Monthly Archives: November 2020

Cloud Migration, News

How a Hybrid Integration Platform Can Drive Innovation

Written by Asanka Abeysinghe, Chief Technology Evangelist at WSO2

Migrating to the cloud

Digital transformation and the transition to the cloud can deliver agility, profitability, new revenue streams and lead to exponential growth.  However, there are a number of challenges that can stop an enterprise from moving to a complete cloud solution. These include the need to adhere to data laws (where regulations and policies prevent companies from moving all their data into the cloud), the necessity of taking a phased approach to shifting existing systems in order to mitigate any negative impact on the business, and other requirements such as security and performance.

Moreover, the increasing complexity of integrating on-premises systems with cloud offerings—which include software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications, vast amounts of data, and an explosion of APIs—can overwhelm integration architects and developers. In this environment, connecting and standardising an organisation’s data and business processes, across its entire application landscape, places a significant strain on traditional technologies, methods, and abilities.

This is where a hybrid integration platform (HIP) can really help to accelerate technology changes, drive cloud adoption, and modernise integrations.  Let me give you an example – a large multinational sports shoe manufacturer provides ‘trainer aficionados’ mobile access to the brand’s premium training shoe lines via an app, which enables users to set notifications for upcoming releases and track their order status. The brand’s limited-edition shoes generate such demand that they tend to sell out instantly, making it crucial to have digital channels that can scale to bolster surging customer volumes. Also, owing to recent IoT initiatives, for example, information retrieved from sensors in running shoes and smartwatches, integration teams now have to deal with a massive increase in data from thousands of endpoints.

“In most cases, the traditional integration toolkit, a set of task-specific integration tools, is unable to address this level of complexity,” according to the ‘Smarter with Gartner’ article. “Organisations need to move toward what Gartner calls a hybrid integration platform or HIP.”  Gartner goes on to say that, “the HIP is the ‘home’ for all functionalities that ensure the smooth integration of multiple digital transformation initiatives in an organisation.”

 

What is a hybrid integration platform?

For those less familiar, hybrid integration is the information exchange between multiple applications that are on-premises and in the cloud; a HIP should easily and seamlessly integrate these applications to deliver business functionality. Ideally, it should also provide support for standard and proprietary protocols with minimum configuration.

Forrester describes HIPs as, “Technologies that simplify and reduce the cost of the development, testing, deployment, and maintenance of application and data interfaces.” Now, more than ever, HIPs are key to the success and the survival of an enterprise. Based on a recent study by Research and Markets, spending on hybrid integration platforms is expected to grow to $33.6 billion in 2022 from $17.14 billion in 2017, which is a CAGR of 14.4%. And, by 2022, Gartner expects 65% of large organisations will implement HIPs to power digital transformation efforts.

 

So, what are the benefits?

These platforms reduce development costs and speed integrating cloud and on-premises systems by providing a simplified development experience with built-in capabilities. They also provide secure communication between cloud and on-premises applications as well as well-designed SaaS application connectors and reusable integration templates for commonly used customer use cases.

Additionally, a HIP delivers the ability to seamlessly integrate on-premises systems with business partner systems, mobile applications, IoT devices, and SaaS applications. This eliminates the need to implement complicated integration scenarios from scratch. Companies can reuse platform-provided functionality to speed integration and reduce maintenance efforts.  Other benefits include faster data integrations because it breaks data silos.  Managed APIs that expose an organisation’s data with security and access controls to rapidly build their digital platforms, as well as managed cloud offerings that cater to an organisation’s business requirements.

 

What should you look for when evaluating the right HIP?

Choosing the right HIP can be challenging; here are some of the most important aspects to think about:

Application and data integration. One of the key aspects of a HIP is the ability to integrate different applications and data formats and standards to deliver business functionality. IDC expects 49% of the world’s stored data to reside in public cloud environments by 2025. The HIP should provide capabilities such as content-based routing, message transformation, and support for standard and well-known proprietary protocols. Moreover, the platform should be capable of handling data at rest and in transit, in the cloud, and on-premises.

Full API lifecycle management. APIs are key to modern integration requirements. An enterprise should select a full lifecycle API management solution that works well with middleware solutions. This will empower an organisation to publish, promote, version, and secure APIs, as well as manage their usage. For example in this Forbes post, enterprises with advanced API management processes experience up to 47% better business results as compared to enterprises with basic API management.

Cloud-Native Capabilities. Many organisations are moving to the cloud to lower staffing and infrastructure costs and to reap the benefits of cloud computing. However, to truly benefit from this, the selected integration platform should be lean and lightweight. Also, many integration solutions need additional support for deployment automation, scaling, containerised applications, and CI/CD workflows.

Managed file transfer capabilities. Managed file transfer (MFT) refers to a secure and efficient transfer of data from one system to another. This can be between cloud, on-premises, or cloud and on-premises instances. MFT solutions can take the form of on-premises software as well as SaaS solutions. Having this capability within the HIP eliminates the added cost brought on by integrating a separate tool.

More importantly, an enterprise should select a vendor that is completely aligned with the company’s digital strategy and will support its execution. One key aspect that is often overlooked is the strength of the vendor’s partner network and the quality of its consultants and supporting services. These aspects play a vital role throughout the lifespan of a project, from inception to maintaining the system once it goes live.

The cloud and a host of related technologies, which now underlies much of the internet, have enabled modern enterprises to leverage enhanced computing capabilities and break data silos, which is a key driver for digital transformation. Today, almost every organisation is in a hybrid state with multiple back-end systems, repositories, siloes, workloads in the cloud, and on-premises operations and the push for higher productivity continues to drive innovation. To fully realise all the competitive advantages that digital transformation can deliver, integration leaders should strategically implement the right HIP to ensure success.

Benefits, News, News for HRDs, Redundancy

Howden launches new redundancy service for employers as UK faces highest redundancy levels since 2009

Howden Employee Benefits & Wellbeing is launching a dedicated redundancy support service to help employers support workers being made redundant and equip them with information and practical advice delivered by impartial, independent experts to help them plan for the future.

New research from ACAS, the independent public body that offers employment advice reveals that more than a third of UK employers plan to make staff redundant over the next three months[i]. This follows recent news from the Office for National Statistics that redundancies have risen to their highest level since 2009[ii].

Howden’s new service enables employers to demonstrate a duty of care to employees being made redundant and send an unequivocal message to those remaining in the business that they care and are committed to looking after them.

For employees, the service includes a 90 minute virtual presentation focusing on the core areas of redundancy and offering practical tips, covering:

  • Being made redundant – what happens now?
  • Preparing for your financial future
  • Looking after your health & wellbeing
  • Securing a new job
  • Useful resources – signposting employees where to go for help

Every employee who attends the presentation will receive a guide packed full of tips and information to take away with them, giving them a lasting source of support.

Rob Atkins, Head of Workplace Savings and Education at Howden Employee Benefits & Wellbeing says, “The coronavirus pandemic has profoundly impacted UK businesses and led to unprecedented trading conditions, including closures to non-essential retail and hospitality during lockdown; declining turnover and low levels of consumer confidence.

“With the UK facing a winter of lockdowns and tight restrictions once again, many employers will be forced to make changes to their organisations and reduce their overheads. Unfortunately for many businesses making some staff redundant will be an inevitable consequence of the disruption and uncertainty.

‘’Our new redundancy service addresses the emotional and practical side of redundancy giving employees vital support and guidance to help them plan for the future. Providing employees with a live and interactive session ensures they have the ability to ask questions and discuss their concerns with independent and impartial experts as well as giving them useful support materials and resources to refer to afterwards”

The service also gives employees access to the mental health app, Havensrock Thrive for 12 months to help them proactively look after their mental health. This includes a wide range of wellbeing tools, support from online coaches and for employees who need long-term support, access to a RedArc mental health nurses.

Christine Husbands, Managing Director of RedArc added: “Employees made redundant can experience a wide range of emotions. Some will feel sad, others angry and many will be worried about the future. All of this can have a significant effect on physical and mental wellbeing, which is why we’ve included guidance and access to the Havensrock Thrive app to help employees manage their wellbeing at this difficult time.”

Rob Atkins adds, “Redundancies are challenging for any business and its employees. A successful redundancy programme is one that is not simply legally compliant but also manages the human aspects of the process. Looking after the health and mental wellbeing of those employees who are leaving the business ensures they have the vital support they need and the confidence to move on with their lives.”

For more information, please visit www.howdengroup.co.uk

[i] https://www.acas.org.uk/new-study-reveals-1-in-3-employers-are-likely-to-make-redundancies-over-the-next-3-months

[ii] https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/sep/15/uk-redundancies-rise-covid-young-workers

Awards, News, Science

Double the success for Genesis Biosciences at the inaugural Wales STEM Awards

Pioneering natural microbial and anti-microbial manufacturer, Genesis Biosciences, has won two Wales STEM Awards in the event’s inaugural year.

The Cardiff based global biosciences company was among 42 innovative businesses to be named finalists in this year’s highly anticipated awards, which celebrated those making a difference to, and championing, Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) in Wales. The winners were announced in a virtual ceremony hosted by Sian Lloyd on Thursday November 12th.

Genesis Biosciences enjoyed double the success at the inaugural awards, winning the Innovation in Science Award and the STEM Environmental Initiative of the Year for the company’s innovative Eco-Benign® products and commitment to revolutionising the cleaning industry through sustainability.

Genesis Biosciences is the first company to research, develop, manufacture and offer both natural microbial and antimicrobial products across several industries worldwide including Agriculture, FMCG, Facilities Management, Industrial & Institutional and Water & Wastewater Treatment.

Delivering an alternative to the harsh chemicals traditionally used in the cleaning industry, the company’s Evogen range, which includes a general purpose surface sanitiser effective against Covid-19, provides performance driven, environmentally responsible cleaning solutions.

Speaking about the award wins, Genesis Biosciences General Manager Emma Saunders said: “We are delighted to have won two categories at the inaugural Wales STEM Awards, recognising our continued innovation and environmental approach.

“Our unique company-wide Eco-Benign® philosophy is at the heart of what we do. In a market which is dominated by harsh and sometimes dangerous chemical cleaners, Genesis is leading the way by developing products that put end-user safety and environmental considerations first.”

Head judge Louise Bright, founder of the Wales Women in STEM network, said: “We would like to offer a huge congratulations to all of the winners of the very first Wales STEM Awards.

“The calibre of those nominated for the awards was second to none and we were overwhelmed by the number of entries we received. We would also like to congratulate all of those who were shortlisted, we really feel that all of the finalists represent some of the most progressive organisations and individuals at the forefront of STEM innovation in Wales.

“We are very much looking forward to the future of the Wales STEM Awards and the future of the STEM sector in Wales.”

The Wales STEM Awards were launched last year in a bid to recognise the innovative STEM work being undertaken in Wales, address the diversity gap and skills shortage, and inspire and raise the aspirations of the next generation.

Co-founded by communications agency jamjar and Grapevine Event Management, the inaugural awards were supported by headline sponsors GS Verde Group, which comprises law firm Greenaway Scott, corporate finance boutique Verde Corporate Finance, and patent attorney firm Alchemie IP.

Other sponsors included Box UK, Business News Wales, Cardiff Metropolitan University, CPS Group, Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult, Development Bank of Wales, Haus, Rolls-Royce, and Valero Energy.

The nominated charity partner for the awards was Cancer Research Wales, which is dedicated to developing life-changing treatments, diagnostic techniques, and research for people with cancer.

 

Image Credit:

01/12/2015 Pics (C) Huw John, Cardiff. MANDATORY BYLINE – Huw John, Cardiff

Genesis Biosciences, Cardiff

e-mail: mail@huwjohn.com
Web: www.huwjohn.com

Awards, News

Winners announced at the Black British Business Awards 2020

Segun Osuntokun, Managing Partner at top 20 international law firm Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (BCLP) London Office, has been named as Business Person of the Year at the Black British Business Awards (BBBAwards) ceremony on 30 October 2020. Osuntokun impressed the judges with his strategic leadership at BCLP on complex projects for over 30 FTSE 100 companies and more than 50 Global Fortune 500 companies all with his unwavering passion for race equity in his 25+ year career in business.

For the seventh year in a row, the BBBAwards celebrated the outstanding achievements of Black British professionals and entrepreneurs, highlighting the community’s commercial contribution to the UK economy and identifying formidable role models and mentors across a number of sectors. The awards ceremony crowns a landmark year in history for racial equity and featured a special recognition for Black British frontline workers.
In addition to naming the Black British Business Person of the Year, the event also recognised the rising stars and senior leader winners in six industries. This year’s winners are some of the most determined and innovative Black leaders in the UK across a variety of professions; from a Founder of a revolutionary equine nutrition system to a Project Manager at Transport for London and Senior Partner at BWF Solicitors. They are inspiring the next generation of Black talent to challenge convention and follow in their footsteps.

Melanie Eusebe, Chair and Co-Founder of the Black British Business Awards said: “After a year filled with so many challenges, it was rewarding to take a step back this month to reflect not only on the history of the Black community here in the UK, but also to celebrate the incredible individuals who are making their mark now. Our Category Celebration events along with the Awards Ceremony provided us with many opportunities to reflect on how far our community has come, while recognising there is still much work to be done.”

Sophie Chandauka, Co-Founder of the Black British Business Awards said: “Each of our finalists and award winners is a source of inspiration, highlighting the significant accomplishments and important contributions the Black community is making in every sector of the business world. They all deserve recognition and congratulations for their accomplishments and it was our pleasure to honour them at the Black British Business Awards events this October.”

Tia Counts, Head of Advancing Black Pathways in EMEA at J.P. Morgan said: “J.P. Morgan continues to be a proud sponsor of the Black British Business Awards, which shines a light on exceptional talent in business. Year on year, the individual stories behind the awards never cease to make us proud of what our community can achieve. We would like to extend our warmest congratulations to all of this year’s winners and finalists.”
The BBBAwards ceremony distinguished outstanding business talent in six industry categories, which are divided into rising star and senior leader awards.

The full list of winners of the 2020 BBBAwards are as follows:

Black British Business Person of the Year
Segun Osuntokun, Managing Partner at BCLP, London Office

Arts & Media Rising Star
Nnena Nwakodo – Producer at Bartle Bogle Hegarty

Arts & Media Senior Leader
Anthony Andrews – Co-founder and Creative Director of We Are Parable

Consumer & Luxury Rising Star
Rachael Corson and Joycelyn Mate – Co-founders of Afrocenchix

Consumer & Luxury Senior Leader
Sandra Murphy – Founder of Equidiet UK Ltd

Entrepreneur Rising Star
Ayesha Ofori – CEO and Founder of Black Property Network

Entrepreneur Senior Leader Winner
Trevor Robinson OBE – Founder and Executive Creative Director of Quiet Storm

Financial Services Rising Star
Zainab Kwaw-Swanzy – Senior Digital Product Manager at Barclays

Financial Services Senior Leader
Gavin Lewis – Managing Director, Head of UK LGPS at BlackRock

Professional Services Rising Star
Natalie Carter – Senior Associate at Greenberg Traurig LLP

Professional Services Senior Leader
Bennard Owusu – Senior Partner at BWF Solicitors

STEM Rising Star
Ninarita Williams – Project Manager at Transport for London

STEM Senior Leader
Dr Abdullahi Sheriff – Executive, Solutions Strategy, Strategic Partnerships & Solutions, Europe at GE Healthcare

The BBBAwards have the privilege of partnering with J.P. Morgan as Key Partner of the Awards.

Sponsors also include Barclays, Baker McKenzie, Bloomberg L.P., Cisco, the Executive Leadership Council, Facebook, Fortnum and Mason, Freshfields, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Virgin Management, Wellington Management and Wells Fargo.

The Daily Telegraph is the national media partner at this year’s awards ceremony for the fourth year running.

Healthcare, Healthcare News, News

Virtual infection control training for care home workers is key to prevent COVID transmission in the most vulnerable

Critical workers in healthcare environments are now able to gain essential emergency infection control and prevention skills virtually, due to training technology being developed by Solutions 42 with support from vocational education specialist Ufi VocTech Trust [Ufi].

Having access to vital infection prevention training remotely could be key to tackling the eightfold increase in Covid-19 cases being seen amongst the over-65s, allowing key workers to develop critical knowledge and skills before entering high-risk environments.

Solutions 42, the Somerset-based performance improvement advisory, has developed ‘Spotless’, a scenario-based e-platform that connects community staff to the principles of Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) in health care environments.

Back in March, care homes – which house about 400,000 elderly people in the UK – shut their doors as the coronavirus pandemic surged. Six months later, as the government weighs up banning staff from working in more than one care home to cut transmission against the risk this poses to staff shortage, remote solutions provide the opportunity for new staff members to be trained in infection control without taking physical resources away from care homes.

Funded and technically facilitated by Ufi, the accessible app-based software allows care home emergency procedures to not only be taught remotely, but also practiced virtually. This puts learners in realistic scenarios where decisions on how to manage the hygienic care of residents and their surrounding environment are put into their hands.

As temperatures fall across the country and cold and flu season takes hold, infections are anticipated to increase by 10-20% for every degree dropped below 5 degrees Celsius, and this is before the impact of coronavirus is factored in. The government has not yet committed to a winter plan for care homes, so technology which can help support the hygiene practices needed to cut spread of infection could prove vital, not just for Covid-19 control, but for other infections and seasonal viruses too.

The work between Ufi and Solutions 42 helps to foster a workforce who will be as prepared as possible for emergency situations.

Becky Hill, Founder, Solutions 42 says: “Thanks to funding from the Ufi VocTech Trust, we’ve been able to implement a platform that has the potential to save lives. Digital, scenario-based teaching will revolutionise the way that staff are being trained in infection control. It empowers those on the front lines of care home hygiene to gain the skills and confidence needed to manage high-risk scenarios, before actually entering those environments.

In a scenario like the coronavirus crisis, where symptoms can take several days to emerge or never show at all, it’s not usually possible to assess the effectiveness of infection control until some days after a positive test. Having the opportunity to use technology to practice different scenario responses and outcomes by trial and error has the potential to dramatically increase accuracy when it happens in real life.”

Rebecca Garrod-Waters, CEO at Ufi VocTech Trust says: “Face-to-face training is become a less and less viable option in healthcare environments, even though it has never mattered more. The need for limited face-to-face contact shouldn’t have an impact on someone’s ability to develop skills which mean that they can provide essential, effective care and progress in their career.

“Through the introduction of remote learning technology, we can give community workers the opportunity to practice first-response action before being faced with a high-risk situation, keeping themselves and patients safer.

“‘Spotless’ is a perfect example of how advocating for the delivery of accessible and truly applicable vocational education technology helps us not just to respond to a crisis, but allows us to construct a sustainable training system which has long-lasting benefit.”

News

Business events industry campaigns for a roadmap to recovery

More than 525,000 jobs are at risk in the UK’s £84bn events and experiences industry and three out of four companies could fail to survive beyond next February, the Government has been warned.

The UK business events sector is operating under tighter restrictions than in any other developed nation and the impact on around 774,000 talented, creative professionals employed in the business events industry was laid bare in research presented to ministers.

The findings include:

• 77% of events and exhibition businesses have paused trading completely at some point since lockdown
• Businesses experienced an average 89.5% year on year fall in revenue in August
• Four out of ten firms have between 75%-100% of staff on furlough and the end of the scheme is likely to lead to 170,000 immediate job losses
• 80% of events and exhibition firms were ineligible for the grants to retail, hospitality and leisure businesses based on rateable value and only 27% were able to access Bounceback loans
• 44% of events and exhibitions companies do not believe they have the financial resilience to survive until the end of November, rising to 76% by the end of February 2021

The enforced restrictions on the UK’s events industry, known for its world-leading safety standards, contrasts with the approach in many other countries where business events have been allowed to go ahead, resulting in the significant loss of business to international competitors. Since March, 845 major exhibitions have been cancelled, amounting to £8.6bn of lost economic impact. With no road map in place for events to resume here, it is estimated by the Events Industry Board that the UK will lose £31bn in visitor spend if business events do not resume before the middle of 2021.

The industry has been repeatedly calling for urgent, short-term financial support, including a sector-specific Job Support Scheme, business rates relief and sector specific bridging grants until restrictions are lifted, as well as a government-backed indemnity insurance scheme to support confidence in the market. Industry leaders also want to work with government to devise a roadmap for reopening, with a clear indication of the evidence that will be used to dictate this schedule.

Industry leaders have outlined a comprehensive series of safety measures that have been put in place, going beyond mandatory protocols and utilizing the latest technology, including touch-free registration on arrival, one-way systems, rapid testing and air filtration to create bio-secure venues. They are working on plans to use business events for mass same-day testing trials.

A new campaign is being launched to raise awareness of the importance of live events and experiences to the UK economy, their positive impact on the nation’s wellbeing and the event industry’s expertise in organised audience logistics.

One Industry One Voice is a coalition of events industry associations and businesses, representing thousands of agencies, promoters, organizers, venues, suppliers and freelance communities, together representing hundreds of thousands of professionals.

Its #WeCreateExperiences campaign, targeted at the public and corporate buyers, will offer reassurance that the UK is a global leader in events, especially in safety measures. It will showcase the work of the industry and the millions of lives it touches through business events and exhibitions, festivals, weddings and community and charity events. It will educate them about the industry’s importance in generating employment across the UK, creating opportunities for young people and generating £165bn in trade.

The campaign will set the scene for the return of live events in 2021, urging organisers and corporate decision makers to allocate budget to them now because they add value to their business, and reassuring the public that the events they love to attend will be back and safe to attend as soon as a roadmap is agreed with the Government.

Simon Hughes, co-founder of the #WeCreateExperiences campaign, said:

“The message is clear: whether it is engaging with staff, launching products or delivering content at conferences, the industry has invested in the best technology and management to ensure they can be held safely. Live events will return in 2021 and there will be pent-up demand. Businesses who commit budgets to events in 2021 will reap the rewards and steal a march on their competitors”

To learn more, visit: https://mustbeonit.com/we-create-experiences/

Marketing, PR and SEO, News, NHS News

The greatest minds in marketing come together to fight for our NHS heroes

More than 200 of the UK’s leading marketers have joined forces to raise awareness and vital funds for NHS workers affected by the coronavirus pandemic through the publication of a new book entitled ‘Excerpts from Experts: Marketing.’

Spearheaded by one of the industry’s foremost leadership recruitment businesses, Fortune Hill, the near-400-page book includes insights from the prominent marketing industry stalwarts from the likes of Spotify, Sky, O2, Deliveroo, Virgin, Snapchat, Samsung, LadBible, Tesco, and Sainsbury’s.

According to recent figures published by the Office for National Statistics, over 600 NHS workers have died from COVID-19, and since March an estimated 500,000 NHS working hours have been lost because of stress-related absence.

Joel Barnett, Founder & Managing Director at Fortune Hill, whose wife is an NHS Doctor, said: “The NHS were at the forefront of everybody’s minds a few months ago. Every Thursday we would clap for them, as a sign of our immense gratitude and recognition of their heroism.

But it seems our NHS workers have become something we take for granted once more. Their sacrifice for the rest of us forgotten and the astonishing impact of their lives ignored. Showing our appreciation for a few months simply wasn’t enough, it’s time to show our appreciation for those who risk their lives to protect ours and that is what this book aims to do.”

Excerpts from Experts is a charitable collaboration of senior marketeers at the very top of their profession who have generously contributed their insights, knowledge and time to raise money for the NHS Charities Together COVID-19 appeal. The charity provides vital support for NHS workers, its volunteers and its patients.

Retailing at £19.99, every book sold sees the full price being donated to the charity and the firm is aiming to reach a goal amount of £100,000.

Adam Arnold, Global Chief Marketing Officer of leading creative agency BBH, added: “Using creativity for social good is one of the most rewarding parts of any marketers job. This book of distilled creative wisdom has real purpose too – raising money and awareness for the heroes of the NHS. A cause that deserves our ongoing attention and respect.”

Transport

Transport for Wales asks customers to be responsible this weekend

Transport for Wales is issuing a clear message to the travelling public this weekend, urging them to follow all travel safer advice and act responsibly to help Keep Wales Safe.

Travel restrictions were eased within Wales at the end of the ‘firebreak’ period on Monday, but TfW is reminding customers that they have a fundamental responsibility to follow guidelines, adhere to social distancing on trains and at stations and plan their journeys.

TfW is also highlighting that there are still restrictions in place cross-border between Wales and England and travel is only possible with a reasonable excuse.

At the start of this week TfW launched Capacity Checker – an online portal that allows customers to check before they travel to see which trains may have most space available for COVID-19 safety.

Leyton Powell, TfW Safety and Assurance Director said:

“The safety of customers and colleagues is our top priority and throughout the whole pandemic we’ve implemented a detailed programme to ensure the public are safe.

“However, it’s important to understand that there is also a responsibility on our customers.  Please follow all our travel safer advice including wearing a face covering, using hand-sanitiser, following our queuing and one-way systems but most importantly plan-ahead for your journey.

“Please use capacity checker and consider when the safest time is to travel and then plan accordingly.”

With many pubs and restaurant closing earlier than normal, social travellers are encouraged to make their journeys home as early as possible and plan their journey in advance. A reduced timetable is operating due to Covid-19 and later services are likely to be very busy, making social distancing more difficult. Additional support teams will be at key stations to help manage the safety of travellers, and people may be asked to queue for services that are particularly busy.

Accounts and Accountancy, Environmental News, FInance

Green initiatives at the heart of UK financial services welcomed by ACCA

The UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s announcement this week that it will be mandatory by 2025 for large parts of the UK economy to disclose risks to their operations from climate change is welcomed by ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants).

The global body for professional accountants believes that clear and consistent accounting standards and disclosures, which are understood by business and investors alike, are an essential part of the urgent policy solutions needed to tackle climate change.

Jimmy Greer, ACCA’s head of sustainability comments: “The Chancellor’s statement is vital to help the UK meet its 2050 net zero target and other environmental aims. Climate-related disclosures that are globally consistent are essential if we are to meet the agreed-upon goals of the Paris Climate Agreement.

“We also welcome the focus on green finance, which is close to ACCA’s own agenda as we recently became signatories to the Green Finance Education Charter. Clearly what the Chancellor has announced is making the path to COP26 clearer, but there are still hurdles.”

ACCA warns that with EU Exit negotiations ongoing, it will be important that action taken ensures that the UK, Europe and indeed the global business community will work together to achieve these aims.

Jimmy Greer adds: “We are optimistic that the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures Recommendations (TCFD), supported by the HM Treasury Roadmap towards mandatory climate-related disclosures will be the uniting factor here, along with other initiatives. These include the International Platform on Sustainable Finance; the recently announced Building a Private Finance System for Net Zero, led by Mark Carney; and calls by IFAC (the International Federation of Accountants) and the work of the IFRS Foundation and others to make progress on issues related to global sustainability reporting standards.

“Together, these all make for a powerful voice for the profession and the leading global role it plays to help economies to grow and prosper in a sustainable way. We look forward to working with these organisations and policymakers to ensure a UK-wide approach aligns with global reporting standards.”

News, SaaS, Tech

PartnerScore launches new software application that unlocks the value of partner-based business models

Today, PartnerScore launches its new SaaS product that offers technology vendors a new way to manage their partner network.  PartnerScore uses relationship health to drive decision making as this is the single biggest predictor of future business performance.

Tech vendors consistently experience a challenge in optimising their partner-based models.  In many instances they provide the same incentives and support to partners but cannot understand why they get completely different performance from each partner in return. PartnerScore has unlocked this problem through extensive research and determined that it is the health of the (partner) relationship that is critical.  Understanding how the partner views this relationship and what is driving the health of the engagement is the key to unlocking significant value.

PartnerScore was created to deliver that insight into relationship health. In doing so it helps to answer key questions on what needs to be done both strategically and tactically to improve the relationship. For example, are the partners really committed to the future of the vendor’s business? Do partners trust the vendor? Are the channel programs underway the right ones? Are the vendor’s business processes aligned to be efficient?

The PartnerScore tool is able to answer these questions and so allow an enhanced level of management of channels and individual partners.

Dave Ward, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer says: “Vendors are collecting and analysing massive amounts of real-time and transactional data from PRM platforms, online tools and partner portals in an attempt to optimise their partner programmes.  PartnerScore utilises the latest technology to quickly provide context to the huge volume of data collected and helps identify actions and investments that will drive up commercial performance.”

PartnerScore is a unique approach that makes the combined power of broad B2B relationship research and academic rigour accessible to the channel business community.  This intuitive software platform conducts regular partner health checks across the channel, gathering pertinent information linked to seven key Health Markers.  This rolling process keeps a finger on the pulse of partner relationships, reflecting real-time changes in their HealthScore.

PartnerScore enables organisations to not only collect data and analyse this to gain an understanding of the state of their channel relationships, but also build a plan and track progress against it, ensuring continuous improvement in their channel ecosystem.

With sophisticated data analysis and diagnostic dashboarding, the platform maps partner data to the seven Health Markers giving a clear diagnostic score for each.    With a user-friendly and easily configurable dashboard, organisations can see at a glance the areas in which vendors and partners are either over or underperforming and how this is impacting the overall business performance and relationship.

Ian Bamford, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer, PartnerScore comments: “Today, so much business goes through the channel but often there are quite basic measures in place that organisations use to assess the performance of those relationships.   In the past analysis has been done based on gut instinct or retrospective tools and point-in-time questionnaires and other quite intangible rationale that can often be biased towards one partner over another.  Now with PartnerScore, it takes all of that gut feeling and turns it into a concrete score to measure the health of the relationship.  But not only that, it enables both parties to put in place an action plan to get the business to where they want it to be – and more importantly keep it there.”

PartnerScore is all about predicting and boosting performance. Previous assignments using the underlying academic methodology, known as “Mindshare”, have delivered:

  • Constant and consistent measurement of what partners really think about the relationship
  • Partner fact-based real time feedback
  • A framework for effective/ targeted account investment decisions
  • Identification of revenue growth opportunities
  • Protection against revenue loss
  • Improvements around partner retention rates
  • Identification of cost optimisation and business process disconnects
  • Reviews around account management effectiveness in a way not seen before which identifies productivity opportunities.

Peter Ward, Co-Founder and CEO, PartnerScore adds: “In 2021, and following the serious impact of the COVID pandemic, it will become even more critical for businesses to truly understand how their partners are performing rather than second guess their next actions.  This platform is unique in its ability to enable vendors to gain an open transparent assessment of the state of play of their channels. This will allow them to take appropriate and timely preventative actions to address continually changing conditions, rather than trying to look in the rear-view mirror and closing the stable door after the horse has bolted.  PartnerScore is powered by an incredibly sophisticated methodology, built on a decade of extensive academic research which today is underpinned by advanced machine learning and data analytics tools. A true breakthrough in the way to manage partner networks.”