SORRY SYMANTEC – ANTIVIRUS IS NOT DEAD

Features: May 1st, 2015

In this article Adam Winn argues that the internet has not become a safe place as some in the cyber security industry claim. But he has good news about how to counter the continuing threats.

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DE-CONGESTION BRITAIN: SMARTER SOLUTIONS TO EASE THE TRAFFIC PROBLEM

Features: April 28th, 2015

As the Government embarks on an £11 billion road revolution Graham Bradley discusses how Smart Motorways can significantly reduce congestion on our roads.

In 2014, the average British driver spent 124 hours stuck in gridlock, according to research carried out by INRIX and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr). And as populations and global urbanisation continue to grow these figures are only set to get worse. In fact, London alone is set to see a 20 per cent population increase, rising from 8.4 million people in 2013 to 10.1 million in 2030, and the UK population as a whole predicted to grow by 12 per cent in 2030.

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PROTECTING CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE FROM THREATS

Features: April 24th, 2015

Attacks on critical infrastructure systems are becoming more sophisticated and digital control systems are becoming more complicated. In this article Tony Berning discusses how security policies can address the inclusion of portable media.

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PUTTING FRESH THINKING INTO THE EARLY HELP AGENDA

Features: April 17th, 2015

As the first in a series of new guidance is released to help frontline staff identify families in need of early intervention, Phil Neal shares the thoughts of senior leaders in the children’s services arena on the challenges and opportunities delivering the early help agenda presents.

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ENHANCING YOUR END-TO-END WORKFLOW WITH MOBILE TECHNOLOGY

Features: April 10th, 2015

In this feature John Cameron explain how mobile technology is changing the role of those who work away from the base whether in the private or public sectors.

Mobile technology is redefining the workday as field technicians increasingly leverage mobile devices for tasks that previously required time-intensive phone calls and paperwork. Today this technology is helping to streamline workflow by mitigating daily challenges that used to derail even the best laid plans. In a recent Aberdeen study, 82 per cent of organisations identified mobility as a strategic initiative to gather real-time intelligence for issue resolution. Clearly, this technology offers significant benefits in enhancing end-to-end processes. The following are five ways we see mobility transforming the workday:

1. Operational Efficiency

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SMART TECHNOLOGY BOOSTS SAFETY ON MOTORWAYS

Features: March 27th, 2015

Smart technology accounts for a tiny percentage of the Highways Agency’s budget, but without it, flagship schemes such as Smart Motorways, which improve safety and boost road capacity, wouldn’t be possible.

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GENERATION CHANGE IN FIELD SERVICE STAFF

Features: March 6th, 2015

John Cameron looks at the changes taking place in field service as a younger generation moves in.

The field service industry has, in previous years, been a subject of concern for having an ageing workforce and the implications this has as those with such great knowledge and experience reach retirement age. However, as the industry continues to evolve, a major trend has been the emergence of young, tech-savvy and collaborative workers. Indeed, according to Aberdeen Group’s latest report, ‘Emerging Workforce in the field: Tech-savvy to technician’, approximately one-fifth of the current workforce is under 30, with the average age of a field service technician being 32 years old. Field service organisations must therefore recognise what the needs and motivations of this new, up and coming workforce are, in order to keep them for the long haul as well as to attract the next pool of young talent.

Flexibility and Mobility

Technology is overwhelmingly recognised as an aid to achieving key strategic objectives. It is therefore important for organisations to understand how the influx of young workers use, process and engage with technology. A key factor to consider is flexibility and mobility. Tech-savvy workers do not want to be tied down by old, legacy technologies. They want the freedom to engage with the latest advances and utilise technologies they are used to in their personal lives. As a result, the mobile landscape for field service organisations is evolving and the ‘emerging worker’ is helping to speed up this transformation.

There has been much debate in the sector around ‘Bring Your Own Device’ strategies, where employees have the ability to connect their own technical devices, such as smartphones, laptops and tablets, to their company’s network instead of using a device owned by the company. BYOD is considered by many as being the only way forward for businesses looking to compete effectively and offer the most efficient customer service and increased employee satisfaction.

Aberdeen Group’s report found that 62 per cent of the top performing field service organisations have incorporated a BYOD strategy as a result of a more tech-savvy workforce and 43 per cent are more likely to give technicians access to social media and collaborative tools to facilitate knowledge transfer.

Visibility and collaboration

A major characteristic that the emerging field service workforce encompasses is the ability to be collaborative, and this is a trait that will help transform service and the relationship with the customer. Organisations must therefore capitalise on this by developing the collaborative tools needed to help the workforce perform as experts in the field and resolve customer needs as quickly as possible.

Collaborative tools, such as smartphones, tablets and laptops offer users the chance to take advantage of mobile apps. There are a number of bespoke mobile apps on the market today that are tailored to help manage a field service operation and simplify business processes.

Indeed, mobile apps offer technicians the ability to share, store and view job data while out in the field, providing them with a virtual link to the back office. Critical information such as daily tasks, customer histories and billing can be accessed on demand. Furthermore, locations of nearby teammates can be retrieved on a mobile device and a real-time connection provided through social networking, enabling them to seek assistance or help resolving a problem, if needed.

By having the tools and capabilities to work more collaboratively, and having access to real-time insight, empowers the workforce to make more strategic decisions. The speed of communication via social and mobile allow them to solve problems more quickly and ensures resolution is not delayed because of lack of information. They can easily recruit help from peers and are better enabled to reach appointments on-time and achieve first-time case resolution, leading to increased customer satisfaction and worker productivity whilst reducing operational costs.

An additional advantage of recruiting workers that are already well equipped to use mobility solutions, such as smartphones and social networking, is that they are well placed to provide teach and learn sessions for other workers. The adoption of mobility solutions can then be replicated throughout the entire workforce.

Customer service excellence evolves with the emerging worker
According to the Aberdeen Group, the next generation of workers will be different and when it comes to the evolution of excellent service, they may just be what is needed to wow future customers.

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LEVERAGING THE POWER OF PROCUREMENT TO DEMONSTRATE GENUINE VALUE

Features: February 27th, 2015

In this feature Nigel Crunden explores the wider issues of public sector procurement beyond the process of acquiring goods, works and services.

The UK public sector spends around £23bn each year on the procurement of goods, works and services, which accounts for around a third of overall public sector expenditure. Public sector procurement is therefore a business function that directly impacts on performance and, ultimately, the service offered to end users.

Consequently, procurement decisions and processes have a major influence on best practice across a range of government departments and functions. Therefore, focusing on value for money and efficiency can help ensure that this influence is a positive one. By leading in this way, public procurement can also influence firms’ future investment decisions in equipment, jobs and training. The individual supply chain partners of government departments can play a major role in helping achieve this – indeed, those suppliers that don’t already should be challenging themselves to provide added-value advice and guidance over and above simply providing products and services.

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GETTING SMARTER COUNCIL BILL PAYMENT

Features: February 23rd, 2015

This feature describes how West Devon Borough Council developed barcoded billing for the payment of Council bills and replaced swipecards.

The Council worked in partnership with allpay and introduced an International Issuer Identification Number (IIN), which gave the council flexibility to introduce further schemes requiring extended customer references. In addition, the Council saved money by utilising allpay’s internal service codes, instead of having to purchase these through the Post Office. The barcode solution went live in March 2014, allowing West Devon’s residents to pay their council tax at any PayPoint or Post Office – which increased the number of outlets where residents could pay previously. The contract has also been structured to provide a commercial incentive for West Devon’s neighbouring authority, South Hams District Council, to utilise the service.

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BRITAIN IN BLOOM –IT’S ALL ABOUT PEOPLE

Features: February 13th, 2015

Britain in Bloom’s strength is the impact it has on communities says Patience Atkinson-Gregory of horticultural manufacturer Amberol.

The Britain in Bloom and It’s Your Neighbourhood campaigns have quite literally changed the British landscape – they are about so much more than flowers and plants or winning prizes. At the heart of these initiatives is a strong desire to improve the communities where people live and work, aesthetically, culturally and socially.

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