligence with an almost religious zeal. By 2018 at least 22 countries around the world, and also the EU, had launched grand national strategies for making AI part of their business development, while many more had announced ethical frameworks for how it should be allowed to develop. The EU documents more than 290 AI policy initiatives in individual EU member states between 2016 and 2020. (more…)