< Previous East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk OFFICE SOLUTIONS BLUEPRINT INTERIORS DOWNLOAD OUR BACK TO WORK GUIDE | WWW.BLUEPRINTINTERIORS.COM furnished less traditionally and include smart tech such as interactive whiteboards. Learning spaces are also key, for information transfer, mentoring, and training groups of staff, which can be difficult over tech, as well as facilitating the social aspect of work, with a design and layout that brings your people together, fostering the idea of sporadic interaction and creating space that supports whatever it is people want to work through when they come into contact. To encourage interaction one must rethink spaces, looking at typical journeys through a workplace to optimise them, perhaps with breakout spaces, cafeteria style kitchen areas and coffee machines. Alongside these spaces, concentration zones remain essential, such as private meeting rooms and focus pods, and those that promote wellbeing, offering less formal spots to recharge. The flexibility of spaces is a further important trend in office design, particularly in the hybrid working world. As Chloe notes: “Rows and rows of desks don’t cut it anymore. Spaces need to be © stock.adobe.com/Andriy Bezuglov 38-41.qxp_Layout 1 05/04/2022 11:34 Page 3www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link OFFICE SOLUTIONS PEOPLE NEED COMPELLING REASONS TO RETURN TO SAFE WORKSPACES. ARE YOU READY TO WELCOME YOUR PEOPLE BACK TO A BETTER EXPERIENCE? adaptable for the people who are coming in to use them.” This may involve a collection of tables that are actually mobile, can be unplugged from the floor and rearranged into a group of four for a week and then into a group of ten next week, having writable surfaces that can be wheeled up to them, and a myriad of surfaces that you can perch and lean on. Alternatively one might consider walls that fold away to create more open space and can be brought back out for confidential conversations or meetings. In the design of these new offices, that provide spots for various activities and allow space to be used differently as and when required, with hybrid workers there is a crucial need to ensure the office can breed together the physical experience of being together and the technology that enables staff to join in remotely. Chloe indicated that as well as forming areas for, for example, in-person collaboration, these are also having high quality video conferencing technology added to them that is user friendly, letting anybody walk up to the tech and in a few clicks invite a colleague or client into that space. “The importance of the tech element will continue to grow,” she said. “Collaboration areas are getting more elaborate, with immersive suites.” Tom Bamford, commercial director, at TecInteractive reinforced this: “The world has changed a huge amount, especially in the tech industry. Everyone’s mindset has leapt forward around five years within the last year because of COVID, working from home, and people using video conferencing regularly to meet. Previously this tech was a nice to have, it’s now a must have for most businesses. From our perspective as an AV tech provider, there is huge opportunity. A lot of businesses we speak to simply don’t have the right set up in their office rooms, and conference rooms haven’t been a priority in the past, with the tech in them not necessarily a prime concern, whereas now it is a massive priority.” For the future of the office, tech that allows people to work together easily, even if everybody isn’t in the same place is vital. Tom added: “In most conference rooms that aren’t optimised for hybrid meetings, people joining from home traditionally have been just a tiny little square in the corner of the screen, not really able to hear what’s going on, not being heard and not really feeling engaged in the meeting. Most conference rooms might have a big screen at one end, with a camera view down a table in the middle - it’s not very personal in terms of how you communicate. However the tech is really advancing in terms of Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Google Meet, plus the hardware can now make it feel like you’re in the room when at home or in another location. Smarter cameras and audio systems are making the experience more personal with certain cameras picking out when a person is talking and framing them for example. We should be aiming to create rooms where whether you’re in the room or joining remotely it doesn’t matter, and everyone has a seat around the table. But to get to that stage you have to design the rooms correctly and you have to get the right hardware.” When incorporating tech into meeting rooms it is also important to consider how it will work with the furniture, acoustics, lighting, et al. For instance open plan offices with glass walls and hardwood floors are prone to excess noise, unable to reduce sound like softer materials, making hearing a person on a video call difficult. To overcome this, sound reducing panels are one option to absorb noise while soundbars and microphones can improve the audio- conferencing experience. It is not just in meeting rooms and collaborative spaces that remote workers need to be accommodated for though, with larger spaces not always necessary. Small pods are a popular alternative, giving privacy for people to connect, providing spots that are plug and play. 38-41.qxp_Layout 1 05/04/2022 11:34 Page 4T here is no getting away from the fact that the world we live in has changed in the last two years considerably in many aspects - for all of us. In relation to business, many industry leaders have had to work hard to rebuild, diversify, and even start again in order to simply survive, let alone thrive, and those same leaders have also had to navigate their staff and teams sensitively and productively, whilst adjusting to a new way of working themselves and it has not been an easy task. As we continue to learn to “live with COVID” in our new hybrid world, remote working has become the norm for many, as well as an introduction of the four-day working week for some (which I have personally introduced recently and find it highly effective). We have also seen an increase in flexitime, as leaders have come to realise that their teams can be trusted to get the job done without being micro-managed and all this is well and good but… Should we as leaders be considering a change in the way in which we lead? Taking into consideration the newly created businesses and job roles that didn’t even exist only a few years ago and the rapid change in marketing styles that accompany those roles, I would say the answer is a big fat YES. Look at it this way, the Gen Z (those born between 1995-2012) are our future leaders and so would it not make sense for them to become a pivotal part of our decision-making processes? As a millennial myself (those born between 1981-1996), and someone who spends a lot of time coaching and Fiona Duncan-Steer, founder of RSViP Business Networking Agency, reconsiders leadership in the wake of the pandemic. East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk NETWORKING Should we as leaders be reviewing the way we lead in a post-COVID world? training university business students, I find myself continually learning from those who are younger than I am and it is immensely inspiring to hear their perspectives and ideas. We are living in an age where social media can make a teenager their first million, celebrity culture has become more accessible and therefore a little less special, and ‘everyone’ can now become a podcaster, presenter, journalist, interviewer, reviewer – ‘get spotted’ from an ‘upload’ and get paid for simply living their lives through the public eye. The reality world and influencer culture are well and truly upon us, whether we as leaders like it or not, and so we either embrace it, or we get left behind. Diversity in all forms within businesses should already be in place and companies are getting better at this, but we need to be even better, so ask yourself… Do you currently have a diverse workforce? Can more diversity be introduced to include younger minds? How do you feel this will benefit your business going forward? Integrating different generations, not forgetting Gen X (those born between 1965-1980) and the Boomers (those born between 1946-1964), will only ever result in a positive outcome; different minds, different ideas, different experiences, and different perspectives, all learning from one another and inspiring and motivating each other to ‘be’ and to ‘do’ better, and whilst we are all doing the best we can, we all still have the potential to do a little better 42-43.qxp_Layout 1 05/04/2022 11:35 Page 1Fiona Duncan-Steer, RSViP www.rsvipnetwork.co.uk www.fionaduncansteer.com 42-43.qxp_Layout 1 05/04/2022 11:35 Page 2 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk LOGISTICS road haulage The logistics industry is facing a severe worker shortage, rising fuel costs and very little help from the Government – making for one of the most difficult periods in the sector’s history. Tough times for 44-46.qxp_Layout 1 05/04/2022 11:36 Page 1www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link LOGISTICS T he transport industry is facing a double whammy of issues in recent times, none more pressing than the war in Ukraine and the effect it has had on fuel prices across the world. The price of fuel spiking has put everyday commuters into untenable situations, so the impact on those to which transport is their entire business is far worse. While some countries, notably Germany, have announced that they have secured a deal with Qatar for more oil, the UK was unable to boast the same after a meeting in the UAE, and so haulage companies in the East Midlands continue to suffer. The fuel duty was recently cut by 5p in the UK, a historically significant move since fuel duty had been frozen for the last twelve years. The cut has been claimed as insignificant by commuters, but logistics bosses had a warmer reception to the decision, with the Institute of Export and International Trade welcoming the decision. IOE&IT director general Marco Forgione said the measures would have a significant impact for traders that move goods by road. “Traders moving goods by road will welcome the cut in fuel duty announced by the Chancellor – it will make a difference to costs in what is a tough environment.” Similar sentiments were echoed by Richard Smith, Managing Direction of the Road Haulage Association (RHA), who said: “We welcome Rishi Sunak’s 5p per litre cut in fuel duty and hauliers and coach operators will benefit, but with fuel prices increasing at an alarming rate, it is essentially a short-term fix.” In a later interview, Richard Smith hinted that the long-term solution would be a 15p per litre rebate for “essential users” of fuels, which would naturally include the logistics and transport industry. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the UK has been dealing with a significant talent shortage over the last few years; what started as a result of Brexit, has been worsened considerably by COVID-19, and now several industries are facing a serious lack of personnel and yet another crisis. The transport and logistics industry has unfortunately been more susceptible to this than any other industry. Between Brexit and COVID, people have been more prone to leave the industry behind to look for safer, less stressful, and less unstable positions elsewhere. Another element that has made the transport and logistics industry more susceptible to workforce shortages in comparison to other industries is the very specific characteristics of the workforce itself. The age of the workforce is extremely © stock.adobe.com/alphaspirit 46 Á 44-46.qxp_Layout 1 05/04/2022 11:36 Page 2 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk LOGISTICS influential. Almost 40% of the transport and logistics workforce is over 50 years old, which means they are all soon to retire but also the group of people classified most susceptible to COVID, influencing people to leave the workforce. Additionally, younger people and women have always been discouraged from or not attracted to roles within the logistics industry; the environment appears to be almost exclusively male dominated, and most of the drivers and staff are older men, portraying a workforce that does not engage well with change and does not relate to women and younger generations. Unfortunately, these features limit the talent pool substantially and add many new challenges for the industry when it comes to new hires. Roles like warehouse staff or HGV drivers are very demanding, exhausting, and sometimes even dangerous; the lack of attractive qualities has not made the remunerative packages particularly appealing to potential applicants, who have only witnessed small increases in wages and limited training opportunities. These elements have been influencing people’s tendencies to leave the roles or not to apply for them. But it is not just HGV drivers and warehouse staff that have been lacking in the logistics industry, several graduate positions have been vacated over the last couple of years, like engineers, software developers and technicians, and these roles are the most complicated ones to refill. The most prominent reason behind the workforce shortages however has been Brexit. Since the results of the referendum, many non-UK natives have been fleeing the country to either go back to their families, or to go look for work elsewhere as they felt the UK could not offer them the same job security it had been giving them anymore. This sense of uncertainty has pushed many people away from the country, seeing the logistics industry, which used to be one of the industries that benefitted from the non-UK workforce the most, lose an incredible asset. The application of new borders, new rules and new regulations as a result of Brexit, has made circulation of not only goods, but people too extremely difficult, and hence it has made it challenging for drivers to move between the European Union and Great Britain. These new challenges have really discouraged drivers to embark on journeys across borders that were most likely to be problematic and emphasised an initial shortage of skills and talent even further. Although Brexit and COVID-19 have been deemed to be the two major driving forces behind the workforce shortages, the logistics industry has also registered little investment in apprenticeships and training programmes, which surely has not helped with retention of talent and recruitment of new employees. Perhaps it’s time to set aside old expectations and embrace new ideas. © stock.adobe.com/DZMITRY PALUBIATKA 44-46.qxp_Layout 1 05/04/2022 11:36 Page 3www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link AUTOLINK Lotus Eletre The all-new and all-electric Lotus Eletre is a striking and progressive Hyper-SUV – the first of a new breed of pure electric SUVs. It takes the core principles and Lotus DNA from more than 70 years of sports car design and engineering, evolving them into a desirable all-new lifestyle car. The Eletre is 4WD, has a battery capacity that’s over 100kWh and with power from 600hp. A 350kW charger will deliver a 400km (248 miles) range in just 20 minutes. The car’s target maximum WLTP driving range is c.600km (c.373 miles). It also comes with the ability as standard to accept 22kW AC charging which, where available, reduces the time plugged in. The Eletre takes Lotus interiors to an unprecedented new level. The performance-oriented and technical design is visually lightweight, using ultra- premium materials to deliver an exceptional customer experience. Shown with four individual seats, this is available to customers alongside the more traditional five-seat layout. The Lotus Eletre is on sale now across global markets, with first customer deliveries in 2023 starting in China, the UK and Europe. Honda Civic e:HEV Honda has unveiled the all-new Civic Net Zero With the Government clamouring for Net Zero targets, we thought it might be a time to look at some future contenders coming into the electric vehicle market, to see what vehicles we might look forward to driving later this year or in early 2023. Lotus Eletre 48 Á Honda Civic e:HEV 47-49.qxp_Layout 1 05/04/2022 11:38 Page 1 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk AUTOLINK e:HEV, the 11th generation of its iconic global compact car. Building on 50 years of heritage, the all-new hybrid Civic blends strong performance and efficiency with improved levels of interior comfort, visual appeal and overall usability. Featuring Honda’s proven e:HEV powertrain technology as standard, the all-new Civic completes the brand’s mission to electrify all its mainstream European models by the end of 2022. In its latest guise, the Civic embodies a new, progressive ‘exhilarating‘ approach to design. Coupled with Honda’s ‘Man-Maximum, Machine-Minimum’ (M/M) development principle, this joint approach has shaped all aspects of the Civic’s design and development. The all-new Civic is targeted to achieve CO2 emissions of less than 110 grams per km which is less than 5 l/100km in WLTP testing. Audi A6 e-tron concept Like the Audi A6 e-tron concept that was exhibited in 2021, the A6 Avant also has an exclusively electric drive system based on the forward-looking PPE platform, developed under Audi’s leadership. At the same time, it represents a new design concept with the same dimensions as the A6 Sportback e-tron. The Audi A6 Avant e-tron concept exterior model that is making its debut in March 2022 is not just a simple design exercise. Its lines and elegant proportions preview future Audi production models and offer clues about how dynamic and elegant the electrically-powered luxury class will look. For its part, the PPE technology will ensure that what the car’s lines imply is translated into a standard of dynamic driving performance and everyday suitability befitting use for long drives. That means that, in the future, an Audi A6 e- tron will deliver up to 700 kilometres (435 miles) of range (under the WLTP standard), depending on the drive system and model variant. And the strongest representatives of the series will sprint from 0-62mph in less than four seconds. Mazda CX-60 The all-new Mazda CX-60 will arrive in the UK this autumn to expand Mazda’s award-winning SUV range. Joining the UK line-up above the ever-popular 2022 Mazda CX-5, the Mazda CX- 60 flagship SUV is launched with Mazda’s first plug-in hybrid technology powertrain, which combines a Skyactiv-G 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a 100 kW electric motor and a 17.8 kWh high-capacity battery. The Mazda CX-60 e-Skyactiv PHEV offers 39 miles of combined electric motor-powered Audi A6 e-tron concept 47-49.qxp_Layout 1 05/04/2022 11:38 Page 2www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link AUTOLINK driving with the vehicle running at 62mph or less and 42 miles of city EV range, while the performance of the combined drivetrain delivers a 0-62mph performance of just 5.8 seconds. Kia Concept EV9 The Concept EV9 showcases Kia’s rationale on the SUV form for the sustainable mobility era. More than just a show car, the Concept EV9 fuses together aesthetics that inspire and are thought-provoking, an interior that redefines the parameters of what the inside space of an SUV should be, and a next-generation all-electric zero- emissions powertrain. It’s a prelude to what’s coming next from Kia as the brand trailblazes the road to sustainable mobility. Taking inspiration from the ‘Bold for Nature’ design pillar of Opposites United, Concept EV9 embodies an adventurous, outgoing and recreational form with its rugged and upright stance. From the outside, such proportions help outline a three-row SUV footprint, signifying a vehicle that is highly capable, practical and ready for action. Mazda CX-60 Kia Concept EV9 47-49.qxp_Layout 1 05/04/2022 11:38 Page 3Next >