Search Results for: opportunities

February 1, 2024

Firms want to embrace AI, but bewildered by range of options

The vast majority of Chief Information Officers plan to increase AI tool spending in 2024, but say their teams are overwhelmed by the number of apps on the market. As a result, 77 percent are concerned about application sprawl adding to their complexity and security risks. That is according to a new report from Canva which includes insights from more than 1,360 CIOs on their priorities, opportunities and the challenges of managing their IT amid the AI boom. The company commissioned Harris Poll to survey CIOs from the UK, US, France, Germany, Spain, Brazil, Mexico, India, and Australia to understand how they’re managing application sprawl and making decisions about workplace tools in the AI era. (more…)

January 25, 2024

BCO’s new research agenda sets out a new vision for the office

by Jayne Smith • Facilities management, News, Property

The British Council for Offices has unveiled its new research agenda, which will it says will aim to guide and inspire the office sector amid disruption. The BCO says the agenda is a direct response to the current and ongoing dynamics in the office sector. The publication aims to lay the groundwork for a new vision of the office as an economically productive, occupier-first, technologically enabled and sustainable part of our built environment. (more…)

January 24, 2024

Chance to retrofit offices is going begging, report claims

by Neil Franklin • Environment, Facilities management, News, Property

The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) has launched new guidance on retrofitting large office buildings. Setting out the most cost- and carbon-effective retrofit measures in the immediate and longer term, the guidance reframes retrofit as an iterative process rather than a standalone project. UKGBC has found that significant opportunities are being missed by office investors, owners, and occupiers who do not have clear strategies to retrofit offices in place. Firstly, through missing the “easy wins” –low cost, low disruption measures that reduce energy consumption – and secondly, through missing key “trigger points” in lease and maintenance cycles that facilitate easier, more efficient retrofit. (more…)

January 23, 2024

Salford’s record breaking sustainable office building reaches completion

by Freddie Steele • Environment, News, Property

The City of Salford is now home to Eden, one of the UK’s most sustainable office buildings, containing Europe’s largest living wall. From the site of a derelict surface car park with no benefits to the people of Salford, English Cities Fund (ECF) has created a 115,000 sq ft development that will transform this neglected urban area into a diverse mixed-use destination and form a key part of ECF’s £1bn regeneration of the Salford Central area. (more…)

January 22, 2024

Woven Image adds five new colours to its acoustic offering

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Furniture

The allure of the natural world is the inspiration for Woven Image’s extended colour palette with 5 new colours: dusk, mint, butter, cayenne and nutmeg. By embracing the ongoing evolution of colour and textural finishes in the built environment, these portfolio refreshments from Woven Image support interior designers and architects to deliver sustainable, acoustic solutions that evoke moods of relaxation and happiness through clever function and aesthetics. (more…)

January 18, 2024

British workers don’t want people to think of them as ambitious

by Neil Franklin • Business, News

Ambition is a word now out of favour in the British workplace, according to Randstad’s latest global Workmonitor survey [registration] with workers in the UK less willing to describe themselves as ambitious than workers in other countries. The research, which surveyed 27,000 workers in 34 countries across Europe, Asia Pacific and the Americas, shows that while more than half (56 percent) of workers globally consider themselves to be ambitious, only 42 percent of workers in the UK do. Workers in other countries — including China (80 percent), Malaysia (73 percent), and India (90 percent) — are more likely to describe themselves as “having career ambition”. (more…)

January 18, 2024

Office trends may come and go, but some values (such as good ergonomics) are eternal

by Luke Munro • Company news

In 2024, Wellworking celebrates 25 years of being in business, a milestone I’m proud of in such a competitive market. A lot has changed over that time, and I’m excited by just how much working habits will transform over the next few decades too. When I first established the company in 1999, it was called Home Working Solutions as I felt there were increasing numbers of people working from home that needed appropriate furniture to do that. It was important to me that they had access to quality ergonomic products as I felt that people working from home had very few options on offer at the time. (more…)

January 17, 2024

CEOs remain optimistic about short term growth, quarter are planning to replace people with AI

by Neil Franklin • AI, Business, News, Technology

The proportion of CEOs who believe global economic growth will improve over the next 12-months has more than doubled. At the same time, the proportion of CEOs concerned about their long-term business viability has risen to 45 percent as tech and climate pressures accelerate, according to PwC’s 27th Annual Global CEO Survey. However the survey, published to coincide with the annual World Economic Forum jamboree in Davos, also reports that artificial intelligence will result in dramatic job losses in 2024 and beyond. A quarter intend to cut their headcounts by at least five percent “due to generative AI. (more…)

January 10, 2024

Over one quarter of employees do not trust their CEO to be honest and transparent

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

A new poll claims that over one quarter (26 percent) of employees in the UK do not trust their CEO to be open and honest, while 24 percent do not trust their senior leadership to do the same. According to the survey of 2,000 employees in the UK from Personio, transparency and employer-employee communication are pivotal to a positive employee experience and trust in the workplace. The research suggests that feeling unheard by leadership could be fuelling employees’ distrust. Over a quarter (28 percent) of employees surveyed say that they are not given a chance to share feedback to leadership on their experiences. Meanwhile, less than half (46 percent) of employees feel that leadership in their organisation actually listens and acts on any feedback when given from staff. (more…)

January 4, 2024

European furniture giant Flokk announces acquisition of US based Stylex

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Furniture

Stylex, a design-driven American commercial furnishings manufacturer is the latest acquisition by Flokk, the European office seating and furniture manufacturer. The purchase – expected to close on January 31, 2024 – comes at a pivotal moment, solidifying Flokk’s presence in the U.S. market and making Stylex part of Flokk’s global portfolio of brands. (more…)

December 18, 2023

For all its flaws, COP28 still gives us a route to a greener future

by Anna King • Company news, Environment

As COP28 drew to a close, it gave those attending or observing from around the world the chance to reflect on the global commitments towards building a greener future. The UAE played host to two weeks of debate over climate change as COP28 recently rolled into town. While some questioned this region’s suitability – it being a centre of the fossil fuel industry – perhaps there is an argument to be made that this is exactly where you should hold it – to bring the issues into sharp relief. (more…)

December 7, 2023

Workspace Design Show Amsterdam proves a great success

by Freddie Steele • Company news

The inaugural Workspace Design Show in Amsterdam brought together Benelux’s leading designers, architects, end-user occupiers to discuss the dynamic landscape of workspace interiors, revealing key opportunities and gauging the pulse of current workplace trends. The two day event in October was a huge success, both in numbers and in terms of exhibitor and visitor sentiment. Building on the success of the Workspace Design Show in London, the new event highlighted how much appetite there is across Europe for people to come together to share ideas about the new and emerging workplace. (more…)