Too often cyber-security is an after-thought, or worse, not really taken seriously until something goes wrong.
However, in our digital world, all forms of communication networks are based upon the need to understand identity. Trusting the identity of the person you are communicating with digitally is at the very heart of protecting ourselves. We need to protect our own identity and we need to be sure others have protected theirs.
Mobile is relied upon by most people, companies and industries on the planet – but take security out of mobile communications and the world would eventually stop.
The 7th MEF (Mobile Ecosystem Forum) global survey on Consumer Trust showed that 49% of smartphone users are already concerned about fraud via their phone, the highest recorded.
And things are getting worse. During the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a 2000% increase in the number of cyber threats on telecoms networks, according to a report by an alliance of several telecommunications companies. The industry needs to coalesce to defend the mobile experience.
On Monday 14th June the Mobile Ecosystem Forum will be hosting ‘MEF CONNECTS Cyber Security’. This is a one-day event dedicated to the key cyber-security issues being tackled today and the challenges for the future.
With the participation of leading industry experts, analysts, technology vendors and service providers, MEF CONNECTS Cyber Security will be covering all critical areas including a deep dive into the key attack vectors: signalling; virtualisation; network management; and the supply chain. There will be specific sessions focused on: IoT; Cloud and Network Security; Cryptography; Identity; Authentication; Payments; and Omnichannel communications.
Speakers include experts from Telefonica, Orange, Tata Communications, Adaptive Mobile, Palo Alto Networks, Nokia, HPE, IPification, WMC Global, NokNok Labs, IMImobile, Neustar, Cellusys, Global Message Services, Mobileum, Zariot, Pelion, POD Group, Apiro Data, GSMA, ATIS and many more.
MEF (Mobile Ecosystem Forum) is a global trade body established in 2000 and headquartered in the UK with members across the world. As the voice of the mobile ecosystem, it focuses on cross-industry best practices, anti-fraud and monetisation. The Forum provides its members with global and cross-sector platforms for networking, collaboration and advancing industry solutions.
Charity YMCA Liverpool & Sefton has announced its new rebrand, ‘YMCA Together’, that will encompass the wider Merseyside region into its support services.
Now in its 175th year, the organisation is looking to expand its reach and support to even more people who are homeless or are at risk of homelessness.
In the last 12 months, YMCA Liverpool has provided help for over 1,000 individuals in Liverpool and Sefton but under YMCA Together, support will extend across the City Region.
Chief Executive of YMCA Together Ellie McNeil said: “As part of YMCA Together, our vision is that everyone should feel safe, understood, empowered and positive for their future, while our mission is to inspire and support people to change their lives by instilling hope, valuing the individual and maximising potential. This is something that we practice every day at YMCA Liverpool & Sefton but it’s important for us to recognise that there are people right across the North West that could benefit from our services and perhaps aren’t aware of the ways in which we can offer help.
“We hope that in creating a new, more widely accessible brand under YMCA Together, this will allow us to support even more people in a time when help is critical. As a result of the ongoing pandemic, we’ve seen more individuals finding themselves in a desperate situation and it’s our aim to show them that there is a way out and they can still achieve a great quality of life with the right support mechanisms around them.”
YMCA Together provides a number of services across Merseyside helping those experiencing challenging times in their lives. It offers support to people experiencing homelessness, domestic abuse, poor mental health or substance use issues via supported accommodation.
A fundamental part of the local community, YMCA Together’s extensive portfolio also includes Dutch Farm in South Liverpool, which offers service users an opportunity to engage with creative and development activities. In Sefton, the organisation operates an early years nursey with funding available to support free places where applicable.
Ellie added: “Our list of services is continuing to grow with RISE Rehab among the more recent to open here in Liverpool. Under YMCA Together, we are excited and hopeful for further expansion when it comes to the wider area both in terms of facilities and the number of people we can accommodate.
“Throughout our history, we’ve carried on even when the world has stood still and this last year has been a real testament to the resilience and determination of our team. We’ve taken that time to reflect on our offering and we’re delighted that this initiative has been able to come to fruition.”
A new sales manager has been appointed at housebuilder Bellway’s Northern Home Counties division.
Aly Morehen, from Northamptonshire, is now based at the company’s divisional office in Milton Keynes. His new role includes the management of four of Bellway’s active sites in Bedfordshire: Eastcotts Green and Eastcotts Place in New Cardington, Brook View in Wixams, and Berry Wood in Wootton.
Aly has been working in the housebuilding industry since 2015, working his way up from a Sales Advisor to Sales Manager.
Bellway is a well-known national housebuilder with a five-star rating from the Home Builders Federation (HBF). The company recently retained its five-star status for the fifth successive year.
The award demonstrates that over 90 per cent of Bellway’s customers who completed the HBF’s National New Homes Customer Satisfaction Survey would recommend the housebuilder to a friend.
Aly has only been in his current position for a couple of weeks but is already looking towards the future with the role.
Aly said: “I’m enjoying being part of the Bellway Northern Home Counties team so far. To be working for a housebuilder with an excellent reputation in the industry is fantastic and it is clear to me, after only a few weeks of being in the team, just how much everyone in the business cares about the work being done. To join at a time when the company has retained its five-star builder status – which is based on feedback from customers – speaks volumes for the care and consideration delivered.
“Ensuring customer satisfaction is a key element of the sales manager role and something I value tremendously. Buying a new home is a major life decision, perhaps the most important one people will make, and it is vital that our customers are supported during this process and that we, as the sales team, make it as seamless as possible for them.
“Looking forward, I want to be able to significantly contribute to the division, particularly in maintaining its recognised high-standards in delivering quality homes on aspirational developments where people want to live.”
Luke Southgate, Sales Director for Bellway Northern Home Counties, said: “We are pleased to welcome Aly to the team and look forward to seeing his achievements at Bellway Northern Home Counties. With his previous experience in the housebuilding industry, we are confident that he will be able to do well in his role and aid in the growth and success of the division.
“With Bellway’s recent retention of five-star builder status, a new sales manager for the division will only increase the high level of care we provide to our customers in Bedfordshire and beyond.”
Bellway Northern Home Counties’ offices are based in Caldecotte, Milton Keynes, and the division is currently building in locations across Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Cambridgeshire.
The developer behind a new £45m residential development in North East Lincolnshire has announced the start date for the second phase of the scheme as the first families take up residence.
King’s Park in Scartho, Grimsby, which is being delivered by E5 Living UK, saw its first buyers move in at the beginning of June. Phase one includes a mix of 78 two and three bedroom detached and semi detached bungalows, with and without garages, and three-bed semi-detached homes and will be completed by Autumn next year.
Phase two is scheduled to begin in August, running alongside phase one, and will involve the construction of an additional 16 bungalows and retail units to serve the new village-style community. Further phases will include housing for over-55s and there are plans for assisted living accommodation.
E5 Living UK Director Kevin Stevens said: “This is a very exciting time as our vision for King’s Park has become a reality with the first residents moving in.
“The next phase is key in creating the community with retail facilities within walking distance of their homes and the development of shared amenity spaces. The buoyant housing market has undoubtedly helped with interest in King’s Park but it’s been the design and quality and the large number of single storey homes that have helped us secure sales.”
King’s Park benefits from a prized location in Scartho next to the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Hospital in Grimsby, but is close to the amenities of Grimsby, the coast and the Lincolnshire Wolds. It was designed by Cleethorpes architects Hodsons and is being built by Humberston based JemBuild and marketed by local agents Crofts.
Director Gary Croft said: “There has been a really positive response to this development which is delivering a very high quality for new build homes in larger residential schemes.
“The standard of the specification has amazed buyers and led to a healthy number of reservations. The first residents are happily in their new homes and we look forward to welcoming many more in the coming months.”
Properties at King’s Park start from £189,950. Showhomes are open from 10am to 4pm for covid safe appointments through Crofts Estate Agents.
Over the past year or so we’ve seen the demise of well known high-street retailers. Something that would once have seemed unimaginable.
Debenhams with its two hundred plus years of history, and the younger Top Shop, often described as the jewel of the high street, both found they could no longer compete and fell into administration.
Evidenced by the calls to save the high street, it is well recognised that the way we shop has forever changed. We’re shopping online while in bed, at work and for 20% of us– from the bathroom.
But, what does that mean for early-stage investing?
It’s easy to write this off as consumer behaviour that has nothing to do with investing. But that is unfortunately not the case.
Purchasing decisions begin online
Whether you’re a B2B buyer or a consumer, the buying process begins with online research. A Google study confirmed that 92% of people begin their buying journey online. That leaves only 8% wholly reliant on other means to investigate purchasing decisions.
Do angel investors fall into the missing 8%?
A PWC study found that 98% of them use the internet daily and for up to three hours. Beyond this, a second study by Accenture Consulting confirmed 83% use digital for financial services. Both of these studies are several years old, and it is reasonable to assume that the use rates of digital have increased since then.
So, if you’re a network promoting investment opportunities and you’re not using the online channel, you are missing out on a key phase of the investors’ journey.
Forget customer loyalty
Networks which don’t offer the convenience of an online channel to their investors may believe that it doesn’t matter; your investors have been with you for years and are loyal.
Another look at retail proves that there is no such thing as customer loyalty.
The loyal customer base that Debenhams and Top Shop built up, slowly trickled away as new digital-first players came in and offered a better, more tailored experience.
It’s easy to blame the pandemic. But the truth is that Covid-19 was but the last nail in the coffin for these iconic retailers. Both were struggling before Jan 2020. The reason: they weren’t giving their customers what they wanted.
Generations grew up, times changed, new savvier players like Asos, came into the market – and their once-loyal customers left.
Customers are only loyal for as long as it suits them. If something better comes along, they will move on.
What we’re seeing in the early-stage investment market is a number of new digital-first investment clubs like the Envestors Private Investment Club, Angels Den, or Chorus. These next-generation investment networks are the Asos of the investment space. They understand that investors want always-on, self-service access to deals and they are ready to deliver.
Building relationships on shared interests, experiences and data
The retail giant Amazon, for example, knows more about its customers than they’d probably be comfortable with. They collect data from every interaction, and use it alongside trend data from other customers, in order to help users make buying decisions.
Can angel networks say the same thing?
Do you really know what your investors are interested in without taking advantage of all the options digital has to offer?
Investment networks are reliant on face-to-face interaction and personal relationships. Now, relationships are crucial to early-stage investing. But data can be used to empower your existing relationships.
With online platforms you can collect data on investor interests – both those they state explicitly and those you can infer based on their online behaviour. This data, at both the individual and macro level, can be invaluable to you in catering to their needs.
Another application is in deal selection. With data on which deals are getting the most engagement you can start to look for similar deals to bring to your investors.
A changing market
The early-stage investment space is a traditional one – for now. But as we saw in the retail example, traditions can be supplanted as quickly as a Prime delivery.
Many factors drive an industry to change. In the case of early-stage investing it will be the core players in the market. That is the investors and the companies raising finance. They are getting more and more used to a digital first experience and the investment clubs that serve them need to stay one step ahead of their needs. When this doesn’t happen, heritage organisations fall, while a new generation of giants emerges.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chantelle Arneaud is from Envestors. Envestors’ digital investment platform brings together entrepreneurs and investors across geographies, communities and sectors – creating the single marketplace for early stage investment in the UK.
Envestors partners with accelerators, incubators and angel networks to provide a white-label platform empowering them to promote deals, engage investors and connect to other networks.
Founded in 2004, Envestors has helped more than 200 high growth businesses raise more than £100m through its own private investment club.
Envestors is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Introducing from Kimberly-Clark Professional the improved wipe to complete the WypAll® Wettask™ Roll Wiper Dispenser System. This system is designed for maximum control of both hygiene and cost efficiencies. Today, protocols that maintain clean, hygienic surfaces have never been more important for premises. Facility managers of high traffic venues are especially under pressure to make the right choices for the safety of visitors, customers and employees. For example, a recent industry survey revealed that only 17% of office workers feel very confident in the hygiene practices like surface disinfection in their workplace.1
Launched as part of the Kimberly-Clark Professional 360 Hygiene & Protection programme, WypAll® Wettask™ System is ideal for the disinfection of frequently touched surfaces because it gives you control. The system enables the user to manage sheet saturation for maximum effectiveness. Users can customise each clean by adding to the bucket the wipe and disinfectant of their choice. They also control the strength and quantity of the disinfectant or sanitiser for optimum hygiene.
“As we begin to adapt to a new normal, balancing hygiene and efficiencies is top of an FM’s agenda,” says Ed Borrini, EMEA Senior Category Manager, Wiping, Kimberly-Clark Professional. “The demand on FMs to deliver hygiene that eliminates contamination across frequently used surfaces without compromising budget control is at an all-time high. They have to make the right choices that manage hygiene and budgets equally.”
WypAll® Wettask™ Roll Wiper Dispenser System is a hygienic option for any facility. With single-sheet dispensing, users only touch the sheet they use, from a fully enclosed system. Designed to reduce waste and costs, the portable, high-capacity system has 80% more sheets2 than the existing format requiring fewer refills. The bucket is completely reusable, reducing plastic waste compared to pre-saturated wipes. Furthermore, WypAll® Wettask™ costs on average 60% less than pre-saturated wipes.3
The system offers flexibility to cleaning teams for different challenges. Whether disinfecting a surface to kill germs and reduce cross-contamination risks, or cleaning a surface to remove dirt, grime, or impurities. Before starting a cleaning task, the dry roll of wipes should be placed into the system and the bucket should be filled with their chosen solvent, chemical or detergent. Colour coded tape is included in the system enabling users to clearly distinguish between different disinfectants or solutions for specific tasks.
“Customisation of cleaning utensils and equipment is increasingly more important to ensure hygiene remains a priority during unprecedented and unpredictable times,” adds Ed Borrini. “High traffic venues including healthcare facilities, retail, transportation, food processing, industrial and education need to be ready for any scenario and for that they need more options. Times have changed and scalable solutions allow for both anticipated and unforeseen foot traffic, so every contingency can be prepared for whilst controlling costs.”
The base sheet is textured for multi-surface disinfection and to reduce chemical evaporation meaning it does not dry out thereby lowering usage and costs. With 250 sheets a roll for longer refill intervals, the Wettask™ is suited to hygiene sensitive environments in all segments. Hand-sized sheets and controlled single sheet dispensing make the system both easy to use and efficient.
“Right now, if a facility is open then they are wiping more than ever before to keep people safe,” adds Ed Borrini. “Regular hygiene surface disinfecting is necessary across all sectors for business survival and for the safety of everyone as we try to get back to our normal lives. Companies are having to increase their spend on wipes when budgets are under increasing pressure. Therefore, a professional solution that gives customers, employees and guests a safe feeling that they are cared for and meet financial and sustainable targets is a welcome and critical tool.”
Almost a quarter of British men say their professional confidence would be knocked if they woke up to a ‘bad skin day’, according to new research which looks at skincare concerns and how they make us feel.
A survey of 1,000 men by premium beauty brand Clarins reveals how, for 51%, a ‘bad skin day’ would have a negative impact on their self-confidence. Four in ten say their social confidence and levels of happiness would also be affected, with almost a quarter (23%) agreeing it would even impact their day at work.
On the flip side, when asked about the impact of a ‘good skin day’ – whatever that meant to them – 53% said they’d feel even more confident and happy. For 29% of men, clear skin would also improve their confidence in the workplace.
In a bid to banish ‘bad skin’, more than half also admitted to secretly using their partner’s skincare products, with one in ten (14%) helping themselves on a daily basis!
For those that have a skincare routine and buy their own products, almost 50% said that the amount of time and money they spend on their skincare has increased over the past five years. Four in five men (82%) say they spend up to £50 a month on ‘lotions and potions’ to target their problem areas.
PsychotherapistSarah Leebelieves we will pay even more attention to our skincare concerns as we return to ‘normal’ and begin meeting up with more people face-to-face: “Skin concerns can have a massive impact on self-esteem, affecting dating, working (especially when using Zoom) and meeting up in daylight. Given the prevalent use of filters on social media, airbrushing in the media, cosmetic procedures and the ability to touch up your appearance on Zoom, it can be hard for people to turn up as themselves in real life fearing judgement from others, embarrassment and accusations of ‘catfishing’.”
The survey also reveals how nine out of ten of us have at least one skincare bugbear.
The biggest skincare concerns were revealed to be:
Dry skin – 41%
Dark circles under eyes – 35%
Acne/acne scars – 27%
Ageing/fine lines – 26%
Blackheads/enlarged pores – 26%
Oily skin – 25%
Uneven skin tone/redness – 16%
Pigmentation/dark spots – 16%
Razor bumps – 14%
Environmental pollution – 9%
UV damage – 9%
Dull skin – 7%
Blue light (emitted by screens i.e. laptops, phones) – 6%
The average person has at least two skincare woes, with those reporting dry skin to be of primary concern also more likely to be worried about dark under-eye circles and ageing/fine lines; for oily skin, the biggest bothers are blackheads and enlarged pores and looking tired due to dark circles.
Marie Schmid, head of training at Clarins, comments: “The pandemic certainly has a part to play when it comes to how we feel in our own skin. Over the last year, we’ve seen a rise in people buying skincare products – in particular moisturiser – in order to combat dry skin; a side effect of staying indoors more often. A combination of poor sleep, heightened levels of anxiety and wearing a mask on a regular basis has also contributed, for many, to worries of acne, acne scarring and premature ageing.
“We know from the research that ‘bad skin’ has a knock on effect on almost every aspect of our life and can certainly impact how we feel about ourselves when interacting with others, whether in a social situation, or in a professional environment.
“Alongside skincare, studies indicate that makeup is a huge self-esteem booster. In our study, almost half of men (47%) said they use makeup products on a regular basis, most likely one or more of the following: foundation, concealer, mascara, eyebrow pencil and/or primer.
“If you find yourself getting stressed about your skin, and how it’s making you feel – and you don’t already have a skincare routine in place – then that’s a good place to start. Over time, and with regular use, it’s likely you’ll notice a drastic improvement in the quality of your skin, as the products target your problem areas.”
When asked about their day-to-day skincare routine, men say they spend an average of ten to 30 minutes applying products to help combat their skincare concerns. Aside from good old soap and water, the most commonly used products among men are moisturiser, cleanser, eye cream and spot treatment.
Clarins’ top tips to creating a confidence-boosting skincare routine that takes less than five minutes
Here are the products you should consider when creating a skincare routine:
Exfoliating cleanser
Investing in an exfoliating cleanser will help to keep the skin looking fresh. Exfoliating gently removes dead skin cells, unclogs pores, minimises fine lines and tackles ingrown hairs. Start slow and scrub lightly in case of sensitivity and build up to incorporating this step into your routine three times a week.
Face wash
Sweat, pollution and changing temperatures throughout the year can leave skin looking and feeling dull, greasy and dehydrated. It’s recommended to cleanse twice a day with a gentle face wash to tackle daily grime. Ensure you don’t miss out on this step after exercising – it’ll help to prevent breakouts.
Eye cream
Once cleansed and exfoliated, consider using an eye cream to help target puffiness, dark circles and early signs of fine lines. The skin around your eyes is delicate, which is why a dedicated eye cream is better than just using moisturiser alone. It’s recommended to use a grain-sized amount, morning and night; rub the product between your fingers and then press it, lightly, into the eye contour.
Moisturiser
When choosing a moisturiser, think about your skin type – is it oily, combination or dry? There are specific age control products on the market you may wish to try, often packed with natural ingredients that lift and firm the face in all the right places. If using a serum, for an added boost, put it on before the moisturiser; as a general rule face nourishes should be applied starting with the lightest formula.
Sun protection
UV exposure may account for up to 80% of visible signs of ageing in the skin, which is why it’s recommended to use SPF protection every day – whether it’s sunny or not – to maintain youthful-looking skin. Check your moisturiser to see if it contains SPF; if not, apply a layer of product at the end of your skincare routine. The British Association of Dermatologists recommends half a teaspoon of sunscreen for your face and neck.
Judged by a 12-member panel of CIOs and IT professionals from the public and private sectors and academia, and Computing Magazine journalists, the awards identify the leading companies, projects, and professionals in the AI sector.
To maintain a positive online experience for all users, reduce their legal risk exposure, and protect their brand reputation and revenue, organizations are under increasing pressure to moderate the visual content that users upload to their digital platforms. Impending changes to UK and EU online safety laws will legally oblige platform operators to swiftly remove illegal or harmful content posted to their websites, or risk large fines. Companies that fail to comply with the new laws could ultimately have access to their services suspended in the UK or European countries in which their users reside.
Image Analyzer’s AI-powered visual risk moderation technology helps organizations to automatically remove more than 90% of manifestly illegal and harmful images, videos, and live-streamed footage, so that toxic content never reaches their websites or moderation queues.
Cris Pikes, CEO and founder of Image Analyzer commented, “We are delighted to have won the Computing Award for Best Emerging Technology in AI. Online organizations are tackling a huge number of images and videos uploaded by more and more users. Human moderators can no longer cope with the sheer volume and the impending legislation is only adding to the pressure. Our technology was specifically developed to help digital platform providers to make their online communities and working environments safer. Automated content moderation allows organizations to scale their efforts and demonstrate to the relevant authorities that they have put systems and processes in place to protect their users and employees from illegal and harmful content posted to their sites.”
Image Analyzer was selected as the winner of Computing’s AI and Machine Learning Awards from a shortlist of six companies. Explaining their selection, the judges described Image Analyzer Visual Intelligence System (IAVIS) as, “A great use of AI to resolve a problem that affects all sectors and all organizations.”
Content moderation has traditionally been undertaken by human moderators, who manually review questionable content uploaded to their platforms. Manual review of toxic content risks creating an unsafe working environment, where harrowing images and videos harm human moderators’ mental health and huge backlogs of material cause employee stress and burnout. IAVIS helps organizations to combat these workplace and online harms by automatically categorising and filtering out high-risk-scoring images, videos and live-streamed footage, leaving only the more nuanced content for human review. By applying advanced AI computer vision technology that is trained to identify specific visual threats, the solution gives each piece of content a risk probability score, speeds the review of posts, and reduces the moderation queue by 90% or more. The technology is designed to constantly improve the accuracy of core visual threat categories, with simple displays to allow moderators to easily interpret threat category labels and probability scores. It can scale to moderate increasing volumes of visual content, without impacting performance, or user experience.
Image Analyzer holds US and European patents for its AI-powered content moderation technology, IAVIS, which identifies visual risks in milliseconds, with near zero false positives.
Organizations use IAVIS to protect online community members from being harmed by visual content that contravenes existing and impending laws. It minimises corporate legal risk exposure; aids digital forensics investigations; and helps safeguard children and educational communities. In HR applications, IAVIS reduces vicarious liability exposure by blocking content that is not safe for work, identifying high risk users and providing visibility of misuse.
About Image Analyzer
Image Analyzer provides artificial intelligence-based content moderation technology for image, video and streaming media, including live-streamed footage uploaded by users. Its technology helps organizations minimize their corporate legal risk exposure caused by employees or users abusing their digital platform access to share harmful visual material. Image Analyzer’s technology has been designed to identify visual risks in milliseconds, including illegal content, and images and videos that are deemed harmful to users, especially children and vulnerable adults.
Founded in 2005, Image Analyzer holds various patents across multiple countries under the Patent Co-operation Treaty. Its worldwide customers typically include large technology and cybersecurity vendors, digital platform providers, digital forensic solution vendors, online community operators, and education technology providers which integrate its AI technology into their own solutions.
C-suite threatens digital transformation success as managers struggle with disruptions 2.5x more, according to ABBYY survey
96% of UK businesses experienced DX disruptions – but only 6 in 10 blame COVID and remote work
1 in 5 DX projects were abandoned completely; 1 in 3 didn’t work as planned – but UK fares better than most
Four out of five C-level executives globally (82%) are confident their business is well-prepared digitally, but only 58% of managers agree, according to new global research from Digital Intelligence company ABBYY. In the UK, more than half of respondents (57%) feel they are digitally well-prepared for the current climate. This comes as managers say they have been burdened with disruptions to digital transformation (DX) 2.5x more than C-level executives, despite having new technologies on hand. This points to a worrying disconnect within businesses, causing a trend of wasted investments and opportunities.
For example, despite the emerging use of low-code/no-code platforms, only a quarter (24%) of managers use them in their current DX projects, which would empower them to quickly create their own solutions to automation problems and eliminate the need for manual coding. Meanwhile, only 34% of managers are using process mining, which would help them discover automation opportunities and the sources of bottlenecks and delays – but half (48%) of the C-Suite have access to this tech. However, overwhelmingly management across the board (60%+) recognise the importance of intelligent document processing (IDP) technology to digitise and transform enterprise content for more actionable insight.
Seniority
Intelligent Document Processing
No-code/Low code Platforms
Process Mining
RPA
Business Process Management
C-level Executives
61%
37%
48%
45%
52%
Directors / Vice Presidents
60%
26%
43%
40%
52%
Senior Managers
62%
29%
44%
38%
47%
Managers
65%
24%
34%
32%
42%
Figure 1: Global respondents – “Which technologies are you already using in current digital transformation projects?”
While digital transformation has accelerated massively, it hasn’t been without challenges:
96% of UK businesses have experienced disruptions to their DX projects, but surprisingly, only 6 in 10 (65%) say COVID-19 and remote working are to blame.
These disruptions have had a massive impact, though the UK was less adversely affected: 1 in 5 globally (22%) abandoned their digital transformation projects completely – compared to 1 in 6 (16%) in the UK., while 1 in 3 globally (32%) found the technology didn’t work as intended, compared to a quarter (24%) in the UK.
Additionally, UK decision makers believe these disruptions won’t end as soon as the pandemic does; 4 in 5 (78%) of UK businesses are expecting further business impacts.
When identifying the causes of these challenges, the survey found that in the UK:
Almost half blamed difficulty in getting budget approved (46%), replacing legacy systems (43%), and skills gaps within their organisations (40%).
A fifth (21%) said difficulty getting buy-in from their senior management or board was a major barrier.
What many businesses seem to be experiencing is C-Suite tunnel vision: 54% of C-level execs said they drive DX decision-making, but just 32% of managers agree – half of managers (47%) believe innovation teams are in the driving seat. With this new battleground emerging, it’s no wonder so many projects are failing.
Managers are also far less optimistic about how digitally prepared their organisation is compared to the C-Suite, and 38% of managers still face challenges even with new technologies in place, compared to just 16% of C-level executives. Meanwhile, only 28% of C-levels find getting budget approved a barrier, versus 37% of managers.
This disconnect between organisations’ senior leaders and the “doers” is not only failing to empower employees, but it’s preventing businesses from seeing digital transformation success. Simply put, the technology investments that were made by those at the top aren’t having the impact they should, despite 70% of U.K. 2021 DX budgets ranging from £500,000 to £5 million, and 40% expecting their 2022 budgets to increase.
Neil Murphy, Global VP at ABBYY, said, “We can see that some C-Suites are experiencing tunnel vision, which comes as no real surprise in a year when survival was top of the agenda. Unfortunately, our research exposed that despite leaders’ best efforts, junior staff and middle managers are still experiencing challenges, even with intelligent automation technologies in place or readily available.
“It’s crucial to understand which technologies can improve productivity and where it will have the most impact. After all, technology should be an enabler for empowering employees even in a remote and distributed workplace. The broad use of IDP solutions is the first step in what leaders can do to empower their employees to have faster access to information. However, process mining and the intelligence it delivers will bridge the gap between the reality of what managers and workers are experiencing and what the C-Suite is expecting. The onus in now on leaders to invest in the right technologies and adopt an employee-first mindset to complement their digital-first goals.”
Methodology
This research was conducted by Sapio Research during April and May 2021 and sponsored by ABBYY. It surveyed 1,220 IT decision makers across the UK, U.S., France, Germany, and Japan in organizations with 1,000+ employees about the impact of digital transformation projects, the barriers businesses face, and the role that automation technologies play due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
About ABBYY
ABBYY empowers organizations to gain a complete understanding of their business processes and the content that fuels them with its Digital Intelligence platform. ABBYY technologies are used by more than 5,000 companies, including many of the Fortune 500, and is recognized for its leadership in Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) and Process Discovery & Mining for driving significant impact where it matters most: customer experience, effectiveness, profitability, and competitive advantage. ABBYY is a global company with offices in 14 countries. For more information, visit www.abbyy.com/company and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.
ABBYY and the ABBYY Logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of ABBYY Software Ltd. Other product names mentioned herein may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners and are hereby recognized.
A senior Government politician will give the keynote opening address at a major conference examining the way technology can help tackle the climate change crisis, organisers have revealed.
Andrew Griffith MP – the Government’s UK Net Zero Business Champion – will launch two days of debate around ways technology can protect the environment at Shropshire Council’s Tech Severn 21 event later this month.
The free conference, on June 16 and 17, brings together some of the country’s leading technological and environmental experts and has already attracted hundreds of registrations.
Shropshire Council says the unveiling of Mr Griffith as its opening speaker underlines the national importance of the virtual conference.
Andy Begley, Shropshire Council’s chief executive, said he was delighted Mr Griffith had taken up the invitation to speak at the event.
“Andrew Griffith is one of the Government’s key players in driving forward the climate change agenda and to have him speak as the opening guest at this year’s Tech Severn event is a major coup.
“It demonstrates that the conference – and the way Shropshire Council is responding to the climate change emergency by bringing together partners, businesses and key stakeholders to work as one – is creating a real impact both in this county and further afield.”
Mr Griffith was appointed to his post by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to work closely with Business Secretary and COP26 President Alok Sharma to support as many UK businesses as possible to commit to net zero targets.
He previously served as the Prime Minister’s Chief Business Adviser between July and December 2019 and was elected the MP for Arundel and South Downs at the 2019 general election.
Mr Griffith is a former chief operating officer with broadcaster Sky, helping the company establish itself as a leader in taking action on climate and the environment, attaining carbon neutral status in 2006.
The Tech Severn event has generated interest from around the world, with more than 450 people already signed up.
Key speakers include telecom giant BT’s head of environmental sustainability Gabrielle Giner, Sarah Tennison, head of clean growth at Innovate UK, Dr Niall McCann, conservation director for National Park Rescue and Ellen Wilson, sustainability and smart cities expert at Microsoft.
Mark Thompson, managing director of Telford-based battery and energy storage pioneers AceOn, and Parveen Begum, the chief executive of Telford clean energy specialists Solisco, will share their expertise, along with Coventry University bioleaching expert Sebastien Farnaud, Mike Barry, Cambridge University sustainability expert and Fflur Lawton, head of public affairs at Smart Energy UK.
The event, supported by The Marches Growth Hub Shropshire, has been funded through the Shropshire Council-led ARG Economic Recovery Programme and is aimed at businesses of all sizes and sectors, voluntary, community and public sector organisations, schools, colleges and universities and the general public.
The Recovery Programme is a £3.2m series of projects, utilising Additional Restriction Grant (ARG) funding from Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to fund wider business support activities.
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