Category Archives: Software News

Brexit, News, Software News

Brexit Provides New Opportunities For UK Software Company

Yorkshire-based software company Despatch Cloud has seen a notable increase in demand for their services in the wake of Brexit. While Brexit looks set to impact all sorts of businesses in notable new ways, Despatch Cloud is also optimistic about the opportunities which this event presents for companies who can adapt to the challenges.

“The anticipation of new custom regulations is driving UK export business to upgrade their existing software,” says founder and technical director Matthew Dunne. “We’ve increased our UK headcount by 20% in the last six months, enabling us to support our new customers.”

As the UK looks ahead to leaving its transition period with the EU on the 31st December, Despatch Cloud wants companies to remember this will accompany a whole host of new rules and regulations. Pertinently, it is highly likely new customs forms will now be required for all exports to the EU. As the UK is currently part of the Single Market, this is not a requirement until the break with the European Union becomes final.

While there has been much criticism of UK firms in their unpreparedness for this eventuality, Matthew disagrees. “This has not been our experience. In fact, export-oriented companies know what is coming, and they are working hard to ensure that their exports will have minimal disruption.”

However, Matthew does note that the government should still be focusing on raising awareness. “Brexit is a major disruption. Every business should be aware of the impact it will have, to help make the UK as resilient as possible.”

Looking to the future, Despatch Cloud is primed to adapt to Brexit’s changes, boosting the company’s presence internationally in both Europe and the United States. “A trade deal which opens up the US market for UK services would be a game changer,” adds Matthew. “Politicians need to focus on the strengths the country has. There’s a lot of talent here, and we need to make sure that talent is built to become world-beating. A great example to look at is Apple. While it is an international company, the product designer hails from Essex. We’re hardly short of talent in the UK, and now is the time for that talent to really come into its own and shine on the world stage.”

Environment, News, Software News

New digital platform launched to accelerate transition to Electric Vehicles

Gemserv has launched a new digital platform – Paladin – aimed at helping businesses confidently lead the transition to electric vehicles.

Developed in partnership with software-as-a-service specialist Alyne, the information service provides users with easy access to relevant insights, compliance and guidance to inform decision-making.

The launch of Paladin comes after extensive market research by Gemserv to understand the complex barriers preventing a faster transition to EVs.

The subscription service provides digital access to structured, filtered, connected and searchable use-case content and business controls relevant to a customer’s products and services.

It will address all aspects of the EV landscape, from fleet procurement and charging infrastructure to funding and consumer protection.

By providing an affordable, future-proofed and fact-based digital information service, Paladin will enable businesses to navigate a complex new landscape and ensure compliance with market rules, standards and best practice. It will also support a collaborative approach across sectors to resolve underlying issues in the market.

Paladin will help organisations:

  • Explore the use cases, rules, standards and compliance requirements relevant to them;
  • Support decision-making based on quality insights;
  • De-risk investments through informed assessment of opportunities; and
  • Upskill staff and raise awareness of key issues around the transition to electric vehicles.

Trevor Hutchings, Director of Strategy and Communications at Gemserv, said:

“Our way of life is under threat from an environmental crisis, whether that’s air pollution, climate change or the degradation of nature. The call for action is now, and this includes the change to cleaner transport and electric vehicles.  However, this is not happening quickly enough nor at the scale required.

“This is because the transition to electric vehicles is not a simple like-for-like switch from fossil fuels to electricity. It involves extremely challenging and complex interdependencies between industry sectors, new rules and standards and, of course, extensive market and consumer engagement to build confidence in this new technology. Paladin is a digital subscription service which can support businesses in leading the transition to electric vehicles.”

Karl Viertel, CEO at Alyne, said:

“My co-founders and I are really passionate about electric mobility – and I love driving my electric vehicle.

“The opportunity to play a role in shaping a more powerful infrastructure to share this passion with others is an excellent use of Alyne’s technology and talent. Alyne’s RegTech solution helps to make this transition to electric easier through simplifying compliance with the regulations and laws across industry sectors. Alyne is designed for companies of the future, which is why we have partnered with Gemserv  to provide Paladin, to deliver the technology to help you confidently navigate your business through the compliance, risk management and regulatory transition towards green transport.”

For more information on Paladin, please visit paladin.world or contact a member of the team at paladin@gemserv.com.

News, Software News

Local MP Alex Davies-Jones visits Cardiff-based safety and risk management company Alcumus

Alex Davies-Jones, the Member of Parliament for Pontypridd, made a socially distanced visit to Cardiff-based Alcumus, the UK’s leading provider of software-led risk management solutions on Friday 13th November.

The MP met with Alcumus CEO Alyn Franklin for an update on the company’s business outlook and its specialist insight on health and safety and supply chain resilience in Wales and the United Kingdom.

Alcumus, which was founded in 2009, is a provider of technology-led compliance and risk management solutions designed to create better workplaces and keep people safe. Alcumus serves more than 38,000 companies across the UK and employs over 600 people in its head office in Nantgarw, with additional offices in Manchester, Huddersfield and Stratford upon Avon, as well as Toronto in Canada.

During the visit, Mr Franklin briefed Ms Davies-Jones on Alcumus’ recent international and UK expansion. Alcumus acquired ContractorCheck, a specialist company in Canada providing health and safety pre-qualification and contractor management accreditation, and Banyard Solutions, developer of web-based permit-to-work solutions in the UK. These acquisitions strengthen Alcumus’ capability to support safer and healthier workplaces in both Europe and North America.

Alcumus also took the opportunity to brief Ms Davies-Jones, who sits in the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media & Sport Committee, on the company’s recent contribution to the Government’s consultation on the National Data Strategy, which looks at ways in which the UK can become the world’s leading data-driven economy.

Given the local impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in Wales, Ms Davies-Jones was particularly interested in the impact of the pandemic on the business and how it has adapted to the effects of the outbreak.

The visit is part of a series of visits being undertaken by the Pontypridd MP to support the community and local businesses at a regional and central level.

Speaking after the visit, Alex Davies-Jones said: “Today more than ever, businesses in Wales and worldwide are facing increasing challenges in managing their health and safety and supply chain risks. I was impressed with the contribution that Alcumus is making to build better, safer and more sustainable workplaces across Wales and the UK.”.

“We were pleased to host Alex and to share with her our expertise in workplace safety and business resilience.  Companies across all sectors and of all sizes are now acutely aware of how important it is to ensure health and safety across workforce and supply chain, tackling substantial challenges from sustainability, to the impact of Brexit and of course the Coronavirus pandemic.

Throughout the crisis we’re deeply committed to supporting our employees, the community and our customers with the resources to address risks, build business resilience and help create safer workplaces”, added Alcumus CEO, Alyn Franklin.

 

Industry News, Software News

Signavio Launches CEX Edition and Training Academy to Accelerate Journey to Customer Excellence

Signavio, a leading provider of business transformation solutions, today announced the launch of Signavio Business Transformation Suite CEX Edition. Signavio’s new Customer Excellence Edition will empower organizations to turn customer obsession into operational reality, and the newly-launched Signavio Academy will provide their teams with the skills to drive this internal transformation.

Signavio’s CEX Edition leverages analytics and other next-gen techniques to identify critical customer interactions and the interdependencies between customer sentiment, moments of truth and underlying process operations. Its innovations include Signavio Journey Modeler, new software that enables organizations to understand and visualize the customer experience in a step by step journey, as well as new Process Intelligence tools that leverage data to unlock operational excellence.

Signavio Journey Modeler merges customer experience with process mining insights to discover which operational root causes are driving customer satisfaction or frustration. It allows organizations to connect journeys with processes, metrics, systems and roles and understand, improve and transform them. It also identifies process gaps that currently exist and drives the changes needed to delight customers at scale.

The new Process Intelligence capabilities include four analytics tools designed to support the individual needs of specific user groups throughout the analysis-to-insights lifecycle:

  • A new Process Oriented Analytics Language, SiGNAL, that allows an effective and scalable creation of process insights with dedicated process functions as easy as SQL
  • A cloud-based in-memory analytics engine – SiGNAL Mining Engine – that can analyze millions of business transactions in real-time
  • A Metrics Library that empowers business users without deep technical knowledge or expertise to leverage the computational power of SiGNAL
  • ETL Pipelines to simplify online and manual data acquisition with a unique process-mining oriented data model creation

Gero Decker, CEO of Signavio comments: “In the vast majority of organizations there is a major disconnect between their customer journeys and the underlying operational processes that support them.  This has led to the emergence of a new Customer Excellence category that demands a combination of innovative technology, such as our new CEX Edition, as well as specialized skills that our Signavio Academy will build.”

The Signavio Academy will accelerate the growth of the Customer Excellence category by upskilling thousands of process managers. The curriculum will focus on building the skills, techniques and approaches that are essential to success in a profession that is becoming more data-driven and customer-experience focused.

Decker continues: “Business leaders are starting to realize that redesigning processes is a highly effective way of driving change at scale. However, the true value is only unlocked through a combination of inside-out and outside-in thinking. The next generation of process experts will fuse data science with design thinking. It’s an exciting evolution that we hope to accelerate through the launch of our Academy.”

 

Additional Resources:

For more on Business Transformation Suite CEX edition:

https://www.signavio.com/customer-excellence/

 

Case Studies, Logistics, News, Software News

RNLI Enhances Transport Optimisation With Aptean’s Routing And Scheduling Software

Aptean, a global provider of mission-critical enterprise software solutions, has announced that the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is now leveraging its advanced routing and scheduling software to identify transport-related productivity improvements and efficiency savings. The RNLI utilises the solution to effectively optimise fleet distribution capabilities that deliver to over 270 sites in coastal towns and cities across the UK and Ireland.

The RNLI is dedicated to saving lives at sea around the coasts of the UK, the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as some inland waterways. The charity organisation operates a fleet of 15-ton rigid trucks that are responsible for distributing merchandise to the charity’s retail shops and kiosks, as well as parts and equipment to its nationwide network of lifeboat stations. The fleet also handles transport requirements for three RNLI factories—situated in Dorset, Wales and the Isle of Wight—that build and refit inflatable and all-weather lifeboats and amphibious tractors.

“We needed a strategic modelling tool that would enable us to analyse our distribution operations and understand where potential enhancements exist. Paragon Routing and Scheduling from Aptean enables us to fine-tune our fixed routes, better handle seasonal transport variations and target over a 10% reduction in our transport costs,” explained Senior Category Manager at RNLI, Nick Saunders. “We are hugely grateful for all the help, support and operational enhancements we have received from Aptean.”

Saunders continued, “Not only can we now model different distribution scenarios to ensure we are operating the most optimum plans—with weekly deliveries that reduce during the winter months—we can now assess our depot strategies, fleet make-up and any under-utilisation of resources. Moving forward, we will explore leveraging the software for day-to-day planning, switching from fixed to dynamic delivery routes that better cope with fluctuations in cargo volumes.”

COVID-19, Leadership, News, News for HRDs, Software News

New report finds 82% of UK workers confident in the leadership of their company to bounce back from a crisis

Advanced’s Annual Trends Survey shows leaders are stepping up in a crisis – but they are playing catch up in supporting workers’ wellbeing

A new report from Advanced has revealed that 82% of workers in the UK are confident in the leadership of their company to bounce back from a crisis.

This is according to the software and services provider’s fifth Annual Trends Survey for 2020-21, with over 1,000 senior business decision makers having their say on the technology trends and their impact on UK organisations, now and in the future.

“Our research shows a shift in leadership style emerging as a direct result of Covid-19 which, overall, has been positive for organisations and their workforces,” comments Gordon Wilson, CEO at Advanced. “Leaders are now perceived as more human than ever before by employees. As role models, it’s critical for CEOs and managing directors to set the right tone and apply high levels of emotional intelligence within their workforce. What’s more, collaborative technology tools have enabled leaders to become more accessible and, as a result, staff have seen a more communicative and more empathetic approach which, as workers continue to work remotely and in isolation, is critical.”

The survey also shows 43% of respondents believe the most important attribute of a business leader today is to show strong leadership in a crisis, while 41% say it’s to have a clear vision and strategy amid economic uncertainty – both a reflection of Covid-19’s impact. Business leaders are now prioritising recovery to stay afloat and minimise redundancies, with the rest of the workforce looking up to leaders for direction and reassurance.

However, the focus on business survival could be to the detriment of employee wellbeing. Only 25% say the most important attribute for a business leader is to support the wellbeing of their people. It’s a sobering statistic given the pandemic’s effects on people’s mental health and the significant rise in levels of loneliness and isolation, stress and depression.

The charity Mind has revealed the scale of the impact of the pandemic on people with mental health problems, while the World Health Organisation (WHO) has urged that substantial investment is needed to avert a mental health crisis. Advanced’s report suggests that, while business leaders have done well to instil greater levels of confidence across the workforce during this turbulent time, they clearly must do more to prioritise the wellbeing of their workforce and demonstrate they have a duty of care to all staff.

Gordon adds: “It’s not surprising, given the scale of the pandemic, that many business leaders are now playing catch up in introducing wellbeing initiatives to support their employees who, quite simply, have seen their lives change dramatically. It’s therefore encouraging to see that 38% of business decision makers will prioritise staff wellbeing over the next 12 months. While this figure is still low – arguably because organisations are focused on survival right now – leaders are now recognising the need to ensure employees have emotional support and a healthy work-life balance.

“Leadership teams can better support their workforce’s wellbeing through a mental health and wellbeing programme, which is fundamental to any responsible employer. As a standard benefit of employment, organisations should provide advice and support around mental health as well as financial matters and personal matters. What’s more, organisations should have engagement champions to ensure people stay engaged. Technology can help here, as it can be used to establish effective communications, enable colleagues to easily keep in touch, and ensure there are processes in place to support wellbeing.”

Matthew Fell, CBI Chief UK Policy Director, says: “With trust in business now more crucial than ever, it’s great to see most employees saying they feel confident their company’s leadership can bounce back from a crisis. The spirit of support, empathy and collaboration which have emerged during this period are invaluable to firms and individuals alike.

“The isolation, anxiety and financial hardship caused by Covid-19 have been a blow for so many. Employee wellbeing has long been a top priority for business, so workplace leaders will do everything they can to continue showing up for their staff. Providing mental health services and encouraging a healthy work-life balance are just a couple of ways every firm can step up to the plate.”

To read the Annual Trends Survey for 2020-21, visit https://www.oneadvanced.com/trends/.

Business Investment, News, Software News

Preservica accelerates product innovation with $3.8m funding

Preservica today announced an additional $3.8 million (£3m) investment from Mobeus Equity Partners.

Demand for Preservica’s market-leading Active Digital Preservation software has continued to grow as government, academic and business organizations around the globe seek to preserve and provide access to critical records, including those related to the pandemic and other recent world-changing events.

The funding will accelerate product innovation including new product-led initiatives that will make it easy for organizations of all sizes to start preserving critical records, as well as further innovation in Preservica’s core technology platform. The investment builds on the recent appointment of Phil Beckman as Preservica Chief Technology Officer (CTO).

Preservica’s software future-proofs all types of digital content against technology obsolescence, ensuring it remains accessible and trustworthy over decades to meet legal, compliance, statutory and brand value needs. Available as SaaS or on-premise, the solution is trusted by a growing global client base including HSBC, Yale University, the Associated Press, Transport for London (TfL), Amnesty International and twenty two US State archives.

Matt Mead, Venture Partner, Mobeus Equity Partners, said:

“Mobeus supported the spin out of the original Preservica technology platform from its successfully exited portfolio company Tessella. Since 2016, we have partnered with Preservica to drive its international expansion and further technological development by providing an overall commitment of $12.8m (£10.0m). We continue to be impressed by the team’s progress against its core operating KPIs and believe the long term market drivers around privacy and governance make this a very exciting opportunity.”

Mike Quinn, CEO Preservica, added:

“Everyone at Preservica is delighted with this additional investment by Mobeus Equity Partners. It reflects a real confidence in the business especially at this time of global change. The funding will enable us to accelerate our plans to further innovate in our core product as well as make it easy for organizations of all sizes to quickly start using digital preservation to protect critical information”

Case Studies, Industry News, Procurement, Software News

Vodafone drives innovation through supplier collaboration with Vizibl

Multinational telco, Vodafone, recognised that supplier-led innovation was essential to driving business growth in a fast-evolving industry – but a complex global supply chain with activity and data stored across multiple tools, meant the procurement team had limited visibility into active projects, leading to duplication and inconsistent delivery of value.

Vodafone’s size made it hard to implement a standard Proof of Concept (PoC) management process worldwide, resulting in fewer innovation projects and a loss of ideas.

When Vodafone’s new CEO of Procurement, Ninian Wilson, joined in 2016, he was clear Vodafone needed a single place to manage and scale supplier collaboration effectively, track project activity and measure the performance of each supplier partnership, it therefore made the decision to  implement Vizibl’s SC&I platform.

Working with Vizibl, Vodafone achieved a faster and more effective PoC process that not only increased ideas capture, but also increased the conversion of PoCs into fully realised innovation projects, delivering supplier-led innovation back to the business in a much shorter timeframe. The company has seen a 40% reduction in POC duplication globally, resulting in Vodafone expanding the adoption of Vizibl worldwide by committing to onboarding its top 300 suppliers in the future.

Ninian Wilson, CEO of Procurement at Vodafone, says: “Vizibl is giving us a centrally managed platform that helps us provide the structure and reporting tools needed for key proof of concept and supplier innovation projects to flourish.”

Case Studies, Case Studies and Partnerships, News, Software News

SAMSON SECURITY SELECTS SMARTTASK

Samson Security has adopted SmartTask to support the rapid growth of the business, which has seen the company treble in size in less than a year. The workforce management software is initially being used for electronic proof of attendance across more than 400 security officers and engineers that deliver a wide range of services including manned guarding, mobile patrol, alarm response and FM services.

“We needed an advanced guarding management, monitoring and reporting solution that could adapt and expand to our changing requirements as we grow,” explains John Richards, Operations Director at Samson Security Ltd. “Our mobile and manned services now span the North West, the Midlands and North Wales, so SmartTask will give us the visibility and control needed to coordinate and protect our team, while maintaining our excellent service standards.”

SmartTask will replace a previous time and attendance solution, which no longer met the needs of the business. Having undertaken a review of the marketplace, Samson Security selected SmartTask because of the simplicity and flexibility of the system. The app-based nature of the system means that employees can use the software via a personal or work smartphone, while providing the opportunity to use additional functionality such as patrol monitoring and electronic forms.

Security guards are using either a SmartTask-enabled smartphone or an onsite landline to accurately record the start and end times, as well as any required check calls. The app captures a timestamp and GPS location for accurate customer reporting and SLA monitoring for alarm responses. Samson Security also uses the control room dashboard at its National Command Centre to gain complete visibility of any exceptions, while mobile and office managers have controlled access for their individual areas of responsibility.

“We are already exploring other ways of using SmartTask, which will enable us to consolidate much of our employee scheduling and workforce management requirements into a single system. We have set up bespoke smart forms, so will shortly be rolling out electronic incident reporting to our team, replacing our existing paper-based process. The scalable and flexible nature of SmartTask means we can take a phased approach, avoiding operational disruption and not overburdening our internal resources,” concludes John Richards.

Paul Ridden, CEO of SmartTask commented: “We have developed our software to meet the precise needs of security and FM companies now and in the future. Possessing high levels of configurability and scalability, backed by first-rate service and support, SmartTask can support the long-term success of our customers in-line with their business and operational priorities.”