Search Results for: technology

May 28, 2015

Public sector lacks skills and confidence to buy more from smaller companies

by Mark Eltringham • Facilities management, News, Public Sector

A new survey from techUK, the trade association that represents technology companies in the UK, claims that while civil servants see IT as key to delivering their mission, they don’t think their departments have the right skills and culture to enable digital transformation of public services. This extends to the way goods and services are procured with particular consequences for smaller suppliers. Of the 929 Civil Servants surveyed for the study, less than 1 percent of respondents see IT as an overhead, while over three quarters believe it to be a necessity. However, there remain significant barriers to technology adoption. Over three quarter (68 percent) claim that having the right skills internally is critical to improving the procurement process; but only 20 percent agree their department has the skills and capabilities to manage suppliers.

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May 27, 2015

Sheppard Robson release details of new mixed-use scheme in Clerkenwell

by Mark Eltringham • Architecture, News, Property

Architects Sheppard Robson have released more details of their design for a major mixed-use project in the Clerkenwell district of London. The site is currently occupied by a multi-story car park and the new scheme, developed alongside Endurance Land will include a 3,900 sq m office development aimed predominantly at SMEs, particularly those in the media, technology and creative industries for which the area is known. The scheme includes a hotel and retail spaces at ground level. Sheppard Robson claims that ‘all elements of the development in-keeping with the vibrancy of Clerkenwell and nearby Exmouth Market, whilst also acknowledging the history of the site which is adjacent to two conservation areas’. The hotel will be operated by Premier Inn, and include a touchdown cafe open to guests and the public.

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May 27, 2015

Smart buildings, smart cities and the promise of infinite data

by Paul Doherty • Cities, Comment, Facilities management, Technology

The rapid urbanization of our world and the weaving of existing and new buildings into the urban fabric of Smart City initiatives are some of the great challenges facing our global industry today. Along with the vast amount of definitions and marketing campaigns surrounding the phrase “Smart Cities” comes the challenge of understanding why the movement is important to the Architecture, Engineering, Construction and Facility Management (AEC/FM) industry and how industry stakeholders can profit from, or at the very least, not get run over by the tsunami called Smart Cities. The emergence of Smart Cities as the conduit for ideas, thoughts, policies and strategies for the world’s urban environments is an important milestone for our industry, and it comes at a time of rapid innovation, convergence and redefinitions.

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May 25, 2015

This year’s ICFF furniture show in New York marked a spirited revival

by Rob Kirkbride • Comment, Events, Furniture, Workplace design

The last time I attended ICFF in New York, the show was weak, eclipsed by myriad design events around the city and not quite sure of where it fit in. That was a few years ago. This year, it was bigger and better in many ways. ICFF is very much alive, thriving in fact. The show has exploded in importance, size and scope in a few short years. Many in the office furniture industry who gave up on ICFF need to return. Others are seeing the value of the show and the surrounding events (which continue to grow as well) for the first time. Still, for the office furniture world, ICFF is more about art, design and ideas such as chairs from Fritz Hansen (above). Don’t come to rub elbows with your contract furniture colleagues. Instead, come to be inspired by what is possible – even though some of it is more bespoke that this industry is used to.

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May 24, 2015

Organisations reticent to take the plunge into 4G, claims report

by Mark Eltringham • Flexible working, News, Technology

British businesses run the risk of missing out on the opportunities offered by the latest generation of mobile technology according to a new report from Vodafone. The YouGov study of more than 1,200 decision makers in both the public and private sector found that the majority of UK organisations are yet to introduce 4G. Nearly two thirds (64 percent) of respondents said their business or organisation does not have 4G right now and a perhaps more surprising 41 percent of those have no plans to adopt it. The survey found that cost was not generally seen as a barrier to implementation compared to more prevalent issues including a widespread misunderstanding of what 4G might offer the enterprise. Even a third of those organisations who have introduced 4G confess they don’t believe it offers any additional benefits.

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May 23, 2015

The latest edition of Insight Weekly is available to view online

by Sara Bean • Facilities management, Newsletter, Technology, Work&Place, Workplace, Workplace design

In this week’s issue; Charles Marks on how the changing way we work presents challenges for the development of commercial property; Kati Barklund says management is needed to encourage people to use sit stand workstations properly and Peter Ames argues it is the flexibility of shared offices which allows SMEs to mould a space to their brand and make it feel like home. We learn that the European workforce is optimistic about the impact of new and emerging workplace technology, why women of over 55 make the best business strategists and Mark Eltringham agrees that the workplace is changing but the death of the office is a myth. The complete Work&Place archive is now available for you online and sign up to the newsletter via the subscription form in the right hand sidebar, follow us on Twitter and join our LinkedIn Group to discuss this and other stories.

May 19, 2015

Experts more sceptical about Government’s BIM 2 deadline

by Mark Eltringham • Facilities management, News, Property, Technology

Construction firms are increasingly pessimistic about the UK Government’s ability to meet its deadline for the adoption of Level 2 Building Information Modelling (BIM) in centrally procured projects. According to the latest BIM survey by law firm Pinsent Masons, nearly three quarters (71.3 percent) of respondents believe the 2016 deadline is now ‘unachievable’ compared to around 64 percent last year. The survey found there remains a positive attitude towards the use of new technology in construction in spite of the fact that only half of respondents had even heard of the core Digital Built Britain strategy. Nearly all (94 percent) were aware of the BIM2 target and when asked about the implications of new technology for construction, 58 percent believed it would have a high impact, 29 percent thought it would be medium, while just 3 percent said low.

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May 17, 2015

The complete Work&Place archive is now available for you online

by Mark Eltringham • Architecture, Facilities management, Premium Content, Property, Technology, Work&Place, Workplace design

The complete Work&Place archive is now available for you online, with each issue in two formats. PDF and digital editions offer you a choice of how to access the thoughts of some of the world’s greatest practitioners and writers on workplaces, commercial property, urbanisation, technology and all of the key forces driving developments in the built environment. Each of the issues so far also offers you an international perspective which means not only do they offer an insight into the forces that shape workplace thinking worldwide, they also create a unique perspective on how national approaches are shaped by local forces related to legislation, the economy, environment, culture and business practice. Work&Place is now published quarterly with the next issue set for July 2015. It will continue to create an era defining body of work about the rapidly changing world of work and workplaces.

May 15, 2015

Employers embracing more collaborative hands-on learning cultures

by Sara Bean • News, Technology, Workplace

There is a growing trend for employers to create collaborative hands-on learning cultures, with internal knowledge-sharing initiatives such as job shadowing and social learning increasingly commonplace. In the latest snapshot of the annual survey of L&D professionals by the CIPD, coaching by line managers or peers was the method of learning most likely to grow in use in organisations over the next two years, according to almost two-thirds (65%) of respondents. Over half (53%) expect to see the use of in-house development programmes increase, and on-the-job training (48%) and internal knowledge sharing events (46%) are also expected to become prevalent. The findings imply a growing focus on efforts to foster a learning culture with many organisations using technology to support learning and development.

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May 13, 2015

The May issue of Work&Place is available for you to read online

by Mark Eltringham • News, Premium Content, Work&Place

The May issue of Work&Place is now available to view online in two formats. If there is a theme for this quarter’s issue, it is the intersection of the different physical and technological spaces which make up the modern workplace. This not only throws up fascinating topics and ideas, it also has profound implications for the way we create, manage and inhabit these spaces and is also eroding many of the old demarcations between professions. The issue maintains its international perspective and features many of the world’s most prominent workplace thinkers. Of course, this is not a one way street and you can join the discussion with the Work&Place contributors and many others. We hope that you will take up this opportunity to ask questions, challenge the writers, or to make a related point at the Work&Place LinkedIn Group or via Twitter.

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May 11, 2015

Nearly a third of Brits would rather lose a finger than their broadband connection

by Mark Eltringham • News, Technology, Workplace

According to a report by technology comparison website Cable.co.uk, nearly a third of British people say they would rather live without one of their fingers than without access to the internet and a further quarter couldn’t choose between the two. According to the study of 2,500 British residents, when asked if they had to live their life without either one of their fingers (the report doesn’t say which, although that would surely make a difference) or their internet connection which would they choose, one in three (29 percent) said they would rather lose a finger, while a further 25 percent claim they couldn’t decide between the two. They’re not alone in believing in the indispensability of broadband. In February, a House of Lords committee recommended reclassifying broadband as a public utility.

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May 11, 2015

Does declining productivity spell the end for IT and property directors?

by John Blackwell • Comment, Facilities management, Property, Technology, Work&Place

When it comes to increasing organisational output, which in turn directly relates to real wage growth and higher living standards, the only determinant is productivity, measured in terms of output per hour worked. This is at the heart of all businesses and is essential for growth. The basic facts on productivity are clear. For over a decade, productivity has been painfully weak across all the major economies. The UK has performed particularly badly, with productivity having declined by 3.7 percent since 2008. A recent OECD report went as far as saying: “weak labour productivity since 2004 has been holding back real wages and well-being. The sustainability of economic expansion and further progress in living standards rest on boosting productivity growth, which is a key challenge for the coming years”.