Search Results for: manufacturing

The Fourth Industrial Revolution will be the most disruptive yet, senior economist predicts

The Fourth Industrial Revolution will be the most disruptive yet, senior economist predicts

by • AI, News, Technology

The rise of artificial intelligence and automation will create a Fourth Industrial Revolution that will be be significantly more disruptive than the three previous industrial revolutions, according to the Bank of England’s chief economist. According to Andy Haldane, the transformation caused by automation of cognitive skills had the potential to have a greater impact than Britain’s first industrial revolution, when coal and steam changed the country, the second industrial revolution which brought chemical engineering and the combustion engine, or the widespread use of computers in the 20th and 21st centuries.

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New analysis sets out to define fastest growing sectors in London in 2018

New analysis sets out to define fastest growing sectors in London in 2018

by • News, Property

A new analysis from Instant Offices sets out to identify the largest business sectors driving London’s economy. It claims that the three most prominent are information and communication, financial and insurance, and professional, scientific and technical services. The UK Business Register and Employment Survey (BRES) showed distinct trends in growth for specific sectors, in London and in the UK as a whole.

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Artificial intelligence will create more jobs than it displaces, claims new study

Artificial intelligence will create more jobs than it displaces, claims new study

by • News, Technology

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and related technologies are projected to create as many jobs as they displace in the UK over the next 20 years, according to new analysis by PwC. In absolute terms, around 7 million existing jobs could be displaced, but around 7.2 million could be created, giving the UK a small net jobs boost of around 0.2 million. While the overall net effect of AI on UK jobs may be broadly neutral, this varies significantly across industry sectors. The most positive effect of AI is seen in the health and social work sector, where PwC estimates that employment could increase by nearly 1 million, equivalent to around 20 percent of existing jobs in the sector. On the other hand, PwC estimates the number of jobs in the manufacturing sector could be reduced by around 25 percent, representing a net loss of nearly 700,000 jobs.

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How limiting non-work related web use affects security and productivity

How limiting non-work related web use affects security and productivity

by • News, Technology

Spiceworks has announced the results of a new survey examining the use of web filtering in the workplace and the implications of restricting certain online behaviours. The results indicate among organisations that don’t restrict non-work related web use, most employees (58 percent) spend at least four hours per week, the equivalent of 26 workdays per year, on websites unrelated to their job. In other words, based on the median U.S. salary of $45,812, these organisations are paying full-time employees approximately $4,500 per year to spend 10 percent of their time consuming non-work-related web content.

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The future of the workplace emerges from the mists at Neocon

The future of the workplace emerges from the mists at Neocon

by • Features, Furniture, Workplace design

Chicago is one of the world’s great cities. Its dramatic lake and river setting, its magnificent architecture and its raw energy inspire the locals and businesses to achieve great things. People work and play very hard. Competition is fierce both in business as in the way the people relate to each other, and befits a city heavily influenced by waves of immigration down the ages. Apart from somewhat overly aggressive and noisy driving, if there is friction, you don’t sense it and it isn’t obvious. Most locals seem genuinely open and friendly, including to strangers, and happy to get on with their lives without troubling others. Perhaps they’re all being buoyed up by the great street music which is everywhere.

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Four key points to consider when creating a digital workplace

Four key points to consider when creating a digital workplace

by • Features, Technology

As the use of digital technologies and data to create new value propositions and operating models becomes more commonplace, workplaces across the world are being affected across sectors, from manufacturing to local government. Almost all areas have been touched by the megatrend, whether from own initiatives or to keep up with competitors. However, Arthur D. Little’s Digital Transformation Study reports that almost 80 percent of companies surveyed were only “digitally adaptive”, with digital efforts limited to products and services at best, and no comprehensive approach to adapting their mind-sets. To help traditional organizations adapt sufficiently to compete with digitally minded start-ups, we have identified four key questions to consider when developing digitalization strategies and the creation of a fully digital workplace.

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New study reveals industries most likely to be subject to digital disruption this year

New study reveals industries most likely to be subject to digital disruption this year

by • News, Technology

A new survey of British and American IT decision makers claims to reveal which industries are most and least likely to be subject to digital disruption in 2018. The study, Digital Disruption: Disrupt or Be Disrupted (registration required), also claims to identify the qualities of companies most likely to be disruptors, and concludes that cloud technology is the new key to digital transformation. The report, based on interviews with more than 300 respondents in the United States and the United Kingdom found that 50 percent of IT stakeholders think they are leaders and will disrupt, while 50 percent feel they are behind and will be disrupted by the competition in 2018. By industry, more telcos (65 percent) and technology (65 percent) companies predict they will be disruptors, while 17 percent of IT stakeholders working for government and non-profit organisations worry they will be disrupted.

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The toxic workplace is not only about culture, but is a very real physical problem

The toxic workplace is not only about culture, but is a very real physical problem

by • Comment, Environment, Workplace design

In today’s society there is far more awareness and concern around additives in food and drink, vehicle emissions and the pollutants from factories. There is, however, a remarkable lack of knowledge when it comes to the air quality of our working environment, beyond air conditioning systems and whether printers emit anything ‘nasty’. The truth is that most of the contents of our offices are emitting substances; invisibly polluting the air we breathe for most of the day. And not least the furniture that surrounds us. Chemicals play a big part in the manufacturing of furniture, from glues to lacquers, fabric treatments to flame retardants. Chemicals are not all bad though. We need chemicals for almost everything we do. They enable us to create products that are long lasting, good looking and comfortable. Progress has much to thank chemicals for. The key is knowing what chemicals to use and what to avoid.

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Employers face increasing challenge in finding the right person for the job warns CIPD

Employers face increasing challenge in finding the right person for the job warns CIPD

by • Flexible working, News, Workplace

Employers face increasing challenge in finding the right person for the job warns CIPD

Employment prospects in the UK are improving, as the number of vacancies in the UK economy remain well above historic average levels, but the CIPD is warning that employers’ demand for skills and labour may not be met by supply. The latest Labour Market Outlook from the CIPD and The Adecco Group shows that employers’ near-term employment expectations have risen to a five-year high. This continued growth in demand for labour, while highlighting employer optimism, is set to lead to a further tightening of the UK labour market for employers, making it harder for them to find the skills and labour they need. Almost two-thirds (61 percent) of employers in the survey said that at least some of their vacancies are proving hard to fill.  By comparison, just over half (56 percent) of employers reported that they were currently having difficulty filling vacancies in their organisation during the same period in 2017. In response, more than a quarter (28 percent) said that they are raising wages to tackle their recruitment difficulties. The report authors also suggest that offering staff more flexible work and collaborative spaces could help with recruitment and retention.

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Majority of US employers say they will increase or maintain headcount due to automation

Majority of US employers say they will increase or maintain headcount due to automation

by • AI, News, Technology, Workplace

Majority of US employers say they will increase or maintain headcount due to automationCompanies will need more, not less people, in the near-term to meet the demand stimulated by automation, claims a new report from ManpowerGroup. The report – Robots Need Not Apply: Human Solutions in the Skills, found that 91 percent of employers in the US will maintain or increase headcount in the next two to three years as industries shift to more advanced, automated processes. The report provides a real-time view of the impact of automation on headcount, the functions most affected and the soft skills that are both of greatest value and hardest to find. Frontline and Customer-Facing functions anticipate the most growth as organisations place higher value on customer service and human interaction. Manufacturing and Production functions are close behind. Back-office functions that are routine or add less value to customer interactions are under greatest threat as organisations implement new technology to drive efficiency. In this Skills Revolution the best blend of high-tech and high-touch will be the combination of human strengths with technical and digital know-how: 61 percent of companies say communication skills, written and verbal, are their most valued soft skill followed by customer service, collaboration and problem-solving.

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Global talent crunch will include UK workforce deficit of nearly 3 million employees by 2030

Global talent crunch will include UK workforce deficit of nearly 3 million employees by 2030

by • News, Workplace

A shortage of skilled employees will continue to impede growth and if not addressed, could have a significant impact on major global economies by 2030, claims a new study. Korn Ferry’s Global Talent Crunch study estimated the gap between future talent supply and demand in 20 major economies at three milestones: 2020, 2025 and 2030, and across three sectors: financial and business services; technology, media and telecommunications (TMT); and manufacturing and found that a talent deficit issue could threaten economies and sectors across Europe. Germany could experience the largest deficit of 4.9 million workers and could lose out on $629.89 billion of annual revenue by 2030 if labour shortages are not addressed – equivalent to 14 percent of its economy.

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Occupational health services can benefit organisations and booster economy says report

Occupational health services can benefit organisations and booster economy says report

by • Facilities management, News, Wellbeing

Occupational health services can benefit organisations and booster economy says reportIt can be proven that a well implemented Occupational Health service can offer a good return on investment, finds a new report. A white paper, produced by the Society of Occupational Medicine (SOM), the International SOS Foundation and KU Leuven University, “Occupational Health: the Global Value and Evidence”, discusses the value of OH from a global perspective and provides a synthesis of global evidence on the effectiveness of OH interventions and cost effectiveness. With fatal and non-fatal work-related injuries and illnesses worldwide equating to a cost of approximately €2680 billion, equivalent to 4 percent of the global GDP or the entire GDP of Great Britain organisations, their workforce, and society have to bear a substantial cost. The paper demonstrates that Occupational Health services bring value by improving the health of the working population; contributing to the prevention of work-related illnesses; preventing avoidable sickness absence through the provision of early interventions for those who develop a health condition; and increasing the efficiency and productivity of organisations. They can also play a major part in protecting and revitalising the global economy.

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