In a BBC news feature from 2012, the author pointed out that despite existing for 40 years as a concept, the widespread reality of an entirely “paperless office” had yet to materialise. The average administrative worker uses 10,000 sheets of paper a year, and 6800 of them are considered to be a waste. But there…
The ability to take cashless payments for your business, either in-store or online has benefits far beyond customer convenience. Not having to collect, count up and transport cash is the most obvious one. Having a running total of all of your transactions in real time is another. Distance is less of an obstacle, and accepting…
In 2015, the company Transport Systems Catapult (TSC), in collaboration with the University of Oxford, tested their Lutz Pathfinder car on the roads of Milton Keynes, the first time an autonomous vehicle was permitted by the UK government to travel on public highways. Further tests involving higher speeds and longer distances have taken place since,…
With the recent dramatic rise in the value of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, the concept of blockchain technology has come to the fore of the public imagination. A blockchain, in basic terms, is a continuously updated, decentralised ledger, where each entry is encrypted, and tied to previous entries by a timestamp and transaction information. The…
Adopting a new software solution can bring significant boosts in productivity and efficiency to your business, especially when you are looking to stay relevant in a competitive market. Whether it is reducing overheads, introducing new services, or providing better customer service, you want the best tools available. One of the main hurdles in making sure…
Gathering, maintaining and analysing accurate, up-to-date information is the key to understanding your current business performance, and planning for the future. Getting all of this data into one place, where you have quick access to it is easier said than done. Traditionally, businesses have relied heavily on the manual entry of data copied from paper…
Often in your business workflow, you’ll notice that one stage or process causes holdups that slow down the entire chain. This phenomenon is known as a “bottleneck”. Long queues form, staff are missing task deadlines, and customers are unhappy. Bottlenecks vary in severity, from temporary holdups caused by employee absence to more serious structural issues…
With the rise in recent years of hacking attacks and malicious malware affecting organisations of all sizes, it is more important than ever to back up your business data on a regular basis. But considering the multiple systems, documents and databases involved in keeping your business moving, it can be hard to know where to…
As the cost of server space has fallen and broadband speeds have increased, we have seen the widespread adoption of a new model for the delivery and licensing of software. Cloud-based software is a platform whereby a provider hosts a program, and allows users access over the net, often for a monthly subscription fee. In…
Whether you need auditing for legal compliance, tax reasons, accounting, or for internal performance reviews, you’ll have noticed how the process can be time-consuming and sometimes expensive. As well as the audit itself, you have to be constantly aware of how you are recording information on a day-to-day basis for inspection in future. Penalties for…