There is always speculation on which marketing tools and tactics will be popular in the future. But how will tomorrow’s work environment influence B2B marketing strategy? #FutureOf
THE FOURTH 4 TH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION’S EFFECT ON THE ENTERPRISE CYBER STRATEGYIJMIT JOURNAL
The Fourth (4th) Industrial Revolution represents the profound advancement of technology that will likely transform the boundaries between the digital and physical worlds in modern society. The impact of advance technology will disrupt almost every aspect of business and government communities alike. In the past few years, the advancement of information technologies has opened the door to artificial intelligence (AI), block chain technologies, robotics, virtual reality and the possibility of quantum computing being released in the commercial sector. The use of these innovative technologies will likely impact society by leveraging modern technological platforms such as cloud computing and AI. This also includes the release of 5G network technologies by Internet Service Providers (ISP) beginning in 2019. Networks that rely upon 5G technologies in combination with cloud computing platforms will open the door allow greater innovations and change the nature of how work is performed in the 4th Industrial Revolution.
Home Offices Made a Reality with the Secure Remote Access Solution HOB RD VPNHOB
Mobile working also from home offices are gaining more and more popularity. But if employees are remotely accessing critical company resources, it is crucial to garantee data security. The e-book reveals, how you can enable your employee easly, fast and secure remote working from their home offices with the secure remote access solution HOB RD VPN.
Raising the Bar: Recruiting Success Stories with City and County of San Franc...LinkedIn Talent Solutions
For state and local government organizations, sourcing and hiring top administrators and staff is no easy feat. Budget limitations, countless stakeholders, and difficulty finding the right candidates all contribute to the unique complexities facing talent professionals recruiting for government roles.
LinkedIn Talent Solutions offers a full suite of tools to help you find, attract, and place top candidates. Contact us to learn more:http://bit.ly/1qt5Ziu
Creating construction apprenticeships for young people. There is need to create construction apprenticeship schemes for young people. There are too many NEETS and yet there is big opportunities for employment in the construction sector.
There is always speculation on which marketing tools and tactics will be popular in the future. But how will tomorrow’s work environment influence B2B marketing strategy? #FutureOf
THE FOURTH 4 TH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION’S EFFECT ON THE ENTERPRISE CYBER STRATEGYIJMIT JOURNAL
The Fourth (4th) Industrial Revolution represents the profound advancement of technology that will likely transform the boundaries between the digital and physical worlds in modern society. The impact of advance technology will disrupt almost every aspect of business and government communities alike. In the past few years, the advancement of information technologies has opened the door to artificial intelligence (AI), block chain technologies, robotics, virtual reality and the possibility of quantum computing being released in the commercial sector. The use of these innovative technologies will likely impact society by leveraging modern technological platforms such as cloud computing and AI. This also includes the release of 5G network technologies by Internet Service Providers (ISP) beginning in 2019. Networks that rely upon 5G technologies in combination with cloud computing platforms will open the door allow greater innovations and change the nature of how work is performed in the 4th Industrial Revolution.
Home Offices Made a Reality with the Secure Remote Access Solution HOB RD VPNHOB
Mobile working also from home offices are gaining more and more popularity. But if employees are remotely accessing critical company resources, it is crucial to garantee data security. The e-book reveals, how you can enable your employee easly, fast and secure remote working from their home offices with the secure remote access solution HOB RD VPN.
Raising the Bar: Recruiting Success Stories with City and County of San Franc...LinkedIn Talent Solutions
For state and local government organizations, sourcing and hiring top administrators and staff is no easy feat. Budget limitations, countless stakeholders, and difficulty finding the right candidates all contribute to the unique complexities facing talent professionals recruiting for government roles.
LinkedIn Talent Solutions offers a full suite of tools to help you find, attract, and place top candidates. Contact us to learn more:http://bit.ly/1qt5Ziu
Creating construction apprenticeships for young people. There is need to create construction apprenticeship schemes for young people. There are too many NEETS and yet there is big opportunities for employment in the construction sector.
The factors that influence the way we work are diverse: they include technology, politics, society the environment and more besides. Any serious attempt to predict the future of work must therefore draw on many disciplines and incorporate many points of view.
That is the guiding principle behind this research project, conducted by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) and sponsored by Ricoh Europe. The project began with a series of interviews with experts in fields ranging from economics to ergnomics, to identify the key trends in the next 10 to 15 years.
Experts at Deloitte India identified seven key learnings relevant to the acceleration of Future of Work in India. As conclusive remarks, they also have presented what a COVID adjusted strategy could look like for any organisation looking to embrace the Future of Work. See More : https://www2.deloitte.com/in/en.html
Entrepreneurship: Flourishing in tough conditionsRegus
Given the key importance of entrepreneurship within the economy and even inside single businesses, Regus commissioned research canvassing the opinions of over 19,000 business managers and owners globally asking them about the state of entrepreneurship in their sector and which measures help boost innovation.
A Spanner In The Works: What Next For The UK Construction Industry?Amelia Green
* 43% of our respondents believe skills shortages constitute the most pressing concern for the construction industry sector.
* 40% of UK construction workers are set to retire in the next 15-20 years.
* 72% of our respondents feel concerned about the impact of Brexit
Résultats de la 19 ème enquête mondiale sur les tendances de l'emploi réalisée auprès des clients du réseau de Cabinets de Recrutements Antal International
How important a consideration is ‘building trust’ in your brand’s marketing? And what role does content play in this?
Hosted by Jill Schlesinger, Business Analyst, CBS News, our panel of opinion leaders will help the global financial services marketing community triangulate their trust decisions, incorporating:
• Media Trust: Deidre H. Campbell, Global Chair, Financial Services Sector, Edelman on its new research findings.
• Marketing Trust: Jennifer Grazel, Global Director, Vertical Marketing, LinkedIn Marketing Solutions: Financial Services on the considerations for marketing trust.
• Financial Trust: Is there a trust gap between fintech challengers and incumbent brands? Clayton Ruebensaal, VP of Global Marketing for American Express, and Elyssa Gray, VP of Brand for Betterment discuss.
New solid-state batteries offer safer, higher performance than existing options and become viable options for use across multiple sectors. Competitive pricing and proactive policymaking accelerate global uptake.
This foresight is part of the World in 2030 project exploring the key global shifts for the next decade - https://www.futureagenda.org/the-world-in-2030/
Battery development has become a priority area for a broadening range of companies in recent years. Significant investment is underway as a number of new technologies compete for fast-growing markets. Five years ago, we identified that energy storage was the missing piece of the renewables jigsaw: “If solved, it can enable truly distributed solar energy as well as accelerate the electrification of the transport industry.” Today, as economies focus on faster decarbonisation and increasing electrification, particularly in transportation, the speed of new battery development has become a central issue for many researchers, policy makers, investors and companies.
Why is this? If we can get significantly more energy from a lighter, more compact, but affordable battery then the implications are enormous. Not only will this accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles by extending their range and providing a cheap way to store renewable, particularly low cost solar, energy, but it will also release a host of new developments in other areas from wearable electronics to electric planes, drones and scooters.
Given the demand for high performing batteries is building, it is hardly surprising that there is as much focus today on creating the batteries of tomorrow as there was when the first rechargeable battery was invented 160 years ago: according to a USPTO search in the past decade or so over 200,000 battery related patents have been issued. The rush to deliver the next generation technology is bringing together a host of new partnerships and foremost in many discussions is the potential impact of solid-state batteries. Within the next decade these could become the catalysts for substantial and lasting change across many sectors.
CBS Butler have sponsored the 2019 Engineering Salary Survey produced in partnership with the Engineer. The latest Engineering Salary Survey is a way for current engineers and those who are looking to find work in engineering to know the salary averages that roles and positions are now offering job seekers. For more info visit the website at https://www.cbsbutler.com/blog/2019/06/engineering-salary-survey-2019-guide
Our presentation at the 55th annual Candian Economics Association conference by our economist Graham Dobbs on the changing occupational structures and COVID-19's impacts.
Future of Work
The future of work is increasingly uncertain. What is clear is that we are in the midst of a major transformation driven by multiple drivers of change. How individuals, companies, cities and governments respond to the upcoming shifts will be pivotal for future economic and social wellbeing, but this is far from straightforward. Some major decisions lie ahead.
Ahead of a speech to MPs in London next month and several subsequent expert discussions, this is a point of view on how, where and why the future of work is in flux.
It explores three key drivers of change as leaders around the world view it – shifting demographics, technology innovation and the organisational response. In addition, we have highlighted several areas where new policy decisions need to be made.
Global cement magazine TOM feature article June 2018Angus Maclean
"Realising potential from quarry to lorry".
Cement producers around the world have been on a cost-cutting drive over the past decade due to the global economic conditions and overcapacity in many markets. Once
all costs have been cut, what else can be done? Now the largest groups are looking more deeply at how their plants operate to understand, optimise and unify their assets globally, often across wide technological and cultural divides. To find out more, Global Cement recently spoke to Angus Maclean of management consulting firm Proudfoot about the company’s Target Operating Model (TOM) tool for group-wide optimisation.
Federal Reserve White Paper on ManufacturingDavid Crace
Resource document on the manufacturing industry over the last 20 years. Very insightful perspective, facts and figures on the impact of offshoring, efficiency gains, etc.
Future of Work
The future of work is increasingly uncertain. What is clear is that we are in the midst of a major transformation driven by multiple drivers of change. How individuals, companies, cities and governments respond to the upcoming shifts will be pivotal for future economic and social wellbeing, but this is far from straightforward. Some major decisions lie ahead.
Ahead of speeches in London, Kuala Lumpur and several subsequent expert discussions, this is a point of view on how, where and why the future of work is in flux.
It explores three key drivers of change as leaders around the world view it – shifting demographics, technology innovation and the organisational response. In addition, we have highlighted several areas where new policy decisions need to be made.
The full text of the talk and more details are available on https://www.futureagenda.org/news/future-of-work
An accompanying infographic is also on
https://www.futureagenda.org/news/future-of-work1
The factors that influence the way we work are diverse: they include technology, politics, society the environment and more besides. Any serious attempt to predict the future of work must therefore draw on many disciplines and incorporate many points of view.
That is the guiding principle behind this research project, conducted by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) and sponsored by Ricoh Europe. The project began with a series of interviews with experts in fields ranging from economics to ergnomics, to identify the key trends in the next 10 to 15 years.
Experts at Deloitte India identified seven key learnings relevant to the acceleration of Future of Work in India. As conclusive remarks, they also have presented what a COVID adjusted strategy could look like for any organisation looking to embrace the Future of Work. See More : https://www2.deloitte.com/in/en.html
Entrepreneurship: Flourishing in tough conditionsRegus
Given the key importance of entrepreneurship within the economy and even inside single businesses, Regus commissioned research canvassing the opinions of over 19,000 business managers and owners globally asking them about the state of entrepreneurship in their sector and which measures help boost innovation.
A Spanner In The Works: What Next For The UK Construction Industry?Amelia Green
* 43% of our respondents believe skills shortages constitute the most pressing concern for the construction industry sector.
* 40% of UK construction workers are set to retire in the next 15-20 years.
* 72% of our respondents feel concerned about the impact of Brexit
Résultats de la 19 ème enquête mondiale sur les tendances de l'emploi réalisée auprès des clients du réseau de Cabinets de Recrutements Antal International
How important a consideration is ‘building trust’ in your brand’s marketing? And what role does content play in this?
Hosted by Jill Schlesinger, Business Analyst, CBS News, our panel of opinion leaders will help the global financial services marketing community triangulate their trust decisions, incorporating:
• Media Trust: Deidre H. Campbell, Global Chair, Financial Services Sector, Edelman on its new research findings.
• Marketing Trust: Jennifer Grazel, Global Director, Vertical Marketing, LinkedIn Marketing Solutions: Financial Services on the considerations for marketing trust.
• Financial Trust: Is there a trust gap between fintech challengers and incumbent brands? Clayton Ruebensaal, VP of Global Marketing for American Express, and Elyssa Gray, VP of Brand for Betterment discuss.
New solid-state batteries offer safer, higher performance than existing options and become viable options for use across multiple sectors. Competitive pricing and proactive policymaking accelerate global uptake.
This foresight is part of the World in 2030 project exploring the key global shifts for the next decade - https://www.futureagenda.org/the-world-in-2030/
Battery development has become a priority area for a broadening range of companies in recent years. Significant investment is underway as a number of new technologies compete for fast-growing markets. Five years ago, we identified that energy storage was the missing piece of the renewables jigsaw: “If solved, it can enable truly distributed solar energy as well as accelerate the electrification of the transport industry.” Today, as economies focus on faster decarbonisation and increasing electrification, particularly in transportation, the speed of new battery development has become a central issue for many researchers, policy makers, investors and companies.
Why is this? If we can get significantly more energy from a lighter, more compact, but affordable battery then the implications are enormous. Not only will this accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles by extending their range and providing a cheap way to store renewable, particularly low cost solar, energy, but it will also release a host of new developments in other areas from wearable electronics to electric planes, drones and scooters.
Given the demand for high performing batteries is building, it is hardly surprising that there is as much focus today on creating the batteries of tomorrow as there was when the first rechargeable battery was invented 160 years ago: according to a USPTO search in the past decade or so over 200,000 battery related patents have been issued. The rush to deliver the next generation technology is bringing together a host of new partnerships and foremost in many discussions is the potential impact of solid-state batteries. Within the next decade these could become the catalysts for substantial and lasting change across many sectors.
CBS Butler have sponsored the 2019 Engineering Salary Survey produced in partnership with the Engineer. The latest Engineering Salary Survey is a way for current engineers and those who are looking to find work in engineering to know the salary averages that roles and positions are now offering job seekers. For more info visit the website at https://www.cbsbutler.com/blog/2019/06/engineering-salary-survey-2019-guide
Our presentation at the 55th annual Candian Economics Association conference by our economist Graham Dobbs on the changing occupational structures and COVID-19's impacts.
Future of Work
The future of work is increasingly uncertain. What is clear is that we are in the midst of a major transformation driven by multiple drivers of change. How individuals, companies, cities and governments respond to the upcoming shifts will be pivotal for future economic and social wellbeing, but this is far from straightforward. Some major decisions lie ahead.
Ahead of a speech to MPs in London next month and several subsequent expert discussions, this is a point of view on how, where and why the future of work is in flux.
It explores three key drivers of change as leaders around the world view it – shifting demographics, technology innovation and the organisational response. In addition, we have highlighted several areas where new policy decisions need to be made.
Global cement magazine TOM feature article June 2018Angus Maclean
"Realising potential from quarry to lorry".
Cement producers around the world have been on a cost-cutting drive over the past decade due to the global economic conditions and overcapacity in many markets. Once
all costs have been cut, what else can be done? Now the largest groups are looking more deeply at how their plants operate to understand, optimise and unify their assets globally, often across wide technological and cultural divides. To find out more, Global Cement recently spoke to Angus Maclean of management consulting firm Proudfoot about the company’s Target Operating Model (TOM) tool for group-wide optimisation.
Federal Reserve White Paper on ManufacturingDavid Crace
Resource document on the manufacturing industry over the last 20 years. Very insightful perspective, facts and figures on the impact of offshoring, efficiency gains, etc.
Future of Work
The future of work is increasingly uncertain. What is clear is that we are in the midst of a major transformation driven by multiple drivers of change. How individuals, companies, cities and governments respond to the upcoming shifts will be pivotal for future economic and social wellbeing, but this is far from straightforward. Some major decisions lie ahead.
Ahead of speeches in London, Kuala Lumpur and several subsequent expert discussions, this is a point of view on how, where and why the future of work is in flux.
It explores three key drivers of change as leaders around the world view it – shifting demographics, technology innovation and the organisational response. In addition, we have highlighted several areas where new policy decisions need to be made.
The full text of the talk and more details are available on https://www.futureagenda.org/news/future-of-work
An accompanying infographic is also on
https://www.futureagenda.org/news/future-of-work1
- Coverage of M&T's DIVERSITY event at the Sydney Opera House featuring the Hon. Anna Bligh.
- Hiring trends in the Business Intelligence and Information Management space, commentary by BI specialist, Tom Sweeney. Includes breakdown of most in-demand roles in the space, cotnract vs permanent, industries.
- How labour trends are looking like for all Australian regions, as seen by our Regional Directors.
- A look at ING Direct's innovative Zero Touch Project, it's very own private cloud that leads all Australian banks.
- Laura Hanson, M&T's Account Manager in Queensland updates on her latest IT Healhcare Workshop which featured Patrick Lilwall, CIO of Blue Care and Dean Dimkim from Queensland Health.
- Labour trends in the past quarter, including most in-deamdn contract roles, permanent roles and highest paid permanent roles.
Disruptive changes to business models will have a profound
impact on the employment landscape over the coming
years. Many of the major drivers of transformation currently
affecting global industries are expected to have a significant
impact on jobs, ranging from significant job creation to job
displacement, and from heightened labour productivity to
widening skills gaps. In many industries and countries, the
most in-demand occupations or specialties did not exist
10 or even five years ago, and the pace of change is set
to accelerate.
Attract, Hire and Retain Skilled Talent
Cranes, forklifts and cement mixers are a harbinger of economic growth. By these indicators and others, the construction industry is booming.
Resist the urge to react too hastily to major change — or to use it as an excuse not to take action. Focus instead on making the fundamental strategic choices necessary to strengthen your business.
Check out some great insights into technology and business employment market, along with some M&T Resources news.
A few highlights of this issue:
• Our Managing Director’s outlook on the new year, technology trends, encouraging uptake of IT, importance of culture for retention.
• Regional Directors in ACT, NSW, QLD and VIC talk about most actively hiring industries, exciting projects in each regions, typical hiring challenges, what to look forward to and more.
• Most in-demand contract and permanent roles.
• Highest paid permanent roles.
• Most actively hiring industries.
• Key senior hires.
• Industry news.
PSD Group IT & Business Change - 2013 Salary Survey & Employment Trends Report. For more information go to:
http://www.psdgroup.com/IT_Business_Change_Salary_Survey_Employment_Trends.aspx
Digital technologies are converging in a way that will disrupt every industry within the next 10 years. The best response is not to react in haste, or to be complacent, but to be coherent: to develop a solid strategic identity, grounded in your own digitally enabled capabilities.
06-04-2024 - NYC Tech Week - Discussion on Vector Databases, Unstructured Data and AI
Round table discussion of vector databases, unstructured data, ai, big data, real-time, robots and Milvus.
A lively discussion with NJ Gen AI Meetup Lead, Prasad and Procure.FYI's Co-Found
Chatty Kathy - UNC Bootcamp Final Project Presentation - Final Version - 5.23...John Andrews
SlideShare Description for "Chatty Kathy - UNC Bootcamp Final Project Presentation"
Title: Chatty Kathy: Enhancing Physical Activity Among Older Adults
Description:
Discover how Chatty Kathy, an innovative project developed at the UNC Bootcamp, aims to tackle the challenge of low physical activity among older adults. Our AI-driven solution uses peer interaction to boost and sustain exercise levels, significantly improving health outcomes. This presentation covers our problem statement, the rationale behind Chatty Kathy, synthetic data and persona creation, model performance metrics, a visual demonstration of the project, and potential future developments. Join us for an insightful Q&A session to explore the potential of this groundbreaking project.
Project Team: Jay Requarth, Jana Avery, John Andrews, Dr. Dick Davis II, Nee Buntoum, Nam Yeongjin & Mat Nicholas
Show drafts
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Empowering the Data Analytics Ecosystem: A Laser Focus on Value
The data analytics ecosystem thrives when every component functions at its peak, unlocking the true potential of data. Here's a laser focus on key areas for an empowered ecosystem:
1. Democratize Access, Not Data:
Granular Access Controls: Provide users with self-service tools tailored to their specific needs, preventing data overload and misuse.
Data Catalogs: Implement robust data catalogs for easy discovery and understanding of available data sources.
2. Foster Collaboration with Clear Roles:
Data Mesh Architecture: Break down data silos by creating a distributed data ownership model with clear ownership and responsibilities.
Collaborative Workspaces: Utilize interactive platforms where data scientists, analysts, and domain experts can work seamlessly together.
3. Leverage Advanced Analytics Strategically:
AI-powered Automation: Automate repetitive tasks like data cleaning and feature engineering, freeing up data talent for higher-level analysis.
Right-Tool Selection: Strategically choose the most effective advanced analytics techniques (e.g., AI, ML) based on specific business problems.
4. Prioritize Data Quality with Automation:
Automated Data Validation: Implement automated data quality checks to identify and rectify errors at the source, minimizing downstream issues.
Data Lineage Tracking: Track the flow of data throughout the ecosystem, ensuring transparency and facilitating root cause analysis for errors.
5. Cultivate a Data-Driven Mindset:
Metrics-Driven Performance Management: Align KPIs and performance metrics with data-driven insights to ensure actionable decision making.
Data Storytelling Workshops: Equip stakeholders with the skills to translate complex data findings into compelling narratives that drive action.
Benefits of a Precise Ecosystem:
Sharpened Focus: Precise access and clear roles ensure everyone works with the most relevant data, maximizing efficiency.
Actionable Insights: Strategic analytics and automated quality checks lead to more reliable and actionable data insights.
Continuous Improvement: Data-driven performance management fosters a culture of learning and continuous improvement.
Sustainable Growth: Empowered by data, organizations can make informed decisions to drive sustainable growth and innovation.
By focusing on these precise actions, organizations can create an empowered data analytics ecosystem that delivers real value by driving data-driven decisions and maximizing the return on their data investment.
Transforming Construction - Bricks and Mortar - whitepaper
1. By Paul Scales, Principal Consultant
Transforming Construction:
Bricks and Mortar… and Data
WHITEPAPER
2. In construction, some things never change.
Not least, we will always feel the need to reshape
our cityscapes to match shifting ways of living and
working.
And of course, there’s the perennial question of
the UK’s residential property shortage. It has been
there for as long as anyone can remember - and
despite the government’s lofty aspirations to get
300k new-builds off the ground each year, we all
know that the shortfall isn’t going anywhere soon.
But other things do change. Seemingly rock-solid
operators can collapse overnight. Firms can find
themselves facing recruitment crises. And, as we
lurch from one Brexit impasse to the next, we don’t
need reminding that political curveballs can leave
supply lines, projects and entire business models
suddenly in a state of huge uncertainty.
It is impossible to make those curveballs disappear.
But it is possible to find better ways to manage
uncertainty - and to identify and mitigate risk. In
this regard, business leaders are frequently advised
to become more ‘data-driven’ in their approach to
decision making.
The construction industry isn’t exactly renowned
for being a prime candidate for technical
transformation. Indeed, seasoned industry leaders
would be forgiven for thinking that the likes of
Business Intelligence and data analysis “isn’t for the
likes of us”.
The reality looks very different. Over the last five
years, I’ve worked with organisations from all
quarters of this sector - from housebuilders through
to infrastructure specialists. Two things stand out:
first off, there’s a real appetite for better ways of
managing operational risk. And secondly, the sector
as a whole is ripe for technical transformation and
investment.
The minutiae can vary - but companies from right
across the construction sector tend to experience
similar problems. Based on my own experience and
that of my colleagues - as well as discussions with
industry insiders, we’ve identified the four most
significant and commonly faced problems.
Here’s a closer look at those issues - together with
our own view on how transformative technology
and data-driven decision making can better equip
businesses for managing the challenges ahead.
WHITEPAPER
3. Problem 1: The Workforce
The simple fact is that we need people on the
ground.
In the UK, the construction industry employs an
estimated 2.9 million people. To put it in perspective,
that’s 1 in 10 of the UK workforce.
Let’s say that just 5 percent of your employees
retire or otherwise leave your company each year.
Multiply this right across the industry - and it means
that nationwide, more than 145,000 new starters
are needed annually, just to cover natural workforce
depletion.
This in itself isn’t a problem so long as the depletion
rate remains steady - and if companies can count on
a steady flow of new talent to fill their staffing gaps
as and when they arise.
But of course, both through anecdotal evidence and a
slew of research from across the sector, it’s clear that
something is already going wrong on the staffing
front. Some of the most recent surveys suggest that
more than half of companies say they are impacted
by growing skills shortages and
1 in 20 firms say their workforce
“doesn’t have the necessary skills
for now or the future”.
Multiple factors are driving the
shortfall. And the bad news is
that this situation looks set to
escalate.
Here are three reasons why:
1. Increased demand
While certain sub-sectors may be sluggish at
present (e.g. commercial and London residential),
it seems that this is more than offset by key
hotspots of activity such as regional newbuilds and
infrastructure projects. Demand for certain on-site
occupations far outstrip availability. For instance,
recent GLA figures showed that demand for plant
mechanics, scaffolders and bricklayers was 300
percent higher than 2015 employment levels.
2. The Demographic Timebomb
Those seasoned employees and contractors who
form the bedrock of your business: they’re not
going to be around forever. The Labour Force
Survey (2016 Q3) from the Office of National
Statistics tells us that the UK-born construction
workforce is heavily skewed towards the 45-and-
over age group. We’re about to hit a bulge - with
half a million workers due to retire from the
industry in the next decade. And the same research
shows that the sector as a whole has failed to
ensure the development of younger workers to
plug the gap.
Transforming Construction: Bricks and
Mortar… and Data
4. 3. The Brexit Effect
A recent poll of EU nationals working in
construction reveals that one in three workers have
considered leaving the UK because of Brexit. Seven
percent of construction workers in the country
as a whole - and over a quarter of the capital’s
workforce - come from EU member states. Even
with a relatively ‘smooth’ political negotiation, the
industry could still be facing a mini-exodus, and
with it, inevitable added pressure on the staffing
front.
Meeting the Challenge: HR
Transformation in Action
If critical staffing issues are going to be averted,
then certain things have to change.
Workplace culture and diversity is one area where
steady change is already happening. For instance,
just three years ago, women represented 1 in 9
members of the workforce. As misconceptions
about gender specific roles are slowly diminished,
this ratio is set to shift, with one estimate
suggesting that women will make up a quarter of
the workforce by 2020.
If you want to avoid shortfalls, you need a new
approach to recruitment. Part of this may involve
an emphasis on employer branding – to ensure that
your public face appeals to as wide a proportion of
the potential talent pool as possible.
Alongside this, it’s also true that if you see
a recruitment crisis looming, you have the
opportunity to take targeted steps to prevent it.
Progressive companies are looking at smarter ways
to predict and anticipate staffing problems. This is
the essence of HR Analytics.
The HR departments I have spoken to know all
too well that the workforce is changing. They are
putting strategies in place to encourage retention,
improve recruitment and up-skill current staff.
However, the same HR departments are often
unsure whether those strategies are enough – and
how, when and where they should be focusing their
efforts. This is where HR Analytics is making a huge
difference.
Enabling you to drill down on data relating to areas
such as productivity, retention and likely retirement
dates on a role-by-role basis, HR Analytics gives
you a handle on the status of your biggest asset:
your people. So let’s say you embark on a strategy
to equip newly-qualified carpenters with next-level
City & Guilds qualifications. You can compare your
metrics before and after implementation of that
strategy to gauge its effectiveness.
Through deployment of HR Analytics, one of our
customers was able to identify a very specific
retention problem: the majority of their leavers
were those employees who had been with the
company for less than two years.
In this example, the company realised that there
was something missing from their onboarding
strategy. This led them on a journey to focus on
refining recruitment for a better cultural fit, while
increasing the average number of training days
from 1.4 (the national average) to 3.2. Thanks to
these targeted remedial measures, the early-stage
churn rate was cut dramatically.
In another example, a customer identified a marked
spike in staff departure in the month prior to Year
End. The conclusion? The stress surrounding end-
of-year targets was simply too much to take for
too many staff members. The company moved to
change its culture and practices to fix this.
Transforming Construction: Bricks and
Mortar… and Data
5. Problem 2: The Squeezed Bottom Line
The ‘lowest bid wins’ approach has always been
problematic. It encourages participants to gamble
with uncertainty, to take a fast and loose approach
to the estimation process – and to slash their
profits.
Especially in the commercial building sector, I find
that companies are continually being squeezed by
fluctuating costs and pressure to submit ever-more
competitive tenders. Evidence bears this out, with
Mace Cost Consultancy predicting recently that
tender prices (i.e. the amount paid by the end client)
are unlikely to increase in the near future.
Meanwhile, considering the UK’s proposed
departure from the EU, businesses are likely to face
an increase in operating costs – not least, linked to
uncertainty surrounding access to both labour and
materials. Turner & Townsend’s recent International
Construction Market Survey suggests an increase in
construction costs of 2 to 3.8 percent for the UK as
a whole and 4.1 percent for London. Increase your
bid and risk losing the contract – or else cut your
profits: it’s an unenviable choice.
Technology doesn’t remove the perceived ‘race
to the bottom’ – but as I’ve seen from some of
the projects I have been involved with, it can be
invaluable for giving you a better understanding
of complex build projects. This is data-driven
decision making at its most valuable: it can prevent
you making the mistake of submitting tenders or
agreeing to undertakings that are simply not viable.
Value-added collaboration and data integration
The build department will have a plan for what’s
needed for completion of a project. Commercial,
sales, quality – and potentially a host of other
departments: typically they can all have their own
plans and priorities.
Problems can arise due to the siloed nature of
these teams. The absence of a central repository
for all data from all departments, individuals
working from out-of-date versions of documents,
discrepancies between data from different sources:
they all move you away from having a single
version of the truth.
Automated data integration is key to resolving this.
For instance, one of our clients found themselves
facing an issue with brickwork that looked set to
delay a plot completion by five weeks. These things
happen – but thanks to the automated integration
system in place, the client was able to substantially
minimise the impact. This included notifying
sales & marketing with a view to managing the
customer’s expectations, notifying procurement in
order to push back delivery of roof trusses – and
notifying finance so that cashflow forecasts were
automatically updated.
Scenario planning
The availability of more honest forecasts from
across the business gives senior management a
better understanding of the health of the company.
This same data can be put to work in Scenario
Planning: in other words, producing a range of
plausible futures, taking into account a potentially
huge range of variables. Once these paths have
been reviewed, senior leadership can then decide
on what it’s actually possible to change to ensure
that the business stays on the best possible path to
meet its goals.
Crucially, Scenario Analysis does not rely solely on
internal business data. For a full picture, market,
industry and other external data can also be
analysed through the same process for the fullest
possible view.
Transforming Construction: Bricks and
Mortar… and Data
6. Problem 3: Project Delays
Delays are a fact of life. Sub-contractors will fail to
turn up – and the elements will let you down. Tech
cannot change this – but it can help you deal with
its ramifications in such a way as to minimise the
impact on your business.
According to McKinsey & Co, for major projects,
an overrun of 20 months is the industry norm.
Collectively, project-specific delays and spiralling
costs tend to represent the biggest squeeze on
profitability.
As a rule, the earlier issues can be identified, the
quicker your people can react – maximising the
chances of cost minimisation.
For this, many of the customers I work with
successfully deploy Viewpoint Field View. For
instance, with one particular customer, we created
a Production Progress form, which captured
actual current build stages and integrated the
results into their Production Planning Software.
This meant that the staff running the project
could keep management fully updated on project
progress in real time. Delays, divergences, the
need to reformulate costings: the customer gets
full visibility on all of this as soon as it becomes an
issue.
The same tech can also be used to actively reduce
the chances of delays happening in the first
place. For instance, another client is using the
collaborative capabilities of Field View to reduce the
time between materials requests and approvals.
Armed with a tablet, a manager on the ground
can instantly submit their request. This is then
automatically integrated to the Enterprise Resource
Planning tool, whereby an authorised buyer is
notified immediately.
The buyer then reviews, approves (or rejects) the
request. It ensures a clear audit trail between
request and approval, while reducing the length of
the authorisation process from hours or days – to
minutes.
Beyond the need to keep individual projects on
track, the ability to capture on-site data concerning
the most commonly-encountered snags helps you
spot patterns across the business – thereby arming
you with the intel you need to tweak existing
processes for maximum efficiency.
Problem 4: Ensuring Quality
Sub-par outcomes can do critical damage to
your reputation. What’s more, with the proposed
establishment of a New Home Ombudsman (along
with the ability to order payouts of up to £50,000
to new buyers), builders could soon find themselves
facing much harsher sanctions if minimal standards
are not met.
Faced with the issues we have discussed already
– increased costs, talent shortages, delays and
continued pressure to drive efficiency - it can be an
uphill struggle to ensure that quality benchmarks
are met.
Data analysis can provide you with an early warning
system, flagging up potential deviations in the
build process. For instance, has productivity stalled
on a particular plot? Will an absence of sufficient
materials or manpower over a particular period
leave you precariously under-resourced? Based on
this information, measures can then be taken to
bring operations back to a normal condition.
Data can be used to capture the mistakes, to help
teach us the lessons we need to learn to deliver a
consistent and high-quality product; wherther that
be a young families first home or a Premiership
footballers penthouse.
Transforming Construction: Bricks and
Mortar… and Data
7. The future?
“The same safe haven as always, only cheaper”
In the aftermath of the Brexit vote, this was how
one Chinese investment specialist summed up their
attitude to the UK property market.
Whatever happens with the negotiations, few
would conclude that the sector is about to fall off
a cliff. That said, it’s fair to say that the issues we
have highlighted are likely to become more acute
for a lot of companies.
In response to this, we believe that the appetite for
greater levels of data-driven decision making will
only get stronger. The ability to crunch the numbers
has always been necessary for success in this
industry. Now is exactly the right time to embrace
new ways of doing it better.
Transforming Construction: Bricks and
Mortar… and Data
Sempre Analytics
Oriel House
26 The Quadrant
Richmond
TW9 1DL
020 3137 9944
info@sempreanalytics.com
www.sempreanalytics.com