Industry news

TechMarketView is delighted to be partnering with the Surrey Institute for People-Centred AI, part of the University of Surrey, to produce a programme of research. The alliance will see TechMarketView Research Directors collaborate with the institute to bridge the gap between academia and industry and enable the cross-fertilisation of research into the way AI can be applied to improve the way we live our lives (see TechMarketView partners with Surrey Institute for People-Centred AI | TechMarketView).

The first report, entitled Building AI-aided workforce resilience, is available now for TechMarketView clients to delve into. It includes analysis of the role of AI/ML in workforce resilience and advice for suppliers operating in the market.

Read more on TechMarketView here.

Every year our theme is designed to sum up in a few words the key trends that we think will impact the tech market in the year ahead, and this year it is Pursuing Productivity.

The UK has had a productivity crisis for the last decade. Over that time, successive Prime Ministers have sought to understand the reason why and to implement policies to ‘get the country moving’.

In other words, productivity is not a new issue. And you’d be well within your rights to question why we think the pursuit of productivity will be such a defining feature of the next 12 months.

Read more on TechMarketView here.

Organisations are too trusting of Managed Service Providers, according to new research. Just four-in-ten believe they need to make sure Managed Service Providers are certified in providing cyber security essentials, while one-third agreed personnel of providers should undergo security checks before taking on such work.

Managed services is the practice of outsourcing the responsibility for maintaining, and anticipating need for, a range of processes and functions, ostensibly for the purpose of improved operations and reduced budgetary expenditures through the reduction of directly-employed staff. To that end, Managed Service Providers (MSPs) can help business stay flexible when it comes to resources, and can accommodate swift changes which an in-house team might not be able to respond to efficiently.

But as with any outsourcing practice, MSPs also come with a host of risks, which have been exacerbated by the pandemic. As the Covid-19 outbreak opened even more avenues for fraudsters to commit financial crimes, 64% of UK companies admitted they had experienced fraud or economic crime since 2020 – and when pointing to external sources of such incidents, 20% said they had been hit by outsourced suppliers, such as MSPs

Read more on Consultancy UK here.

Companies are more active than ever in pursuing sustainability to align with values and engage stakeholders, a new survey shows. To see financial returns, though, integrating sustainability into core functions is key.

s environmental, social, and governance issues have become ever more important influencers of customer and employee expectations, organizations have tightened their embrace of the sustainability programs that address those issues. According to the latest McKinsey Global Survey on the topic,1 companies are increasingly formalizing the way they govern sustainability programs, as well as elevating the importance of diversity and inclusion.2 And a larger share of respondents than ever before say the top reason for implementing a sustainability agenda is better alignment between an organization’s practices and its goals, missions, or values.

Read more on McKinsey here.

Even a great idea or mission can be crippled by design that doesn’t put people first. Why should human considerations—such as their needs, wants, and dreams—only come into the conversation later? By centering empathy and understanding in design research, companies can both reduce risk in the idea-generating stage and ensure people are at the heart of the process, write senior partners Ewan Duncan and Kevin Neher. These needs also include the needs of the planet, society, and what matters to us as human beings. Explore our insights to learn more about human-centric design, including how to balance designing for individuals versus everyone, why first-hand research can change the game, and why it’s important to innovate for the needs of future people too.

Read more on McKinsey & Company here.

Visibility on risk is vital if businesses are to avoid making costly blind decisions, says Chonchol Gupta CEO of risk analytics firm Rebirth Analytics

Suppliers are often in the dark over multiple factors affecting procurement, production, and provenance. You might have trusted relationships with your long-term suppliers but they might not enjoy a similar relationship with their own suppliers, who could well be withholding key information.

Or it might be that neither buyer nor supplier is aware of the impact that political, economic, or even weather risks, will have on their ability to deliver the goods. 

Read more on SupplyChain here.

In the aftermath of the pandemic, healthcare workers are still feeling overwhelmed in an age when healthcare organizations are facing demands to do more for their patients with the same or even less resources. Burnout among healthcare workers reached roughly 60% in 2021.

The pandemic took its toll on health systems around the world, leading to patient care and treatment being affected, with growing waitlists and waiting times, and overburdened care workers, struggling to fill the gaps in an already understaffed and under resourced sector.

In the World Health Organization’s (WHO) latest global pulse survey, 92% of the 129 respondent countries reported some kind of disruption to services. 

Read more on Medical Developments here.

Just 8.5% of firms with connections to Russia have pulled out of the country despite pressure to do so because of the war in Ukraine, according to research.

A report by two professors analysed Orbis company data and found of 1,404 EU and G7 companies with “commercially active equity investments” in Russia before the invasion, 120 (8.5%) had left by the end of November 2022.

After Russia invaded in February 2022 many firms including McDonald’s, Coca-Cola and Pepsi withdrew or suspended operations in the country following international outcry.

Local authorities in the UK responded by cancelling contracts with suppliers based in Russia.

Read more on CIPS Supply Management here.

Teleperformance reinforces our commitment to making a positive impact on the planet we live in. As a Force of Good, our corporate social responsibility initiatives that focus on the planet continue to create a spark of hope, paving the way for a cleaner, better, and healthier environment.

Ourpartnership with One Tree Planted, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to global reforestation, has been fruitful. Powered by the generosity of those who donated to the environmental cause, we are on our way to strengthening reforestation efforts - as of this writing, we're well on our way towards our goal of planting 500,000 trees. With every dollar donated, a tree gets planted across North America, Europe, Asia, and in Latin America.

Read more on Market Screener here.

To many, “diversity” may seem like a buzzword—something leaders pay lip service to without producing tangible results. And since we’ve got a long way to go toward creating an equal workplace, diversity is still more important than ever. In 2023, diversity, equity and inclusion are table stakes for attracting top talent and running a successful business. I believe companies that choose to prioritize DEI will reap the rewards.

Business leaders cannot simply say they want to create diversity and expect a wide range of candidates to magically line up at their door. Without intention, employers could end up with the one-dimensional workplaces of the past. Businesses should be proactive about going out and finding diverse candidates.

Read more on Forbes here.