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Digitl appointed by ChannelUnity for new site project

Digital

Sam Whitear

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15/09/2020

Digitl appointed by ChannelUnity for new site project

Digitl, the Manchester based eCommerce, marketplace and web design agency, has been appointed to design and build a new website for ChannelUnity – the multichannel integration platform aimed at high growth online retailers.

ChannelUnity provides integrations for shopping carts and back-office systems with online marketplaces such as Amazon, Ebay, Etsy and Wayfair, focussing on organisations operating at scale. The company provides a robust SaaS based platform and wrap-around service package for implementation and ongoing support.

Digitl’s brief includes creating a more modern look, helping to better convey the services and expertise on offer as well as highlighting how ChannelUnity adds value through detailed and comprehensive case studies. The aim is to also increase the number of clients using the firm’s
SaaS platform.

The new site is expected to launch is the last quarter of 2020.

Darren Ratcliffe, founder of Digitl, said: “We are really excited to be working with ChannelUnity on this project. It is a leader in its market and is a great fit with us thanks to our background in eCommerce and work with the likes of ebay and Amazon.”

Harry Manley, Commercial Director at ChannelUnity, said: “Digitl has first class experience in our field so it was a natural choice for us to partner with them.”

Bruntwood teams up with TfGM to launch new active travel hubs in Manchester

Partnerships

Sam Whitear

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14/09/2020

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Bruntwood teams up with TfGM to launch new active travel hubs in Manchester

Leading property company Bruntwood is being supported by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) in launching a new city-wide active travel initiative which will encourage the people of Manchester to return to the workplace safely and sustainably and support the city’s economic recovery.

New pop-up hubs have been established to encourage people to consider more active methods of travelling into and around the city and promote physical and mental wellbeing.

The Active Travel Hubs are support services for multi-modal transport, including opportunities for new and established cycling commuters to get support and guidance for safely travelling into the city and access stop-off points with engineers to help with maintenance. They will also provide maps, routes and advice to those walking and using other active methods of commuting including scooting and skating in place of cars and public transport.

Each hub will offer a Bicycle Bezzie scheme, which will enable new and less experienced cyclists to team up with keen bikers for guidance and support. Discounts and giveaways will also be available on essential bike kit, cycle hire and equipment from leading road cycling brand Rapha while other partners include Bike Right, Manchester Bike Hire and See.Sense.

The initiative, launched to coincide with global bike challenge Cycle September, will see the Active Travel Hubs pop up across the city centre and Trafford, including at the Bright Building at Manchester Science Park, Manchester Technology Centre on Oxford Road, Centurion House, Riverside, Manchester One, Trafford House and Lancastrian Office Centre.

Jessica Bowles, director of strategy at Bruntwood, said: “Manchester is focussed on bouncing back better and the city has already made huge strides in supporting people to return to the city with the introduction of new cycle routes, pop up cycle lanes, and socially distanced walkways.

“We can play a big role in supporting the thousands of people working across Greater Manchester to return to the workplace actively and safely but also sustainably in line with the government’s desire for a green recovery.

“Our goal is to help make sustainable travel more accessible so that many more people feel confident about commuting into the city without their cars or on public transport, and at the same time can look after their physical and mental wellbeing.”

Richard Nickson, Transport for Greater Manchester’s active travel director, added: “We are thrilled to have been able to support Bruntwood’s Active Travel Hubs. This is a once in a generation opportunity to enable hundreds of thousands of people across Greater Manchester to get about by bike or other types of active travel, especially for everyday journeys. Having a hub to visit to get support and buddy up is a great asset. We want to make Greater Manchester the best place in the UK to get about on foot and by bike and it is initiatives like this one that will help us on the journey.”

Bruntwood customers can also take part in a scheme to pool employees’ active travel distances together to win free energy for their business for a year.

How Business Leaders Can Reduce Absenteeism in Their Workplace

Sam Whitear

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11/09/2020

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How Business Leaders Can Reduce Absenteeism in Their Workplace

Absenteeism is the term used to describe when members of staff are consistently not coming into work. This isn’t the same as paid time off work, such as holiday leave or sick leave. Absenteeism only applies when it comes to unexplained or unauthorised absences. Business leaders have likely struggled with employee absenteeism at least once in their career. It’s a notoriously difficult situation to navigate and leads to things like understaffing, decreased productivity and conflicts between co-workers. In 2020, it’s important for business managers to reduce absenteeism however much they can in the workplace. But how exactly does one go about doing so? We’re going to be answering this question in our article – so keep reading to find out what we have to say.

Understanding Staff

Business leaders often misconstrue absenteeism with laziness, rather than digging deeper into what is causing their member of staff to behave this way. For instance, many people struggle with their mental health nowadays. Depression can cause excessive fatigue and lead some workers to feel everything is pointless; whereas anxiety might make them feel too scared or overwhelmed to come into work, which can be a stress-inducing environment. Rather than judging your employees for these things, find out the reasons behind their absenteeism. Extend your understanding. If staff aren’t scared to talk to you and feel that they’ll be supported at work, they are far less likely to be absent.

Rewards Schemes

Employee benefits are often implemented by business leaders to reduce absenteeism and improve rates of staff retention. These schemes give staff incentives for working at your company (in addition to their usual salary). For example, some construction companies give their workers free health insurance because of the physical ailments they may have developed from the job, while other businesses give their employees more paid time off work for holidays or childcare purposes. This helps staff feel valued and supported, thereby reducing absenteeism. What’s more, this could help attract human capital and motivate everyone to work harder. Check out Zest Employee Benefits to see how you could go about implementing a rewards scheme like this into your workplace.

Attendance Policies

Setting expectations is important in staff management. This means employees know exactly what you want them to do, giving them something definitive to work towards. The same can be applied to absenteeism. If employees know exactly how many days they can take off work, most will stick to this number. By also introducing attendance policies with a structure of consequences, this should further deter employees from unexplained absences. It gives them fair warning, too. Should it come to dismissal, managers will have sufficient evidence that they haven’t unduly fired a member of staff.

Workplace Stress

As we mentioned before, the work environment can be incredibly stress-inducing. Much of absenteeism comes down to unhappy staff or anxious employees who are trying to avoid negative stimulus. So, reducing the stress of the workplace is an effective way to improve absenteeism. To do this, business leaders should identify which factors are negatively impacting their employees and implement strategies to tackle them. For example, if there is bullying in the workplace, then managers need to intervene. Training or programs for health and wellbeing are also useful. These can teach employees tactics for stress management or provide a safe platform which allows everyone to discuss what they’re struggling with. By encouraging openness and addressing what is causing stress, you can significantly reduce absenteeism.

By following our tips, business leaders can reduce absenteeism in their workplace. Never underestimate the importance of being empathic and providing support.

GMCA and Manchester Digital launch programme to help people career switch into tech

Digital

Sam Whitear

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10/09/2020

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GMCA and Manchester Digital launch programme to help people career switch into tech

Manchester Digital has teamed up with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) for an initiative set to advise and inform anyone looking to switch to a digital career – whether they’re from the region or the rest of the UK.

The ‘Switch to Digital careers week’ will educate people who have been impacted by the 730,000+ UK-wide job cuts as a result of COVID-19 on how they can use their experience in other roles and sectors to secure a role in digital or technology.

The week-long, online event aims to encourage personal development around identifying and applying transferable skills, as well as building confidence to make the switch and will feature speakers and events from Microsoft, Code Nation, Co-op Digital and AutoTrader.

There are currently around 100,000 people employed in digital roles in Manchester and investors ploughed £600m into North West tech firms in 2019 – making it one of the fastest growing sectors in the region. Plus, latest figures from Tech Nation revealed that advertised vacancies in the UK’s digital sector grew by 36% from June – August 2020.

Coinciding with the end of the furlough scheme, the event will bring together individuals and businesses from across the sector to share information and actionable advice about the industry, pathways into it, available job roles and the skills employers are looking for.

It will also feature a speed mentoring event, giving attendees the opportunity to come face to face and ask advice from people of all levels already working within the industry.

Microsoft, which in June launched its initiative to help 25 million people worldwide acquire the digital skills needed in a COVID-19 recovery, will also be hosting a session on self-learning.

The event has been created in conjunction with the National Careers Service and Job Centre Plus and will run exclusively online from 5^th – 9^th October, with events running every afternoon. To make the event as accessible as possible, attendees will be able to join the sessions of their choosing – whether that’s just one, or all of them. To sign up for free, visit the website.

Katie Gallagher, managing director of Manchester Digital, said: “COVID-19 has permanently changed the way we do business and the impact on some industries will be permanent. Whilst this and the subsequent economic downturn will mean that many people lose their jobs it has also created further opportunities in the digital and tech sector. Whilst the picture is nuanced and not the case for every digital and tech business, there is still demand for people with strong digital skills. The sudden move to remote working and the need for companies to shift operations online will also add to that demand over the next few years.

“However, not many people know how their existing skills can transfer to a role in digital tech. For example, you might be interested in psychology and human behaviour, which could make you great for a UX role, or enjoy English and make a great digital copywriter. So, we’ll be shining a spotlight on some of these roles over the course of the week, with the ultimate aim of giving people the confidence to make the switch and build a successful career in digital tech.”

Sean Fielding, GMCA’s lead for employment, skills and digital, added: “In Greater Manchester we are working hard to address the immediate digital skills shortage and are working with employers to diversify and grow their workforce. The Switch to Digital careers week will be an excellent opportunity for people considering a career change to find out more about working in the digital sector and the career pathways available to them across Greater Manchester.”

The event is free and open to anybody. Visit the website to learn more and sign up.

ILFM hires CBN Expert to launches sustainability community for law firms

Appointments

Sam Whitear

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09/09/2020

0

ILFM hires CBN Expert to launches sustainability community for law firms

The Institute of Legal Finance and Management (ILFM) is creating a low carbon community for its law firm members, thanks to a new partnership with Manchester’s CBN Expert, a firm dedicated to supporting businesses transition to low carbon.

The Target Net Zero Community will provide a range of insights, dedicated events & access to experts to support law firms across the UK, to help them meet government targets on carbon output. This will include webinars, a podcast series, articles and practical advice as well as a tailored dashboard which allows firms to track, reduce and prove their carbon footprint.

By 2050 it will be a legal requirement for the UK to be net zero. The UN has a target to be climate neutral, spearheaded by former Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. As ILFM Chief Executive Tim Kidd advises: “Law firms of all sizes need to recognise the changing consumer and business landscape and be clearly defined as responsible suppliers and employers. They need to demonstrate their engagement to being more sustainable in order to be responsible to the planet in the first instance – but also to compete successfully on tenders, appeal to new, more eco-aware employees and clients and achieve funding and business support access. This new initiative is a further example of our commitment to provide our members with the best possible support in every area that’s is, or is going to be, important to their firm. It is often our members within firms that have, or will have responsibility for figures and carbon tracking, so we wanted to support them in this.”

Joining the ILFM Target Net Zero Community will be free for ILFM members and access to the CBN dashboard will cost from £15 +vat per month and take as little as five minutes a month to complete, thus providing the ideal solution, at a cost and resource point that allows law firms to fully commit to being low carbon. Once embedded within their business, it will minimise risk exposure as the wider supply chain increasingly, demands low carbon goods & services.

James Napier, founder of CBN Expert, adds: “We’re delighted to be creating a partnership with ILFM and support law firms as they move toward complete carbon neutrality. Being low or zero carbon is very quickly becoming a requirement to do business rather than a choice. Without that commitment, you are quite simply opting out of future commerce, so it’s vital that we make it as easy as possible for law firms of all sizes to actively commit to and embed low carbon within their firm.

“Almost all of the law firms we’ve spoken to have said that they have won or lost clients based on their sustainability credentials relative to their competitors.”

Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England says: “Companies that don’t adapt will go bankrupt, without question.”

Tim concludes: “Being low or zero carbon is very quickly becoming a requirement to do business rather than a choice. It’s important to us to keep our members ahead of the curve and we see this network as something that will add significant value to the firms we support. The ILFM will itself be Targeting Net Zero as part of this initiative.”

Beckham-backed esports team targets IPO

Creative

Sam Whitear

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09/09/2020

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Guild Esports, a global esports business co-owned by David Beckham, has announced its intention to float on the main market of the London Stock Exchange, in a deal led by Zeus Capital.

Launched in June 2020, the business has quickly established a management team of esports veterans with experience as professional players, coaches and the media. Guild executive chairman, Carleton Curtis, is an industry heavyweight and architect of the Overwatch League and Call of Duty Leagues, with previous roles at both Activision and Red Bull.

Esports benefits from a rapidly growing fan base worldwide with some tournaments attracting a bigger audience than the Wimbledon tennis championships, Tour de France and the US Open.

The firm expects to use the funds raised by the listing to scale into various esports disciplines over the course of the 2020/21 season, with players expected to compete in titles including Rocket League, FIFA, CS:Go and Fortnite, as well as investing in the Guild brand

A team at Zeus Capital, comprising John Goold, Benjamin Robertson, Jamie Peel and Richard Darlington, is acting as joint broker and joint bookrunner on the transaction.

Manchester tech firm SRO Solutions delivers major IBM Maximo digitisation upgrades for offshore specialist MODEC

Tech

Sam Whitear

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09/09/2020

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Manchester tech firm SRO Solutions delivers major IBM Maximo digitisation upgrades for offshore specialist MODEC

Eccles headquartered tech firm SRO Solutions has completed a major digitisation project for offshore giant MODEC at its operations in Ghana.

The project, part of a series of high value digitisation upgrades SRO has completed for the business since 2018, has resulted in a more efficient and accurate inventory for MODEC in Ghana streamlining its onshore headquarters in Accra with its vessels the FPSO Kwame Nkrumah (KNK) in the Jubilee Oil Field, and FPSO Professor John Evans Atta Mills (JAM) in the Tano Ennyera Ntomme (TEN) Oil Field.

The latest piece of work saw SRO improve MODEC’s current system, which was prone to ordering errors resulting in stock lying in storerooms for longer than necessary and purchasing orders being raised to order materials which were already held in stock.
SRO, appointed because of its status as a Gold Accredited IBM Business Partner, originally improved IBM’s Maximo asset management software by redeveloping all of the workflows in the system, including service requests, work orders, purchase requisitions, requests for quotations, purchase orders and deferrals. It also built in a feature to record shipping manifests to track outbound and inbound deliveries and a label printing function so that all items received are automatically given a barcode.
The projects for the Japan-headquartered business took more than 1,300 hours to implement and saw SRO delivering staff training on the new system.

SRO senior consultant Jonathan Ritchie, who led the projects, said: “The business processes MODEC was working under were not fit for purpose, with various records being work-flowed to the wrong people for approval and then having to be moved around, resulting in delays. After improving these areas using IBM’s Maximo, we implemented some additional features and functionalities to help with the inventory movements between the vessels and onshore storerooms feeding offshore storerooms, resulting in increased speed and accurate inventory usage and volumes.

“As an example, before implementing these changes in Maximo, if MODEC needed ten of a particular item and there were five in stock, the old system would just reorder ten and the five would remain in stock instead of being used. The new system would just order five.”

The latest piece of work is just one of a package of improvements SRO has made for MODEC, which employs more than 5,000 people worldwide. The client, recognised as a leader in floating production vessels for the oil and gas industry, was already using IBM’s Maximo, but an audit carried out by SRO revealed the software was not being used to its full potential. SRO’s first job was to optimise the Maximo system as well as installing its own SDR data replication software, which synchronises data across the business.
Since then, the Manchester IT expert has carried out a number of projects and developed a close relationship with MODEC.

Part of SRO’s work has involved training MODEC’s workforce in the software and helping change behaviours.

Ritchie said: “Just prior to the latest project, we created a document that MODEC could share with employees to enable them to get buy-in for the improved system, which provided a number of tips for rolling out new functionality to the users, such as ensuring they’re involved as early as possible in the project during the requirements gathering phase and user acceptance testing.
“Because the system was not fit for purpose originally, the level of trust in Maximo when we first started working with them was low, so the challenge has been in building up that trust. The work we’ve done with MODEC has been transformational for the business in saving time and money and improving accuracy in an industry that demands the highest standards.”

Fafa Buama, the computerized maintenance management system administrator for MODEC, has worked closely with SRO over the past two years.

She said: “SRO has assisted MODEC in developing our Maximo system for best use throughout the business. Their expertise, both in the product and our industry, have allowed them to help us define our Maximo strategy, and refine the system to meet our exact business need, whether this is through the extensive planning and workshopping for projects with our key stakeholders, or the ongoing flexible implementation of required changes and fixes.
“Rather than just delivering to our requirements during projects, they scrutinise and challenge them to ensure that our business processes are always best practice, due to their agile approach. With such practices is in place, focus on business value and stakeholder engagement is key, and project results to date have often resulted in quality but early and under-budget successfully implemented results.
“The recent Inventory Reorder and Expediting project has helped improve upon the core Maximo purchasing and inventory functionality to better suit our business which should lead to direct savings in inventory costs.”

CreationADM aiming for growth with new dual role appointment

Appointments

Sam Whitear

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09/09/2020

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CreationADM aiming for growth with new dual role appointment

Manchester-based creative agency, CreationADM, are pleased to welcome Peter Walker to the fold as Marketing Manager.

An experienced marketer with 14 years experience, Peter joins the company with a dual role. He will support the existing marketing team in looking after its current client base, assisting them in website management, SEO, blogging, email marketing and social media management activities. On the flip side, Peter has also been tasked with winning new business for the agency.

Having worked client-side since 2006, Peter has a unique skill set that Creation’s directors are keen to harness. Peter’s most recent role as a Marketing Manager working in the foodservice and catering sector ties in nicely with a number of Creation’s current clients, and it is hoped Peter can use his connections within that sector to grow the agency’s portfolio. Creative Director at CreationADM, Gary Young says, “We’re slowly starting to emerge from what’s universally accepted as having been a devastating period for businesses of all sizes. But even through that period we were always keen to grow certain areas of our own organisation. With Peter on board we’re better equipped than ever to do just that. It’s a positive move for us on every level.”

Peter himself is delighted to make the transition to an agency environment. Commenting on his new role Peter says, “I have always felt working agency-side would be a good fit for my broad marketing skill set. We shall find out if this is the case in the next few months!”

Peter is also keen to develop Creation’s green initiative, A Better Planet, which provides branding, communications and creative services to grassroots campaigns, charities, NGOs, businesses pioneering sustainable products and practices, and everything in between. “Having instigated, built and grown various green initiatives within the catering industry, I’m keen to expand upon that thinking and experience and help to implement it across a wide range of sectors through our A Better Planet offering.”

Aberla Utilities inks partnership with Spanish Telecoms experts for UK FTTP delivery

Partnerships

Sam Whitear

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09/09/2020

0

Aberla Utilities inks partnership with Spanish Telecoms experts for UK FTTP delivery

North West based Aberla Utilities, part of the Aberla Group, has formed a partnership with Spanish telecommunications experts, Gabitel Ingenieros, to undertake the design, surveying and installation of fibre network infrastructure across the UK.

The partnership agreement runs for four years and will be nationwide, reaching homes throughout the UK.

The Aberla Group, founded in 2015, is a Praetura and Northern Powerhouse backed business based in Warrington, which operates across the UK. Aberla provides telecoms, energy management, renewables and engineering services to many blue-chip companies, such as British Gas, Siemens, Eon and Domis.

Gabitel, founded in 2005, is very experienced in the fibre sector with a client portfolio boasting many multinational corporations, such as Telefónica, Vodafone, Orange, Nokia and Ezentis. With over 200 employees, Gabitel has been involved in connecting over 9 million homes to the fibre network across Europe and the Americas.

The telecommunications sector is growing exponentially. Investment is becoming more focused on projects designed to meet the government’s target of all homes having access to full fibre by 2025. According to the latest figures from Ofcom, existing fibre infrastructure only accommodates access for 10% of premises.

Paul McCarren, chief executive officer at the Aberla Group commented, “We are always looking to innovate and develop the services we provide for our clients. Our partnership with Gabitel complements the existing fibre installation activities we are currently undertaking for multiple clients across the North of England.”

Aberla is targeting 500,000 fibre surveys in the first year and is currently on track for completion.

Rodrigo Delgado Diez, chief executive officer at Gabitel affirmed, “Aberla has showcased a commitment to deliver on previous projects, and their desire to continuously innovate and develop their expertise outlines exactly why we were so keen to work with them. The injection of investment into the UK’s fibre network infrastructure, alongside our aspirations and Abela’s expertise, lays the groundwork for an incredible partnership between our businesses.”

The partnership has developed a class leading digital surveying/design tool, which enables the businesses to improve response times and ensure accuracy. Investment and collaboration are essential to achieving the government’s target of a full fibre infrastructure by 2025.

New independent food outlet opening Altrincham.

Hospitality

Sam Whitear

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08/09/2020

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New independent food outlet opening Altrincham.

A new letting has been completed at the iconic Stamford House, a Grade II Listed building, on behalf of its new owners Pervaiz Naviede Family Trust (PNFT).

Green & Co now occupies 384 sq ft of retail space at 5 Moss Lane, within the Stamford House complex.

This new food outlet, due to open on 9th September 2020, will offer a range of salads, juices, baked goods, smoothies, coffee’s and super bowls all prepared fresh on-site daily, offering a healthier food choice without sacrificing flavour quality or enjoyment.

Jake Bennett, proprietor, Green & Co, said: “Altrincham has undergone a renaissance over the last ten years; the town now has a strong ‘foodie’ reputation and we are we are proud to be part of this thriving gastronomic destination.”

Daniel Lee, director, Regional Property Solutions, who acted for the landlord, Pervaiz Naviede Family Trust (PNFT), said:

“The letting to Your Green & Co was agreed pre lockdown and completed after the retail restrictions lifted. There is a deal of negativity surrounding the retail sector currently but this letting reflects the strength of Altrincham town centre, its renowned Market and independent retailers”.

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