BBP Midlands - Edition 69 by BBP Media

BIRMINGHAM BUSINESS POST

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Edition 69

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Moor Park 2017 Scholarship Success

34 Scholarships and Exhibitions from 35 children is the amazing statistic achieved by Year Eight children this year at Moor Park preparatory school near Ludlow.

Moor Park sends children on to the full range of senior schools and both local and national destinations feature on the list.

of the classroom, produces children with the confidence, knowledge and skill to succeed at their next schools and in the wider world”. “These results were not achieved through cramming or pressure: children here climb trees and enjoy the space and time necessary for an education in the fullest sense”. Last year’s 18 leavers won 14 awards, an impressive achievement, but this year’s group have topped even this remarkable statistic. Moor Park prides itself on finding something that every child can succeed in and the variety of areas where awards were won speaks volumes for how successful the school is in succeeding in this aim. Scholarships were won in academics, sport, music, art, drama, DT and all-rounder. There were seven academic awards including several to Radley and Shrewsbury. These results are even more impressive given the nonselective nature of the school. Moor Park caters for the full range of abilities but prides itself on ensuring that all children make progress at whatever level they operate and in whichever area of school life they are taking part.

“We are very proud of the hard work that these children have put in over a long period of time and they, and their amazing teachers, deserve many congratulations”, said Charlie Minogue, Headmaster. “Our established culture of kindness combined with staff who really care about what they do, both in and out

The school is currently investing in new facilities for their already “Outstanding” (ISI inspection report, 2016) early years provision that will be opening in September 2017. A new Performing Arts Centre will be opening by September 2018 to ensure that children continue to be given every opportunity to excel in these important extra-curricular areas. At a time when many schools are reducing access extra-curricular provision it is refreshing to see that academic success does not have to be at the expense of a broad education.

T: 01584 876 061 E: head@moorpark.org.uk www.moorpark.org.uk

Birmingham Edition 69 Contents v2_Layout 1 09/06/2017 13:26 Page 1

C O N T E N T S Money, money, money

PNC Business Credit

ZannaB

Coface

URICA

Asset Finance Compared

Quantum Advisory

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Time to Grow!

MCF Loans

In this edition we look at Business Finance in general and consider sources of funding to support Growth.

Checkprint

Art Business Loans

Business Growth Programme

GDPR is on its way and we consider what you will need to have in place to ensure compliance.

Tick Business Support

PAE Finance

We continue our popular features on Industry 4.0, and the related topic of Information Technology, conveniently linking to some of the tools available to assist with Warehouse Management and Logistics.

GDPR. Are you ready?

Close Brothers Technology Services

Arden Group

Bevan Brittan

In Space Planning we ask whether you actually need larger premises and think about the importance of catering when planning your event.

Information Technology Reaches a New Level

Informance

WarwickNet

In the meantime take a look at the website, bbpmedia.co.uk and keep sending your business news and stories to us at newsdesk@bbpmedia.co.uk we love to hear from you and will feature as many as we can.

Box-It Central

Zenzero

Need more Space?

Flow Office Furniture and Interiors

Woodbrooke

Alpha Works

Driving Smart, Driving Safe

PIB Insurance

Drive Tech

Cross-Check Systems

The Click Culture

Tel: 08000 807 809 Fax: 01905 763 159 E: hello@bbpmedia.co.uk W: www.bbpmedia.co.uk

Flexi Narrow Aisle

Central Flooring Services

The Logistics Business

Aspray24

Publisher: PIL (Europe) Limited Print & Design: Heron Press UK

Riggotts

Logistex

Industry 4.0? Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Get Left Behind!

Reproduction in whole or part prohibited without permission. Colour transparencies, prints or any pictorial media for this publication are sent at owners risk and whilst every care is taken, neither PIL (Europe) Limited or its agents accept liability for loss or damage. No editorial submissions will be returned unless accompanied by a Self Addressed Envelope.

AJ Robotics

Accurate Laser Cutting

Envisage Systems

Kronos

DISCLAIMER

Cadspec

Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that adverts and articles appear correctly, PIL (Europe) Limited cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage caused directly or indirectly by the contents of this publication. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of its publisher or editor.

What About the Food?

Edgbaston Stadium

Virtual College

Welcome to Edition 69 of the Birmingham Business Post, the free magazine for the Midlands business community packed with news, tips and stories from across the region.

BBP Media Three Springs House, Unit 9, Three Springs Trading Estate, Vincent Road, Worcester WR5 1BW

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Money, money, money Is business all about money or is there more to it? A sense of personal satisfaction in taking the bold decisions that will see our business grow, in dealing ethically with our staff and customers, contributing to the prosperity of our local area, surely all these aspects are almost equally important to most business owners. Above all though, what the majority of businesses want is a stable economic climate in which to enable clear decision making and growth, and yet another poll, this time the general election, coming so closely on the Brexit vote, has created an atmosphere of uncertainty leading to a wobble in the otherwise positive growth forecasts for the UK economy. The general election seems to have delayed decision-making, leading to softer new business growth, further amplified by increasing pressures on household budgets. Indeed the latest service sector PMI from IHS Markit revealed a slowdown in business activity in May after first hitting a four-month peak in April with the index down from 55.8 to 53.8 last month. Businesses should take heart though, and note that market analysts see this as only a temporary blip, the underlying strength of the UK economy has seen the World Bank upgrade its forecasts for UK growth over the next three years as a result of a

stronger global backdrop that will boost the British economy despite its weak start to the year.

initiatives, peer to peer lending, crowd funding, even a temporary top up from your credit cards.

Economists at the Bank expect the UK economy to grow by 1.7pc this year, upgrading their predictions from 1.3% This is only slightly below last year’s expansion of 1.8pc, and up from a forecast of 1.2pc in January.

If however the spectre of economic uncertainty is still troubling you and preventing you from making the decisions necessary to expand by investing in new equipment or larger premises in order to fulfil that exciting new order, there are courses of action you can take.

IHS Markit’s chief business economist Chris Williamson agreed, pointing out that the economy had gained some momentum in the second quarter of the year. “The three PMI surveys are running at levels that are historically consistent with GDP growing at a robust 0.5% rate, albeit with the slowing in May posing some downside risks to the near-term outlook,” he said, continuing that a further positive note is added by the data showing the tenth month of sustained job creation. UK businesses need certainty, small businesses form the backbone of our economy and against all odds they are stepping up to the plate to make the most of a post-Brexit Britain. If they succeed in their efforts, they will need finance to lubricate the wheels, encourage growth and improve productivity. Interest rates are at record lows, while funds are available and accessible. Small businesses just need the confidence and support to reach out and grasp the opportunities that are available, and there are plenty of opportunities out there too. Sources of funding in the form of loans are many and various from friends and family, high street banks who are much readier to lend than hitherto, government backed

Many companies fund their expansion through Asset Finance, a form of finance that is either secured against existing premises or equipment or against the new equipment you need to buy. Still bothered that you may make the necessary investment but that the customer will default, leaving you with the goods and a workshop full of brand new barely used machinery, well there is a simple way to guard against that eventuality, Credit Insurance. Credit Insurance protects against nonpayment of your invoices by carrying out a background check on the customer and assessing their credit worthiness from the outset, and then making good on any default on your customer’s part. They say fortune favours the bold, and it is the bold who are continuing to grow and invest, taking the opportunity provided by low interest rates to, perhaps build a commercial property portfolio or indeed to expand their own business through complementary acquisitions. These are the businesses which when stability returns to the market will be best placed to move forward and do what they do best, growing their businesses, creating employment and building a prosperous future for UK Plc.

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Getting The Deals Done Right For The Midlands Finance options are the most buoyant they have been for many years. Finding the right fit, both in terms of solution and team chemistry, is never more paramount. It’s the reason why PNC Business Credit has been so successful in supporting mid sized businesses across the Midlands and throughout the UK. PNC Business Credit is one of the UK’s leading Asset Based Lending specialists. We are part of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc, one of the largest financial institutions based in the United States (U.S.).

Refinancing We provide a tailored mix of debt structures by complementing a revolving credit facility with an element of term lending against freehold property, plant and machinery and cash flows.

Turnaround We believe in structuring ongoing financing solutions that support business long term. Providing an initial, fully revolving ABL facility allows management to ‘kick start’ their company's turnaround plan.

Flexibility and insight define our approach. Right from the outset you will be working closely with a senior, highly experienced team who will take the time to understand your strengths and ambitions to provide a solution that is as unique as your business. Our clients are typically UK businesses whose revenues are between £20 million to £500 million with borrowing requirements in excess of £5 million. We find the value you need to unlock across a wide range of assets, including accounts receivable, inventory, machinery and equipment and real estate. With further liquidity generated from the provision of cash flow term loans geared to a company’s free cash generation of a business. Our experience spans every opportunity and challenge you may face throughout your business journey, bringing the right funding solution to every situation, made to measure.

Growth We not only provide an initial injection of cash, but also support your business on an on-going basis as it grows.

Drew Johnson, Your Dedicated Midlands ABL Specialist Drew has nearly two decades of experience in supporting the corporate finance needs of Midlands businesses. With the strength of the UK team behind him, Drew works closely with management, sponsors and mezzanine funds to provide and deliver totally bespoke financial solutions.

Management Buy Out/Buy In We can enable management teams to acquire a company or division to maintain 100% ownership or work alongside Private Equity groups and management teams. In both scenarios ABL can provide far greater flexibility going forward.

Key Insights

Mergers & Acquisitions

2014 TO 2016 UK Asset Based Lender of the Year (Middle Market) as awarded by ACQ5

Asset-Based Lending is particularly attractive in M&A scenarios because there are typically fewer financial covenants with the balanced debt structure of revolving and term facilities.

Recapitalisation We invest in potential and help companies recapitalise so they can add capacity, fund acquisitions, or gain market share by refocusing their businesses.

Approaching £2B in commitments under management in the UK

Top 3 Middle Market Asset Based Lender in 2016 for both number of deals and commitment volume** (Thomson Reuters LPC, Jan. 2017) Provider of financial services to more than twothirds of the Fortune 500 (Fortune, 2016)

If you have a finance deal that needs to get done right, contact Drew directly on 0121 262 4055 / 07879 661154 or donedeal@pncbusinesscredit.co.uk 6

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you can get the deal done right. When it comes to closing the deal, we know you value flawless execution, expertise and the insight that comes from relationships that are built to last. That’s the difference between getting the deal done and getting it done right. Our commitment to excellence has allowed us to deliver nearly a thousand flexible capital solutions to private equity groups and mid-sized companies across the UK, U.S. and Canada over the past five years.

A portfolio company of Rutland LLP

A portfolio company of Hilco Capital

A portfolio company of Greybull Capital

A portfolio company of LDC

£25,000,000

£32,000,000

£150,000,000

Undisclosed

Asset Based Lending

Asset Based Lending Lead Arranger & Agent

Asset Based Lending

Garden Product Supplies

Entertainment Retailing

Steel Manufacturers

Specialist Plant Hire

Do you have a deal that needs to get done right? Contact Drew Johnson on: 0121 262 4055 | donedeal@pncbusinesscredit.co.uk PNC Financial Services UK Ltd, a company incorporated in England with registered number 70341483. The company’s registered office is at PNC House, 34-36 Perrymount Road, Haywards Heath, RH16 3DN. PNC and PNC Bank are registered marks of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (“PNC”). In the UK, lending products are provided by PNC Financial Services UK Ltd., which is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of PNC Bank, National Association (“PNC Bank”). Lending products and services require credit approval. PNC Financial Services UK Ltd does not provide legal, tax or accounting advice. ©2017 The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Over the last few years, Birmingham and its surrounding areas have experienced redevelopment and growth at an extremely fast pace. Thousands of existing properties are being updated to modern standards and entirely new builds are appearing across the area thanks to increasingly wealthy residents, enthusiastic investors and an encouraging council. New builds and regenerations - such as the impressive transformation of New Street Station into Grand Central Station, along with the rejuvenation of the Eastside Locks - have resulted in a healthy rise in property value, creating a vibrant culture of investment and development in the Birmingham area. Property investment is a solid, dependable way to make money and secure existing assets. Provided you’ve got the knowledge to choose the right properties in the right areas and the confidence to develop them into yet more profitable enterprises, it can provide longterm security unrivalled by other investment options. The stability offered by savings funds or pensions is nothing like as reliable as property - it’s by far the safest tactic to make your money work for you rather than sitting in a static account. Birmingham-based ZannaB is a great example of a centrally-located business with a nationwide reach taking advantage of this financial climate. Rather than

investing directly in the properties themselves, ZannaB research potential hotspots for property investment and then advise investors on the best way to squeeze the maximum value out of these targets. For example, this could mean staying abreast of local renovations or developments and simply buying up properties that are likely to increase in value; turning low-value buildings into high-quality, desirable properties; or buying green or brownfield sites that sit in a prime location for development. It’s not as if this company consists of outside experts coming into a market they don’t fully understand either - ZannaB’s main consultants have been operating in and around the Birmingham area for over three decades and have seen both the best and worst it can offer financially. Knowing when to exercise caution and when to go all-in is much easier when you’re familiar with the area and lets you spot opportunities where others might only see dead ends. All things considered, our advice for taking advantage of Birmingham developments comes down to a few key points: pay attention to areas that are already receiving redevelopment, stay up-to-date on upcoming projects and above all else, take advantage of local specialists and advisors. By seeking the advice and expertise of an experienced specialist, any investment project has a far higher chance of achieving success.

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Inspiring confidence Don’t let the uncertainty caused by the General Election and impending Brexit negotiations limit your ambition. Business confidence should also come from within, as Coface’s Charlotte Truglia explains. The Prime Minister’s decision to call a snap general election caught many people by surprise. While Theresa May’s ambition is stable government, the latest vote comes at a time of uncertainty and doubts about the UK’s future trading relationship with the EU and other important markets. Such insecurity means it is more difficult to plan ahead and make investment decisions with confidence. According to the latest official figures, business investment is estimated to have fallen by £2.7 billion (or 1.5%) between 2015 and 20161. Business confidence could also be affected by a jump in the rate of inflation to 2.7% in April, fuelled by the weaker pound. The upward trend has prompted concerns about a squeeze on consumer spending, one of the main drivers of the British economy. For example, the fall in new car registrations in April (down 20% compared with a year ago)2 suggests that demand in the automotive sector has peaked. On the other hand, the value of sterling has also helped to make UK exports more competitive. As a result, the UK manufacturing sector saw an upturn in April, with growth in output, new orders and exports, according to the latest Markit/CIPS UK manufacturing PMI.3 This is great for regions with a strong manufacturing base and helps explain why the West Midlands saw the strongest rise in business activity in April according to the Regional PMI data.4 And it’s likely that the newly-elected West Midlands mayor will help to champion the region and attract further investment. Andy Street has pledged to establish the region “as a world-leading centre for advanced manufacturing, technology and the creative industries, life sciences, professional services, low carbon technology and construction”5 But at the same time, it’s important that Birmingham businesses have the self-confidence to explore new domestic and overseas markets. In my experience, this has to start with an effective credit management strategy - including consistent credit checking, putting agreements in writing and sharing intelligence about emerging risks - which enables you to focus on your best prospects and grow sustainably.

Another sure way to build confidence (and sleep more soundly) is to ensure your business is protected from bad debt. Credit insurance works by reimbursing losses arising from client insolvency or protracted late payment so your cash flow is not interrupted. However, it’s important to choose a reputable credit insurer with the capacity to cover both export and domestic sales. As a global leader in credit risk Coface has a flexible and comprehensive credit insurance solution to suit most business budgets and needs.

TradeLiner: includes credit ratings, insurance cover and debt collection for an annual premium, based on your insured turnover. What sets TradeLiner apart is its flexibility - you have the option to backdate cover or decide to have your claim paid earlier to maintain your cash flow. You can also enhance your protection with a range of additional options and services, including disputed debts, pre-shipment and political event cover.

Coface’s Country Risk Conference reviews the latest economic trends and assesses trading conditions in the UK and key export markets as well as political risk. This year there will also be a focus on the defence sector. The next Conference takes place on Wednesday 28th June in London and video streamed to Manchester. Free to credit risk decision makers. To register your interest please email crc_uk@coface.com To find out how Coface inspires the confidence of 50,000 companies worldwide, email charlotte.truglia@coface.com or call 0800 085 6848. References 1 Business investment in the UK: Oct to Dec 2016 revised results, ONS, 31 March 2017 https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/grossdomesticproductgdp/bulletins/businessinvestm ent/octtodec2016revisedresults 2 Car Registrations, April 2017 overview, SMMT vehicle data, SMMT, issued May 2017 https://www.smmt.co.uk/vehicle-data/car-registrations/ 3 Manufacturing PMI rises to three-year high, signalling solid start to second quarter, IHS Markit, 2 May 2017 https://www.markiteconomics.com/Survey/PressRelease.mvc/39b36ce5e5164f1b850c a35f6ee84beb 4 Lloyds Bank England and Wales Regional PMI, compiled by Markit for Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, 15 May 2017 http://www.lloydsbankinggroup.com/Media/Press-Releases/press-releases2017/lloyds-bank/april-sees-fastest-business-activity-growth-in-2017-so-far/ 5 Page 23, Andy Street’s renewal plan for the West Midlands, Conservative Party, 2017. https://andy4wm.co.uk/RenewalPlan

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Reducing Trading Risk

A way to de-risk your business from non-payment and ensure a steady flow of cash Taking out traditional credit insurance means you will always be paid for your invoices, but you might need to wait over 200 days. Purchasing credit insurance through URICA means you can dramatically accelerate this and get paid as soon as your customer has approved your invoice. URICA then waits to get paid by your customer up to 120 days later. You get paid 100% of your invoice upfront minus one fee and URICA takes on all your credit, forex and non-payment risk. Payments are always non-recourse and because everything is done invoice by invoice, you choose which invoices you want to insure and be paid early.

Case studies

Ecospin – Winning Contracts Worldwide

Ecospin is the Tesla of the UK, manufacturing and supplying electric vehicles to law enforcement forces worldwide including the US, Mexico, South Africa and Israel.

A recent order from a new dealer in Mexico had an opening order for $191,000. Ecospin put the invoice through URICA and once the customer approved the invoice, Ecospin were paid immediately. This enabled them to order components and fulfil the order without having debt or taking a risk of non-payment. In the meantime, the customer paid URICA three months after the invoice date – once the order was fulfilled and shipped.

Fully digitalised for ease of use, URICA can also provide accelerated payments for your overseas invoices in exactly the same way.

We work with both scenarios: whether you need to be paid sooner or need cash to pay your suppliers.

As a supplier you can benefit by

• Dramatically reducing the time you wait to get paid

• Knowing exactly what funds and when you have in the business

• Choosing when you want to use URICA, invoice by invoice

• Receiving fully non-recourse payments

• Deciding with your customer when they repay URICA (max 120 days later)

As a customer you can benefit by • Strengthening your supply chain

• Removing debt from your supply chain

• Maintaining your cash resources by using our funds

• Having up to 120 days credit terms

• Receiving up to 3% cash back p.a. available on your purchases

For more information visit www.urica.com or call 0207 193 7617 10

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Asset Finance in 3 Easy Steps Businesses deal with many challenges but keeping up with the pace of change and managing time are real issues business owners face. To achieve growth, many businesses have to invest in new assets whether that be new vehicles or machinery, equipment or Information Technology and then there is a decision to be made about whether to pay cash or use bank facilities or finance by way of HP or Lease. Accessing external finance can be time consuming and frustrating. So much time and effort are needed to search the market for the best deal with a funder which has the right credit appetite and which can credit approve a transaction fast. Recognising that improving access to finance is critical to the UK economy, independent financial services broker, Midlands Asset Finance, has today launched a new online digital platform which aims to simplify the process of sourcing and applying for Asset Finance through its’ new division, Asset Finance Compared (www.assetfinancecompared.co.uk). Asset Finance Compared has been set up to enable businesses to access and apply for asset finance for transactions ranging from £5k to £100k online - with larger transactions being looked at by their specialist relationship management team. The online platform compares a wide panel of asset finance funders in 3 easy steps to offer a competitive, instant quote at the touch of a button.

The funder which best matches the customer’s requirements in terms of asset category, credit appetite and price, depending on the customer’s financial standing, is selected. Unlike other comparison websites, once a quote has been accepted, Asset Finance Compared will not hand off a client to a funder to take forward a proposal. Instead, with their in-house team, they will work on getting full credit approval on the very best terms. They will take the transaction from the quote stage through to credit and documentation and finally through to pay-out, keeping the customer fully up-to-date with their process.

transform the way that businesses source and secure asset finance facilities up to £100,000, with an instant quote being offered. “Having undertaken various checks within the platform, we can supply the quote with confidence for established businesses. “The pace of change is so fast,” he continues. “Being able to trade digitally is essential to support customers’ growth and investment plans.

All businesses need to do is:

“The three simple steps to finance, and the handling of everything in-house, will save the customer valuable time and resource which can be diverted elsewhere.”

1) provide some basic details about the business and amount to finance

To find out more, visit www.assetfinancecompared.co.uk

2) provide details of the asset(s) they are looking to purchase

“The team here has many years’ combined banking and asset finance experience with an aim to deliver an unparalleled service and to make asset finance simpler and more accessible to clients across the UK.

3) obtain an automated, instant quote The site will analyse the information entered and undertake various checks and reference to data before issuing the best single instant quote on an automated basis. Identification is then verified using online technology by the in-house team, so the transaction can be handled quickly and remotely. Dave Chapman, Director of Asset Finance Compared, says: “Our new Asset Finance Compared website and business model is an industry first, and it will completely

“Asset finance remains an essential part of the UK’s investment recovery and we are striving to support businesses in increasing their capacity to invest.” Asset finance is a growing market. According to the sector’s leading trade body, the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) almost 32% of all UK investments in machinery, equipment and software purchases were funded using Asset Finance facilities during 2015 the year.

visit www.assetfinancecompared.co.uk email hello@assetfinancecompared.co.uk telephone 01773 864 864

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WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH YOU

Things can only get worse….or can they? A senior actuary mentoring me around the start of my actuarial career advised me ‘to remember these levels of (long term) interest rates’ as I’d never see the likes of them again in my career. Since then, interest rates have followed an almost uninterrupted march downwards. As final salary pension scheme finances, on the whole, are so closely linked to long term interest rates, the ‘four legs good; two legs bad’ sheep in George Orwell’s Animal Farm could be saying; ‘high rates good; low rates bad’. The extra sting in the tail for a company with a final salary scheme is that any prospective purchasers will immediately look to the most pessimistic measure of assessing pension scheme finances - known as an insurance company buyout when making an adjustment to the purchase price…bad news built on already bad news. As if that wasn’t bad enough, much like any investment bubble, there is an assumption that the past will continue to repeat itself and pension scheme finances will continue to get worse in the future. A recent acquisition that I was involved in saw a vendor approaching an insurance company and ‘buying out’ benefits to avoid a crippling adjustment to the purchase price. This was something that was ‘impossible’ a few months earlier. As the process needed to be completed within a tight timeframe, it certainly was not as efficient as it might have been. The alternative route of a pre-pack administration was less than desirable due to the Pensions Regulator’s ‘anti-avoidance’ powers and/or the necessity to have the regulator involved in the deal to avoid future claims under these powers. The best approach is to plan early and understand the likely impacts of final salary pension schemes on any potential deal. There are many actions that can be taken including;

• Ensure the membership data is in the correct format for the insurer and contains all the detail they’ll require.

• Carry out exercises that will encourage those willing, to move their benefits to an alternative provider; the fewer members the lower the deficit.

• Consider re-shaping benefits to be more appealing to an insurance company, and therefore push the insurance premium price down.

• Carry out a mock actuarial and legal due diligence process. This will pick out anything that may impact the purchase; forewarned is forearmed. If you know the problems, you may be able to deal with them.

There may be opportunities out there for purchasers to cash in on the current situation – don’t be the one taken advantage of. It’s always good to go out on a high point, even if you are talking about pensions. I know that I sound like my old mentor now, but it is arguable that we have reached the bottom of the cycle, and provided the purchaser is strong and can ‘ride out the storm’, there may be significant value to be extracted in future.

Robert Palmer is a Partner at Quantum Advisory, which has offices in London, Amersham, Bristol, Cardiff and Birmingham. Established in 2000, Quantum Advisory provides pension and employee benefits services to employers, scheme trustees and members.

WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH YOU

For further information, or to contact your nearest office please visit www.quantumadvisory.co.uk

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It’s Time to Grow! To say that this is the time for growth might seem a controversial statement when the doom-mongers and naysayers are shaking their heads and advising caution. It is, however, just when others draw back that the most exciting opportunities arise. Despite all the uncertainties of the current climate, last year alone over 650,000 new business registered with Companies House. While not all these companies will make it, these numbers indicate a renewed confidence. This is a great time for new businesses, the UK provides a vibrant climate for business growth, with low interest rates, a stable legal framework, tax incentives for innovation, a stream of well qualified graduates and keen young apprentices, brilliant transport links and the benefit of our continued membership of the European Union. Sure we may not know what Brexit will bring, but we can’t just sit on our hands waiting to see. Small and medium sized businesses are the cornerstone of our economy and crucial drivers of wealth creation and employment. The Federation of Small Businesses estimates that the sector in responsible for an estimate of 15.7 million jobs in the UK alone. So let’s get started. You may already have a successful product or service and just wish to expand your customer base, or are bringing a new offering to the market. Your first step should be to assess the demand for your offering, and how best to increase it. Do your research. See if there is already something similar on the market, and if so, how successful it is, in what ways yours is better or different, and how your pricing would compare. On-line marketing can also be a cost-effective method of testing the market response to your idea, especially through the sophisticated response analytics available. If you already have clients, no matter how few, they can provide the best feedback on your product and on any improvements or alterations you should make to expand its appeal.

Another really good source of feedback will come once you try to raise finance for your business. Many start up businesses find the feedback from potential investors very illuminating, whether from your bank’s business manager or your success or lack of it in launching your proposal on a crowd-funding platform. For most people their first port of call when attempting to finance their project is their high street bank. Although the banks are more accommodating of late, and under a duty to recommend alternative sources if they are unable or unwilling to assist with any or some of the money, business should investigate for themselves some of the alternative sources of funding designed to assist new businesses. There are a number of governmentbacked sources of funding available to new and growing businesses, including grants, Start up Loans, Business Finance Partnerships and Regional Growth Funds. In the Midlands ethical lenders such as Birmingham City Council, ART Business Finance and MCF are some of the agencies to whom applications for government backed funding can be made, which also provide mentoring and advice to businesses in their early years. Crowd funders such as Seeders, Kickstarters and Crowdcube are now an established feature of the alternative finance market, and can be especially helpful for getting a project started. Crowd funding is an on line platform which invites investment by way of small contributions from numerous independent investors. Sources of finance are wide ranging and some will be more suitable for some applications or market sectors than others, but a professional finance broker will have the market knowledge to steer you through the maze of offerings.

On the topic of finance, businesses should make sure that they have good credit control systems in place, with clear credit terms and a system of reminders and follow ups. Some business owners are uncomfortable when pursuing debt, but a professional credit control system will ensure you get monies owed without alienating your good customers. If you are feeling overwhelmed by everything you need to get done, but don’t feel that your business is quite ready to take on more full time employees, consider the benefits of outsourcing, starting with your accountant. Your accountant can do much more than your books and tax returns, they can deal with payroll, credit control, pensions, VAT, Corporation Tax and R & D Tax Credits where applicable, and are a vital source of business know how and advice. Virtual office support is available at the click of a mouse, allowing you to delegate to an experienced UK-based office assistant at a fraction of the cost of a fulltime employee. Or perhaps consider an apprentice, part funded by government grants, today’s apprentices are well educated and well trained and supported by government backed training providers. They give you the opportunity to build your team and future managers from the ground up, So take the plunge, there is plenty of help out there, from government sponsored agencies, business professionals, and the market itself.

34468 AP_HorseWorld 27/04/2017 09:52 Page 1

Innovative working capital solutions

Unsecured short term loan £50k to £250k to 12 months Secured medium term loan £150k to £1m to 24 months Secured long term loan £1m to £5m to 5 years Does your business need short term funds to accept a large order or to provide additional working capital? Do you have a i_]d_ÑYWdj project or development that requires longer term, secured funding? YesGrowth can help your business succeed with a range of alternative funding solutions up to £5m over 5 years.

Contact YesGrowth or apply online Available to UK registered companies in any sector; not start-ups or sole traders. See website for terms.

YesGrowth Limited is an appointed representative of Kession Capital which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK. 14

34341 AP_HorseWorld 05/06/2017 10:54 Page 1

HELPING SMALL BUSINESSES FLOURISH Derby Loans IPS trading as MCF Loans are a loans company based in Derby that support small and start-up businesses across the Midlands.

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Through responsible lending we provide financial services including: Start up Funding and Mentoring. We can also provide Financial services for newly established businesses. Through our partner organisations we provide Working Capital and Asset Finance for businesses that require further funding. OPTION 1: Start Up Loan for new and business trading under 2 Years!

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Borrow £500.00 to £25,000 for up to 60 months.

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Fixed interest rate 6%

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Free application support

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Free post loan support and mentoring

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No application Fees or Set-Up Fees

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Exclusive business offers

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A Personal Loan tailored to your business needs with great flexibility, including penalty-free early repayments.

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Personal Loan to you not the business Bank DECLINES considered.

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Borrow £5,000 to £75,000 for up to 24 months.

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QUICK TURNAROUND Receive funding in as little as 2-4 days.

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Bank DECLINES considered. OPTION 3: Need to pay bills while you are still waiting to be paid from your customers who can take 30, 60 or even 90 days?

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Then Invoice discounting could work for you!

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Invoice Discounting allows you to access funding tied up in your outstanding sales invoices potentially the following day and the lender can also take care of (Credit Control) chasing your customers for payment & also protect you from Bad Debt (Bad Debt Protection).

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Tailored Facility - Tailored to the needs of each trading business with the potential of accessing up to 90% of value of each invoice.

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Great for Growing Businesses! The more you invoice the more funding is potentially made available!

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The Invoice Finance facility could support newly started / established businesses or high growth businesses looking to grow but may have been DECLINED by the mainstream banks in the past. Each facility is bespoke to the needs and demands of the business.

Costs of such a facility are competitive.

OPTION 2: Cash Flow Business Loans for LIMITED COMPANIES!!!

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Minimum criteria is Limited Company needs to have trading history of at least 9 months and has an average sales income of £4,000 per month.

A Business Loan tailored to your business needs with great flexibility, including penalty-free early repayments, top-ups, and repayment holidays. Unsecured - Most business loans are provided by unsupported Personal Guarantees.

Option 4: Asset Financing All types of Assets “Hard” and “Soft”

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Trucks / Machinery (Hard)

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IT / EPOS Systems (Soft)

Option 5: Bridging Facility A bridge loan is a short-term loan used until a company secures permanent financing or removes an existing obligation. This type of financing allows the user to meet current obligations by providing immediate cash flow. Option 6: Commercial Property Investments, Development, Owner / Occupier

MCF Group (Midlands Community Finance) John Smith Enterprise Hub, Brian Clough Business Centre, Cotton Lane, Derby DE24 8GJ Phone: 01332 341 153 email info@mcfloans.co.uk. 15

34414 AP_BBP Template 22/05/2017 12:16 Page 1

Does your business need a helping hand? All businesses have an ongoing requirement to securely manage payments into, and out, of their organisations, often with ad hoc peaks of volume, or in an environment where one or another type of payment or collection is increasing or decreasing significantly in volume. The specialist secure print and electronic payments processing knowledge of Hinckley-based Checkprint Ltd, a member of the TALL Group of Companies, provide the basis for a comprehensive range of Business Process Outsourcing activities. These activities fall into four core areas: 1. The Secure Payments Bureau Service handles, on a fully outsourced basis, all such peaks, troughs and changing infrastructure requirements with comprehensive pay-as-you-use services such as Cheques, Bacs, Faster Payments, Payment Advices (remittances), and Direct Debit Collections, or any combination of all of these methods. Payments and collections are administered, without having to purchase or install software, and are managed by the experienced Checkprint team using proven software, (the Payments Bureau is powered by Experian Payments Gateway) that is fully Bacs approved, offering payments choice, ideal for combining cheque and electronic transactions from one secure payments file. The Payments Bureau takes care of data separation and all exceptions reporting. It can also act as a contingency so payments and collections are made on time in the event of system failures. 2. Secure Print Bureau Services incorporate any and all type of cheque payments or requests for payments, including statements, associated remittances, letters, letter credits, vouchers, invoices etc. offering an outsourced cheque and credit printing & mailing service from three secure accredited premises with no minimum or maximum data quantity and no specific file format required. The print bureau service provides initial design through print and data infilling from secure data files to enclosing and mailing. The service can be provided as a complete end to end service or any element used individually. 3. Checkprintâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Special Cheque & Credit Services are used by numerous UK high street banks to manage the entire customer interface and fulfilment of specially printed company cheques and credits, irrespective of volumes, and within tight service levels,

strictly monitored according to customer requirements. Checkprint will guide users through the process of ordering business cheques and ensure that they meet individual bank guidelines. Fully bespoke designs, incorporating unique overt and covert security features are available for both cheque book and computer cheques in a range of formats and sizes, (including A4 laser and continuous cheques), and a choice of background designs. Checkprint also provide all formats and sizes for credits and paying in slips including special code lines that incorporate OCR and/or MICR together with the design and print of letter and remittance credits. 4. The Award Winning Checkprint Auto-Replenishment Service enables multi-site organisations to outsource the entire supply chain process, and avoid manual ordering, stock management, storage and audit control across a range of uniquely numbered and referenced items.

Cheques and credits may be in base stock form, part-printed or fully personalised and infilled. Checkprint offer the total management and storage of cheques and credits from three secure, accredited TALL facilities. Stock can be called-off automatically as and when it is needed, according to consumption rates, or manually overridden. If organisations need to manage stocks across a branch network or across multiple sites, the auto replenishment system will automatically manage and replenish stocks to each branch thus reducing document stock levels, freeing up valuable space and significantly reducing administration and order processing costs.

For more information on the range of services offered by Checkprint, visit www.tallgroup.co.uk or email enquiries@tallgroup.co.uk Checkprint Limited, Alan Bray Close, Dodwells Bridge Industrial Estate, Hinckley, Leicestershire LE10 3BP Telephone: 01455 615616

34447 AP.e$S_HorseWorld 01/06/2017 10:56 Page 1

ART

Celebrating 20 Years of Supporting Small Businesses ART opened its doors in June 1997. Since then it has: • Lent over £21 million to businesses unable to access finance from the banks • Supported more than 900 businesses • Helped to protect or create in excess of 7,000 jobs. Borrowers have ranged from traditional manufacturers to innovative digital businesses, caterers and leisure industry operators to providers of security and facilities management services, retailers to charities and social enterprises.

BUSINESS LOANS LOOKING FOR BUSINESS FINANCE? ART BUSINESS LOANS IS HERE FOR YOU If you need between £10,000 and £150,000 for your business, and the banks can’t help, ART Business Loans (ART) is designed for you. ART, which is based at Innovation Birmingham Campus in Aston, lends to businesses across the West Midlands with a viable proposition, but which are nevertheless unable to access any or all of the finance they need from the banks.

“I can’t speak too highly of ART – dealing with them was so easy. The bank came along with a checklist of other products to sell – and wasn’t interested in giving us a loan.” Utensa

“ART was amazing; the best. All our dealings with them were pain free!” FW Fitness

If your business needs more than £150,000 ART can lend alongside other providers, including the banks, helping to make up a larger package of finance. The loan can be used for any legitimate business purpose, including to support cashflow. ART lends to businesses working in all market sectors, helping them to grow or diversify, survive market challenges or keep up-to-date with premises and equipment. “Our aim is to support job creation and preservation,” says Steve Walker, Chief Executive of ART. “Our average loan size is £35,000 – a sum which is particularly challenging for some businesses to get elsewhere. Many of our borrowers come back to us more than once over the years for top up loans or new loans as their businesses and market conditions evolve. It is particularly gratifying to see businesses that we helped to get started, grow into significant and successful companies.” In 1997, ART helped Betel of Britain get started in the UK and in 2007 supported ‘Yummy Brummie’ – now celebrity chef - Glynn Purnell in opening his first restaurant. Other businesses, like KPM Marine, Reynolds Technology and Synapse have been able to continue to innovate and lead their fields, thanks to ongoing support from ART.

“ART gave me so much more than just the money – they gave me the confidence to go ahead and buy the business.” Horgans

“Without ART we wouldn’t be in such a strong position. As a result of the acquisition their loan allowed us to make, we are a more stable business with more staff and more strings to our bow.” M & BG

“Graham from ART was really helpful and friendly. He still pops by when he is in the area to see how we are getting on.” Joanne’s Florist

To apply for a loan from ART call 0121 359 2444 or visit www.artbusinessloans.co.uk for more information. Read the full stories and other case studies at www.artbusinessloans/casestudies/

“Being able to access finance from ART meant we were able to win a national government contract.” LearnPlay Foundation

34431 AP_HorseWorld 05/06/2017 10:08 Page 1

Major £33m Funding Opportunity to Grow and Develop your Business

If you are looking to grow your business and create new jobs, Birmingham City Council may be able to help you with grant funding of between £10k and £167k to support your project.

Funding is available through the Business Growth Programme, which is managed by Birmingham City Council and part-funded through the European Union.

Businesses located in, or moving into the Greater Birmingham and Solihull, Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire and The Marches Local Enterprise Partnership areas are eligible to apply. BGP consists of four key strands of support:

The HS2 Supply Chain Programme, offering grants of £20,000 - £167,000 for supply chain companies which have, or are in the process of securing, or are preparing their company to be able to secure a contract for HS2.

The Green Bridge Supply Chain Programme, offering grants of £20,000 to £150,000 to growing supply chain companies who can demonstrate quantifiable green benefits (i.e, energy efficiency, waste management, recycling and renewables). The Business Innovation Programme, offering grants of £10,000 - £30,000 for businesses investing in innovative “close-tomarket” products and services.

The Business Development Programme, offering grants of £10,000 - £20,000 for businesses looking to expand, relocate and improve access to markets. Case study 1: bakergoodchild Direct Marketing Limited

Case Study 2: Industrial Washing Machines Limited

bakergoodchild, one of the largest mailing houses in Birmingham, produces environmentally friendly direct mail on behalf of their customers. The company invested in a £232k project to expand and relocate into new more energy efficient premises, receiving a grant of £92k from the Green Bridge Supply Chain Programme.

After moving into new premises, Kings Norton based Industrial Washing Machines Limited, a company which designs and manufactures industrial washing equipment, embarked on a £42.5k project to purchase capital equipment to increase production and improve productivity and was awarded a £20k Business Development Programme grant to enable it to fit out its new premises.

Case Study 3: ELLUC Projects Limited

ELLUC Projects opened a new Midlands base in Redditch and invested £56k in capital equipment to support their growth plans and were awarded a grant of £28k via the Business Innovation Programme to increase their business capacity.

To find out more about how the Business Growth Programme can support your business, why not speak to one of our advisors who are on hand to guide you through the process. We are happy to talk through your project via a telephone call, or if you prefer, we can arrange a 1-2-1 face-to-face appointment. Call the BGP Grants Hotline on 0121 464 6456 or visit www.birmingham.gov.uk/bgp to find our more details. @ERDFBGP

34424 AP_BBP Template 01/06/2017 11:49 Page 1

Achieve more by doing less.

The return benefits of working with Maribel and her team include:

This may be a small Midlands-based organisation but it’s big on getting things done on your behalf, freeing you up to concentrate on your core business activities, or to just enjoy life generally, a little more.

• • • • • •

If ever there was a business win win, that one has got to be right up there. So, when you hear it’s also the invitation from Tick Business Support, it’s worth accepting right away.

It’s the brainchild of Maribel Pascual, born out of her passion to reach more people and make a real difference in business after years of working as an Executive PA and Office Manager. She’s created a bustling service hub for small businesses, a one-stop-shop to which entrepreneurs can come for a host of top-class professional services, all aimed at helping them. “We take a holistic approach, offering a variety of administrative, creative, sales and marketing solutions, meaning our clients deal with one supplier rather than several, which increases impact and keeps costs low,” she says. “This is useful for companies who either don't want to employ staff or don't yet have the budget to do so.”

For many small firms or sole traders, for whom budget is a key consideration, the prospect of bringing in expert support is likely to elicit a sharp intake of breath, prompted by the fear of extra costs. But the benefits of outsourcing key aspects of the business can be measured in so much more than pounds, shillings and pence and, ultimately, do bring a boost to the balance sheet.

Increased productivity and flexibility Increased profit margins More time to focus on core business activities Improved project organisation and delivery Better opportunity for a well-deserved break Reduced stress levels

“Whether you need to outsource for a fixed time period or short contract, Tick Business Support will work alongside you,” Maribel promises.

“As the old adage says: ‘two heads are better than one’, and it is more cost effective and popular than ever for business owners to outsource. Let us create some magic for your business.”

TiCK

BUSINESS SUPPORT Getting things done is what we do

To find out more about Tick Business Support and its full range of services, or to pick up some advice from its free business resources, go to www.tickbusiness.com email help@tickbusiness.com or telephone 0121 663 1703

“You become more productive because you are no longer stretched across so many areas,” explains Maribel. “Outsourcing can bring fresh minds to your business and also makes time for innovation and other vital tasks. When you outsource as a business owner, a little bit of magic happens.”

Tick Business Support can help with a wide range of tasks including: general administration; social media management; blogging and marketing and design.

34408 AP_HorseWorld 25/05/2017 16:47 Page 1

Finance

Tax doesn’t have to be taxing. Whether you are a new business, Sole Trader, or have moved into Limited Company status, while you understand that you need to keep financial records the complexities of today’s taxation and employment legislation can leave you needing to spend too much time away from what you do best, building your business, or worst putting off doing anything about it at all until an unwelcome demand from HMRC drops through your letter box. A professional reliable accountant can deal with all your taxation, bookkeeping, and payroll obligations, and leave you free to get on with running your business. PAE Accountants in Worcestershire, run by Paul Evans have a wealth of knowledge when it comes to your tax returns, self-assessments, payroll/PAYE and bookkeeping and many other accountancy services, and will be able to keep your financial affairs in order.

employer to observe the varying points at which contribution changes for your individual employees due to age and remuneration, are particularly challenging for small business owners. Handing your payroll over to PAE will ensure that everyone is paid properly, on time and that the appropriate deductions have been made. They will keep an eye on holiday entitlements, changes to salary scales and allowances resulting from changes to legislation. Self-Assessment (Sole Traders) have become, perhaps unfairly, notorious for nor keeping proper records, shoe boxes of receipts, payments taken in cash and not recorded, outstanding invoices not pursued for fear of losing a “good” customer resulting in turn in cash flow difficulties that can lead to penalty charges for late payments of outstanding invoices, in short a muddle! PAE Accountants can help by going through some basic accountancy does and don’ts and requesting that all receipts and invoices be accounted for and submitted to them regularly. They can soon see then if things start to slide and will help the beleaguered SoleTrader get back on track.

They will help make sure that while you do pay what is due when it is due, that you don’t pay more than you should. It has been rightly said that while you must pay tax, there is no need to leave a tip.

PAE Accountants can deal with all your accountancy needs including book keeping, payroll, company accounts, limited company accounts, Self –Assessment, tax services and Company Secretarial duties, helping just as much or as little as you and your business needs.

A particular area where many smaller businesses are having difficulty is payroll. Changes to the minimum wage and the introduction of Auto Enrolment, especially with the compliance obligations placed on the

Give them a call to arrange an initial confidential discussion and relax, knowing that your accountancy and taxation needs are in safe hands.

Email paul@paefinance.co.uk Call 01299 272 647 Website www.paefinance.co.uk

34534 1pg_Transport Warehousing 07/06/2017 12:02 Page 1

GDPR. Are you ready? There's no getting away from it. GDPR is on the way and the country’s businesses are all having to make ready for its implementation. Bearing in mind the seismic technical advances which have taken place since the most recent data protection legislation, way back in 1995, the European Union General Data Protection Regulation to strengthen the protection of personal data for all EU citizens is a good thing. Ensuring full compliance to avoid heftier fines - the harmonised new rules will affect companies of all sizes, in all regions and industries whether they’re in the EU or out of it - means there’s quite a mountain to climb between now and the May 25, 2018 arrival date. For example, there will be certain private sector organisations that will have to make ready to welcome a new member of staff a Data Protection Officer (DPO). The idea of having a privacy professional on the team to steer compliance issues is not a new one but previously it was only regulated by member states. From next year a DPO will be a must for some, regardless of size if they are processing personal data in the capacity of a controller or a processor. (A DPO can be shared between organisations that are not large enough to justify appointing their own.) Even those who are not obliged to make such an appointment could still find themselves required to employ an experienced privacy professional. Those firms, for which processing personal data is all in a day’s work, are also facing not only stricter rules, but new ones as well. They include: • Extensive notice requirements. • Privacy by design and by default for each processing. • Breach notification to DPAs. • Privacy Impact Assessments.

• Stronger rights for individuals. • Record keeping of processing operations.

additional information? Time to start thinking about that. 6. Legal basis for processing personal data

So how can you make sure that you and your business are doing what you need to do for GDPR and make sure that you are ready for implementation?

Identify the legal basis of any data processing you do. It will have to be thoroughly documented.

At the very least it’s worth visiting the website of the independent Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) which has already made clear its commitment to helping organisations prepare, and has published a host of practical and signposting guidance on its website at www.ico.org.uk.

Review how you gain customers’ consent for any data collection and that your process meets new guidelines. If not, plan how you will make the required changes.

As part of that advice, it has, helpfully, drawn up a 12-point checklist to serve as an invaluable guide as to what needs to be done to conform to the forthcoming regulations. 1. Awareness Don’t assume people know about the GDPR timescale - ensure those who need to know, do know the timescale for implementing the necessary changes for compliance.

7. Consent

8. Children Do you have systems in place to verify ages and gain parental consent for any data collection on children? 9. Data breaches Are the right procedures in place to detect and investigate a personal data breach? 10. Data protection by design and data protection impact assessments Plan how you will pass a privacy impact assessment and put new measures in place if you fall short of the new requirement. 11. Data protection officers

2. Information you hold

See above.

Ensure you have a record on what personal data you hold, where it comes from and with whom it is shared.

12. International

3. Communicating privacy information Review your privacy notices and plan how they have to change to be GDPR compliant. 4. Individual rights Check processes to make sure you can fully delete a person's data if requested or provide them with their data if they ask for it. 5. Subject access requests Will you be able to handle requests within the new timescales and provide any

If you organisation operates globally, make sure what supervisory authority its different divisions fall under. Of course the real key is to evolve a timeline that’s specific to your business. The ICO’s checklist is a great starting point but there’s no doubt you will need to go into much greater detail to evolve a timetable that’s right for you. And once you’ve got everyone on board and working together, that May 25, 2018, deadline won’t seem very far away. So if you’ve haven’t started, the time to get going is NOW.

34383 AP_HorseWorld 24/05/2017 10:27 Page 1

Technology Services UK SMEs are increasingly likely to see their workforce as ‘mobile’, with more than four in every ten (42%) now classing their workforce in this way, according to the findings from Close Brothers Business Barometer, a quarterly survey of more than 900 UK SME owners and senior management across a range of sectors. As mobile technology develops, it’s becoming increasingly easy for workers to remain connected with the office. This brings with it a number of advantages, including access to critical work applications at all times; the ability to access content from anywhere, and more engaged employees that comes from increased location flexibility. As always; however, it’s important to strike a note of caution because along with the upsides of mobility, there comes a number of crucial challenges, the most critical of which is security. UK firms do not see better online security as a priority - according to our research, 63% of companies have made the decision not to invest in better online security in the next 12 months. The truth is, businesses of all sizes should be aware of their responsibility when it comes to online security, but we’re finding that this message is perhaps not getting through as clearly as it could, with nearly three quarters (73%) of respondents saying that mobile security is not a concern for their business, with only 27% of the opinion that it is. This is surprising considering the number of high-profile data breaches that have received extensive coverage in the mainstream media.

Increased productivity? A large minority (39%) of business owners are of the opinion that increased mobility does not necessarily bring with it increased productivity.

Investment levels in mobility Planned levels of investment in mobility during 2017 are low, with only 15% answering ‘yes’ to the question ‘is your business intending to invest in mobility in 2017?’. 52% answered ‘no’ while the remaining 33% were unsure. Many businesses will already feel they’ve invested significantly in mobility, so these results should not come as a surprise. What you are likely to see, though, is businesses dedicating more and more of their IT spend to keeping their workforce both mobile and safe. What we are starting to see is a move towards alternative ways of acquiring hardware, including a move away from mobile network operators for their hardware to other sources, including leasing. This gives them more flexibility to, for example, make changes without being tied into long-term contracts. We’re seeing this trend within our own business as well as with our customers. On the theme of investment, 71% answered in the negative when asked ‘has your company invested in a mobile application that gives them access to company data on the move?’. Although many companies have invested in applications for customers, what we haven’t seen as much of is the same level of focus on apps for employees. This is potentially the next growth area, and brings with it an increased need to ensure data security and integrity.

Ian McVicar, CEO Close Brothers Technology Services

There isn’t necessarily the implied expectation that mobility is a tool to increase productivity. Being mobile is not the perk that perhaps it was in the past, meaning it doesn’t come with the implicit expectations that it used to.

For more information t: 0800 090 2291 e: enquiry.technology@closebrothers.com

www.closebrotherstechnology.co.uk 22

Keep in touch:

34399 AP_BBP Template 29/03/2017 13:29 Page 1

Why staff are your most valuable asset when it comes to data security Educating employees is the key to protection

Although the majority of organisations identify cybercrime as a real risk to their business, not a week goes by without a news story publicising another security breach that has put personal and sensitive data at risk. While failing to invest in the latest advances in cyber security can compromise data security, in reality it’s employees who are the weakest link when it comes to protecting a company against cybercrime. Adam Winwood of Coventry-based Arden Group outlines how hackers can access secure data, the steps to take to enhance protection, and how training for employees can help to minimise the threat of an attack. There are many steps organisations can take to fight cybercrime from installing the correct software to ensuring they use a secured network. But even with the most sophisticated data protection in place, these efforts could prove futile if it’s the employees who are putting the organisation at risk. According to a report by Intermedia, at least 90 per cent of workers undertake risky data security – from sharing account credentials through to downloading unauthorised programmes. While accessing personal and financial information may be the main reason behind an attack, reputation hijacking is another concern.

Educating employees should be next and making sure they appreciate the ramifications of security breaches for themselves and their organisation. For junior and senior employees alike, outlining the tell-tale signs of phishing scams in emails such as typos, incorrect terminology or uncommon email addresses could help ensure rogue links won’t compromise the network security. Training on what can and can’t be downloaded via the Wi-Fi system is also recommended, as well as ensuring staff that regularly work from home or take devices such as laptops and tablets away from the premises are using secured networks are also recommended. When it comes to protecting data within an organisation, it’s advised not to cut corners to reduce costs. Organisations deal with sensitive data every day which means they are a target from teenage hackers right through to cyber criminals. For peace of mind, it’s recommended to seek help from an external specialist who can handle data protection, ensure all updates are in place and identify any issues before they result in a complete security breach.

Take unsecured Wi-Fi as one example of a weak point. For ease, some organisations may use an open network however this can provide an ideal portal for cybercriminals to gain access to the entire system. Phishing scams are also rife and are becoming more sophisticated with hackers ‘befriending’ individuals in order to share an infected link. In the past, hackers have been able to infiltrate corporate networks by tricking employees into opening malware. The first step towards cyber security should be ensuring appropriate software is in place. Up-to-date anti-virus protection should be installed on the end points, gateways and servers, with Software as a Service (SaaS) packages in place to guarantee the network is always up to date with the latest security features.

For more information about Arden Group’s IT Security Solutions, please visit www.arden-group.co.uk 23

34364 AP_HorseWorld 08/06/2017 13:41 Page 1

www.bevanbrittan.com

In our last article we suggested some of the steps businesses should be taking to prepare themselves for the advent of the new GDPR regulations. Most organisations which hold or process personal data, will by now have started to plan their strategy and have either appointed or started to look for a DPO (Data Protection Officer). A DPO is required where the processing of personal data is carried out by a public body, or the core activities of an organisation require large scale monitoring of individuals, or the large scale processing of special categories of data. A DPO is key to ensuring that organisations remain compliant with the new regulations. There is no need for an organisation to appoint their own DPO; a group of undertakings may appoint a single DPO between them. The duties of the DPO include:

1. Informing and advising on legal obligations

2. Monitoring compliance with law and policies 3. Advising on impact assessment 4. Cooperating with ICO

5. Acting as contact point for ICO

6. Raising awareness and training staff

7. Assigning responsibilities and conducting audits

Emma Godding, Head of Information Law at Bevan Brittan, explained to us that a key attribute for a DPO is impartiality. She said that it is really important that organisations understand the importance of the DPOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s role and that the DPO must be able to report to the highest level. She said that organisations should support the DPO and ensure that they are given the support necessary to do the job.

Whilst in many cases, the DPO will take a leading role in ensuring compliance with the GDPR, organisations should understand and accept that they are responsible for breaches. It would be wise at this stage for organisations to produce a compliance plan, to make a processing hygiene check now to ensure that they will be legally compliant when the regulations come into force, and to take measures to address any gaps.

For help in preparing for GDPR please visit www.bevanbrittan.com

As Emma says â&#x20AC;&#x153;Personal data must be processed in a way that ensures safety and security, including protection against unauthorised or unlawful processing and against accidental loss, destruction or damage, using appropriate technical or organisational measures.â&#x20AC;? Organisations will also need to be prepared for the new rights individuals have in respect of their personal data, and will need to consider policies and procedures to address them under the GDPR. Amongst other rights, individuals will (subject to certain exemptions) be able to assert the following rights:

ii. Right to data portability (or to have data transferred electronically) iii. Right to restrict the use of data

It is difficult at this stage to gauge the extent to which individuals will be aware of and will assert their new rights. However, organisations should bear in mind that the new rights are complex, and may have strict time limits for compliance. It may be difficult at first for staff to identify when a customer or member of staff is asserting one of these rights. Emma said that staff training will be critical as it is important to be aware of these new individual rights and to know how to respond. Staff training is also vital when it comes to data breaches, all staff must have a clear reporting procedure, as all data breaches must be reported straight away with organisations having only 72 hours in which to report the breach to the appropriate person.

We are now in the age of data protection by design, and treating data protection as an afterthought will no longer be acceptable. Organisations should include Data Protection in their planning at all points. It can no longer be something left to the IT guys, it is a risk management issue and needs to be dealt with at the highest level within the organisation.

emma.godding@bevanbrittan.com | 0370 194 8998 Bevan Brittan has offices in London, Leeds, Birmingham and Bristol.

Right to be of erasure (or the right to be 'forgotten')

Emma Godding

34353 1pg_Transport Warehousing 07/06/2017 12:50 Page 1

Information Technology Reaches a New Level A remarkable business and financial milestone was reached a short while ago. For the first time ever, the top five places on the list of the world’s most valuable companies were occupied by technology companies. Even allowing for the fact that stock market valuations are not absolutely precise, the facts of the positioning underline how the technology sector has now overtaken the more traditional importance of healthcare, finance, energy and manufacturing sectors. IT is not only at the heart of industry, it is at the heart of our lives, so much a part of modern living that few things function without it.

When it comes to dialogue between staff, suppliers and customers, the arrival of simple and inexpensive email pretty much swept to one side all that had gone before it, giving rise to terms like ‘snail mail’ for the postage system that had operated for lifetimes. But such is the nature of IT that further, even more immediate communication systems are now making the email look less than instant. We have live chat/instant messaging systems, online meeting tools and videoconferencing systems and voice over internet protocol (VOIP) telephones. Not to mention, smartphones.

Customer relationship management is also being transformed as IT systems are developed to keep track of a customer’s purchase history and any issues so that should the client need to get in touch, the extra information available will enable customer support departments to provide more personal and value-added service. Of course we can only brush a small part of a very large surface here when it comes to considering how IT has become a part of our lives but, from an industry point of view, it’s good to know that the nation is doing quite nicely.

Like the post, based on paper, our work spaces have been transformed by IT. On the whole, large file rooms and rows of filing cabinets are things of the past. Companies are now storing documents digitally on servers and storage devices.

According Tech Nation 2017, the annual in-depth analysis of the UK’s Digital Tech eco-system by Tech City UK, the country is a leader both in Europe and on the international stage and IT is proving a major contributor, around £97bn a year, to the home economy.

So much of what we use has been created with help from information technology. Common, every-day items all use it. Don’t just think cars, think phones, think iPads; think microwaves, think washing machines, think televisions.

Millions of items which once would have taken up thousands of square footage can be stored in a room probably not much larger than a downstairs cloakroom - and be accessed instantly whenever needed by employees.

Growing at twice the rate of the wider economy, this contribution has risen 30% in just five years, and in the same time period, London alone has attracted more investment than Paris, Berlin and Amsterdam combined.

The worlds of business, education and healthcare have all been reshaped - and continue to evolve in new ways thanks to information technology.

Such innovation has given rise to a whole industry surrounding such data management. Putting the very valid security and protection sectors aside, entire Management Information Systems have been developed to enable companies to effectively track sales data, expenses and productivity levels.

The regions are playing a vital part in this. Six clusters of technical businesses alone attracted nearly £700 million investment between them in 2016: Edinburgh (£159 million) Cambridge (£153 million), Bristol & Bath (£109 million), Oxford (£106 million), Manchester (£78 million), and Sheffield (£61 million).

Then there are analytical tools to help interpret the details uncovered by such systems enabling managers to adapt the business operation to the information contained therein.

IT is ever changing but, it seems, what will never change is the opportunities it presents for us whether at home or at work.

Information Technology, as it is known by its full name, is basically concerned with the development, maintenance, and use of computer systems, software, and networks for the processing and distribution of data - and in the 21st century that covers a lot of ground.

For business alone, the arrival of the computer changed the world forever as IT was brought to bear upon insuring the smooth running of all departments such as manufacturing, security, human resources and finance. It provides a window on the ever-changing state of global markets and through constantly developing software and hardware packages, keeps them on top of customer supply and demand. For many firms, having their own IT department is part-and-parcel of standard operations.

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How legal HR departments can benefit from the limitless business intelligence capabilities of Qlik from Informance. For law firms, developing the right human resource and recruitment strategy for analysing their staff performance and streamlining their recruitment and talent management processes are vital to their firm’s success. People analytics is now a top priority for legal HR departments as they now recognise the value in investing in the right recruitment and performance strategies that will enable them to employ the right lawyers, staff and skill base. Informance has been providing Qlik business intelligence solutions to law firms for 10 years and during this time the company has built up an impressive legal client list and has delivered over 100 successful Qlik implementations. This has awarded Informance with Qlik Elite Solution Provider and Qlik specialisation status and it is now recognised in the legal services market as the Qlik partner for law firms. Managing Director Barry Talbot says that recently his legal customers have been looking to extend the use of business intelligence within the firm for improved decision-making and planning on not just financial performance but for HR so that they can hire more efficiently and monitor their HR management. Informance has developed several unique Qlik HR dashboards and apps. that are now transforming the way firms manage their HR, recruitment and talent management capabilities with proven results. These dashboards unlock the power of a firm’s data and give their HR department all the information they need to drive HR business outcomes, performance and profitability.

Barry says: “At Informance, we provide law firms with powerful yet easy to use, BI capabilities from intuitive Qlik dashboards that enable users to create visualisations and apps that answer any questions about the firm or personal KPI performance”. He continues: “Historically, firms perform most HR analyses with Excel spreadsheets which are powered by fragmented systems and driven by a few select users. This method is time-consuming and does not provide the ‘whole story’ of the firm at a detailed level. Through Qlik, we enable firms to promote self-service, support better collaborative decision-making, optimise and manage their workforce performance and replace their disparate systems into a single view of their HR data – or any data for that matter!” With a legal HR solution from Informance, data is more visible and accurate which means HR personnel are more productive and able to make quicker and more fact-based decisions relating to staff. HR users can conduct in-depth personnel analysis very easily and build up a profile of staff performance and candidate information through an intuitive and user-friendly platform. Barry concludes: “We can help firms optimise their HR performance and drive talent management strategies across the firm, adding value to the process of: appraisals, benefits, diversity, employee engagement, grievance, learning and development, payroll, performance, retention rates, salary gender gaps, staff turnover and talent requirements”.

dŽ ƐĞĞ ǁŚĂƚ /ŶĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ĐĂŶ ĚŽ ĨŽƌ ǇŽƵƌ ůĂǁ Įƌŵ͕ ƉůĞĂƐĞ ĐŽŶƚĂĐƚ ƵƐ

Informance Limited tĂƌǁŝĐŬ /ŶŶŽǀĂƟŽŶ ĞŶƚƌĞ͕ tĂƌǁŝĐŬ dĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐǇ WĂƌŬ 'ĂůůŽǁƐ ,ŝůů͕ tĂƌǁŝĐŬ sϯϰ ϲht dĞůĞƉŚŽŶĞ͗ ϬϭϵϮϲ ϲϮϯϰϱϲ ŵĂŝů͗ info@informance.co.uk

www.informance.co.uk 26

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Superfast Broadband is Giant Leap for IT Firm An IT solutions firm forced to leave Windows updates running overnight due to slow internet has seen its business transformed thanks to the introduction of superfast broadband by WarwickNet.

Leap IT, which is based in Hockley Court, Solihull, provides IT systems and support to more than 200 businesses across the West Midlands.

with Midlands-based WarwickNet, business has been transformed for Leap IT, with fast, reliable and costeffective internet boosting productivity. Stuart Watson, Leap IT managing director, said: “When we first relocated from Redditch to Hockley Court a lot of the units here were empty so we were one of the first businesses really affected.

“We knew the internet was slow before we moved and thought we might need to install an expensive BT leased line, especially with the VoIP phone system we had.

“At one point we could only have a couple of people on the phone at any one time. Bearing in mind we receive about 40 support calls a day and more than 60 calls overall, it was absolutely crippling us. Monday mornings, in particular, when businesses returned from the weekend and had various system problems, were hard to manage.

Leap IT managing director Stuart Watson and WarwickNet’s Mark Hitchcock at Hockley Court, Solihull

However, staff were forced to leave their own PCs, along with customers’ equipment, running overnight due to the slow internet speeds they were dealing with. After signing up for an uncontended Premium Internet Access product

“It’s no exaggeration to say the upgraded connection from WarwickNet has transformed the way we are able to work – we now function as a business should, with fast broadband and clear phone lines. WarwickNet business development director Mark Hitchcock said: “When we initially spoke to Stuart it was clear his business wasn’t as productive as it should be, solely due to the slow internet connection around Hockley Court.

The Venture Centre, Sir William Lyons Road, Coventry CV4 7EZ

“We’re delighted the implementation has solved their phone systems and other issues which no company in this day and age should have to deal with – let alone an award-winning IT solutions firm.”

The services offered at Hockley Court now include business broadband, leased lines, Premium Internet Access, MPLS, VoIP and online backup, delivered by fibre-tothe-premises (FTTP) and fibre-to-thecabinet (FTTC) technologies.

WarwickNet is a rapidly growing, Tier 2 Internet Service Provider who specialise in national and international, highly bespoke MPLS networks for corporates and broadcasting, and backhaul services for other Internet Service Providers. The company also have an extensive presence on a large number of Business Parks and Industrial Estates throughout the wider Midlands, where they deliver superfast broadband and highcapacity leased lines. Using their resilient national network based on a 10-Gigabit Ethernet Core with multiple pop locations in London, the Midlands and Manchester, WarwickNet implement a mixture of technologies including Fibre-to-the-Cabinet (FTTC), Fibreto-the-Premises (FTTP) and SubLoop-Unbundling (SLU) to bring highspeed Internet to your business.

www.warwicknet.com

sales@warwicknet.com 024 7699 7222 27

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20 Years of Document Management Excellence 2017 is a milestone year for Box-it Central. Based in Warwickshire, providing a document management service throughout the West Midlands, Box-it Central celebrates its 20-year anniversary. It is the local regional office of Box-it, a document management business which has won multiple storage industry and records management supplier awards. Box-it Central offers a range of physical, digital and integrated document management services including cataloguing, secure archive storage, scanning and shredding, the latter being offered as either an onsite (mobile) or offsite service. The business operates from a secure site, with 24-hour CCTV surveillance and uses its own fully-tracked, liveried vehicles for collections and retrievals. Alongside these services, are innovative, user-friendly Omnidox solutions for securely managing digital documents online built on award-winning technology from Box-it. Omnidox Document Manager is due to be launched soon, and will be the newest addition to the ‘Omnidox family’. “Two decades ago, when we opened Box-it Central, the emphasis was on storing archive boxes, which of course we

still do. But over recent years, we have seen a wave of change, with demand increasing for other services, such as cataloguing and scanning,” explains Box-it Central’s Executive Director, Emlyn Evans. “Cataloguing physical archives helps support document lifecycle management and with it, compliance with statutory legislation. And, demand for our scanning services is ever-increasing as clients want to convert their paper records to more accessible, digital assets.”

For further information on Box-it Central’s services, speak to your local account management team on 01926 270 068 or email centralsales@boxit.co.uk

A complete range of end-to-end solutions for all your paper and digital documents. As your local regional oﬃce of Box-it, the award-winning nationwide document management business, Box-it Central provides a comprehensive range of secure, eﬃcient and competitively priced services throughout the West Midlands. • • • •

Document Scanning & Data Capture Digital Document Storage & Management Cataloguing Services Secure Archive Storage with next day Collections & Retrievals

• Omnidox Records Manager for Managing Physical Archives Online • Onsite & Oﬀsite Secure Document Destruction • Records Management Consultation • Local, Knowledgeable Account Management

An aﬀordable, secure web based solution for managing your digital documents online, anywhere, anytime. Ask for details.

Find out how we can help make document management easier for you.

Box-it Central 01926 270 068 centralsales@boxit.co.uk boxit-central.co.uk

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D E S I G N

P R I N T

F I N I S H

M A I L

BRINGING

PRINT TO LIFE 0121 457 4810 ¾ www.heronpress.co.uk f /Heronpressuk

Based in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, John Evans Interior Architecture & Design and sister company je+1 pride themselves on doing things right, and as Members of the Chartered Society of Designers, the British Institute of Interior Design and the Design for Business Association, that is just what they have been doing for 40 years, creating high quality residential, commercial and retail interiors that work. The company ethos is to always go to a lot of trouble to make sure they do things properly. They listen to what you need and develop long-term relationships with their clients, which allow them to completely understand the client’s requirements. They control the results at every point in the process. John Evans told us, “We make sure that you get positive results, it is important to us that you get the interior that is right for you or your business.”

Commercially, It is this striving for perfection combined with their professionalism that has got them noticed by many of the larger firms and multinationals, particularly large retail brands such as DFS, Bensons for Beds and Harveys.

Take a look at www.johnevansdesign.com or find us on

Specialists in the design and supply of lighting for commercial and domestic applications We are Proud to Support John Evans Interior Architecture & Design Ltd

07966 193432 a1lightingdesign@gmail.com www.a1lights.com

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Need more

Space?

Take a fresh look at your premises and ask whether they are still suitable for the direction of your business. If you think you need more space, ask yourself what for? It may seem obvious but it is actually a key question. Are you planning to expand by taking on more staff, have you simply outgrown your accommodation, or is it just that you need somewhere for business meetings, training sessions, even events or exhibitions and your current space doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t present the right image. The decision to move offices, perhaps invest in new premises can be a difficult one, is your business at a stage when such a heavy long term commitment should be undertaken? For many companies at this transitional stage, serviced offices can be a good answer. Serviced offices are smart, well maintained, fully staffed and come without a long term commitment. You just rent the amount of space and the services you need on a regular basis, and rent conference or meeting rooms at the same place by the hour if you need them. If you are just looking for occasional meeting, function or event space equipped with audio visual equipment and with catering available, then a specialised conference or event company will be able to meet your needs. They always have an experienced team of event cocoordinators and meeting rooms suitable for small board meetings or interviews, up to

spaces suitable for large conferences, product launches or exhibitions. If, however, you are basically satisfied with the offices you have but just want to smarten them up or make better use of existing space, then an office design company should be your first port of call. Likewise if you do decide to invest in a completely new office, call in the professionals. Moving into new offices of your own is an exciting time, but a heavy financial commitment. It is, therefore, well worth making sure that you make the best use of the space, that it is laid out in the most practical and efficient way and presents the right image. When the day comes that you collect the keys and unlock the door to your future have an office designer by your side. Ensuring that your premises reflect your vision can be a daunting task even if this isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t your first venture and you are an old hand with years of experience behind you, to get the look just right requires knowhow.

just for you. Make sure you set a budget during your discussions; it can be very disappointing if your designer comes up with something fabulous that is beyond your pocket. A professional office interior designer will be thoroughly aware of the latest design trends, and aware of developments in the fields of office technology, ergonomic design and energy saving measures. They will be able to advise on open plan working, the case for and against hotdesking, heating and lighting systems, to say nothing of appropriate use of colour and graphics. They will be keen to show you their portfolio of projects and you should take the opportunity to go and visit them. See how they make you feel, are they imaginative yet comfortable, do you feel relaxed, but evidently not too relaxed, and most importantly do you like what you see, after all this is the environment you and your staff will be working in every day.

Choose a design company used to working in your sector, someone terrific at designing nightclubs or garden centres, while highly talented, should perhaps, not be first on your list.

Contribute your own ideas to the mix to help your designer come up with compelling ideas and layouts. A good design agency should offer design solutions packed with creativity that nonetheless reflect the individual character of the many venues they have worked with over the years.

Sit down with your designer and discuss what you are hoping to achieve, and how your business works. A good designer will want to know quite a lot about your business in order to come up with a design suitable

So the answers to your space conundrums are many and all come back to the original questions, are your premises still suitable, and if not, in what way do they no longer meet the needs of your business?

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Birmingham entrepreneurs join forces to transform offices across the UK Two Birmingham entrepreneurs have launched Flow Office Furniture & Interiors to analyse, design and fit-out efficient workspaces across the UK. On January 3rd Spencer Turner and Lee Gill with over 50 years of experience in the industry, have combined their knowledge to create their own company. They met eight years ago when they joined Birmingham’s BNI networking group and have worked together on numerous projects since. Lee has 23 years of experience in office interiors whilst Spencer has worked in office interiors and Bespoke cabinet making for 34 years. They believe that their combination of experience and a shared business ethos of ‘complete transparency’ are what make Flow different from their competitors.

Following the launch of Flow, Lee, co-founder and chief office designer, said: “It had always been a dream of mine to one day run my own office design company and I cannot believe that the dream is now a reality.” “They say reach for the stars and one day you might just touch one, and I’m living proof that that it’s achievable. I couldn’t have done it without the support and knowledge of my business partner Spencer Turner, who has successfully built up his own commercial and residential interiors company over the last 30 years.”

productivity so it was only a matter of time before everyone else caught on.” A unique feature of Flow is their use of the latest computer-aided design (CAD) technology, to show clients exactly what their new office will look like before they install the furniture. Co-director Spencer Turner noted: “Our clients love how CAD technology allows them to change the design to perfectly align with their vision.’ He continued, ‘This is a key component in our mission to refurbish offices with minimal disruption to the client’s normal work.”

The team are well aware how daunting a new office lay out can be, but they will work with you every step of the way, optimising workspaces to ensure that they are inviting, fun and functional, whilst maintaining professionalism. Their range includes booths and pods for meetings as well as breakout areas for occasions when employees want to work in a more informal setting.

Innovative office designs have been a big trend over the last few years, as employers are starting to understand how the wellbeing and productivity of employees is affected by the layout and facilities of an office. Companies are even starting to use their workspace as a competitive advantage to attract the best talent. Spencer and Lee spotted this trend early on, with co-director Lee commenting: “Major companies such as Google have known for a long time that a ‘fun’ office results in greater creativity and

Planned. Designed. Installed. For more information, please visit their website or call a member of the team. Call 01922 453 488 Email sales@flowoffice.co.uk www.flowoffice.co.uk

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Woodbrooke is a truly unique conference venue providing a more nourishing and inspiring experience for your event or meeting.

Conveniently located on the A38 South and just 6 miles from Birmingham City Centre, Woodbrooke is the perfect venue for your next meeting, workshop, training course or exhibition. Where else could your delegates stroll through beautiful, peaceful gardens during breaks, soak up the sunshine in our garden lounge or enjoy a bonfire under the stars when the working day is done? Originally built in 1830 by Sir Josiah Mason, Woodbrooke was the family home of world famous chocolate maker George Cadbury and has been welcoming people for courses and conferences for over 114 years giving guests our special brand of hospitality. The care, service and warm welcome you will receive are based upon our Quaker values of sustainability, peace, equality, simplicity and truth. These values create a special environment that supports your conference or event and will help you to get the outcomes you really want.

Benefitting from 9 fully equipped meetings rooms including our brand new Rendel Harris Suite, Woodbrooke can host anything from an intimate meeting for 5 people to an AGM for 100 delegates and with complimentary Wi-Fi, free onsite parking and 10 acres of grounds for that countryside-in-thecity feel. It’s easy to see why our customers keep coming back.

Our delegate packages are inclusive of room hire, all equipment (including laptop, LCD screen or projector and flip charts) unlimited hot drinks, a two course hot buffet lunch and freshly baked biscuits and cakes throughout the day starting from just £30.00 per person (plus VAT). You will also receive a seamless booking experience from our friendly & professional reservations staff ensuring that your event runs smoothly from start to finish. With 70 well-appointed bedrooms onsite our 24hr delegate package includes an evening meal, over night accommodation and a fantastic cooked breakfast to ensure your delegates wake up refreshed and ready to get down to business. At Woodbrooke we

believe that new friendships and connections are made over good meals. Which is why where possible our food is ethically sourced, fair trade and cooked fresh on site. If you are looking to make your event extra special then why not try one of our private banqueting packages starting from just £25.00 (plus VAT) per head?

You can also take advantage of our famous library that contains one of the largest known collections of Quaker and Quaker related literature in the world with over 10,000 items, some dating back to the 17th Century. All Woodbrooke guests are welcome to come in and experience the peace and tranquillity of this very special and unique place. New customers are eligible to receive a 10% discount off their first booking so call us now to find out more about how Woodbrooke can help you host the perfect event.

For more information or make an enquiry please call 0121 472 5171 Email enquiries@woodbrooke.org.uk You can also learn more about Woodbrooke by visiting www.woodbrooke.org.uk

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Driving Smart, Driving Safe The good news is that the UK’s roads are getting safer. The weird news is that one of the main reasons for that is the very technology regularly reported to be the cause of driver distraction and ensuing accidents.

And there’s even those which, once they detect movement over around 5mph, render the phone inoperative, only allowing people with Bluetooth headsets to accept calls or read flagged messages once they’ve pulled over.

Despite vehicle traffic increasing by 4.5% since 2010 – road casualties dropped by by 11% during the same time period.

Aps such as these are, no doubt, being welcomed by insurance companies which are already using telematics to help bring down insurance costs and payouts for high-risk groups such as inexperienced, young or less frequent drivers.

That’s not to take away the huge part played by road safety public awareness campaigns in this reduction, but there’s no doubting the other, literally, driving forces of such positive change. These are the technological advancements that are helping to prevent collisions and making vehicles safer than ever, saving many lives as a result. Researchers have found that four times more people prioritise connectivity gadgets when buying a new car, compared to those who opt for safety upgrades and, underlining the importance of motoring lifesaving features, is Euro NCAP (European New Car Assessment Programme) additional rating for vehicles which include ‘safety packs’, or additional safety add-ons. It is now illegal to use a phone while driving and tougher penalties for doing so have recently been introduced but, unfortunately, we continue to hear reports of people being hurt or killed in motoring accidents caused by another driver by doing just that. However the app creators are now developing technology which can stop a phone from becoming a potential fatal distraction. Some simply track bad driving habits in a bid to boost user awareness and future prevention, others are more, well, handson, intercepting email messages and texts, reading them aloud or responding to them automatically with a pre-determined text.

In a nutshell, telematics involves installing a device into a vehicle, which using GPS, tracks its movements and registering things such as acceleration, cornering and how harsh or smooth braking is. The results can then by used by insurers to assess a driver’s ability and offer a premium based on how risky they rate that individual’s driving. When it comes to the vehicles themselves, driver safety has certainly come a long way from the mandatory feature that was the seatbelt. Nowadays the technology involved is pretty impressive, and being designed to minimise the chance of collisions happening, it’s not only protecting the vehicle occupant but other road users too. Here’s a few you may have come across.

Active headlights A really bright idea for illuminating the road ahead. Unlike fixed standard headlights, these use electronic sensors to detect steering and actually move in the direction the vehicle is heading.

Adaptive cruise control Sensors are in action once again to maintain a consistent gap between you and the vehicle ahead. They maintain a pre-set speed, automatically slowing or accelerating as necessary.

Anti-lock brakes Reduces the skidding threat should there be the sudden need of emergency heavy breaking. If sensors detect that the wheels have stopped rotating they activate the system to rapidly release and apply the breaks, allowing the driver to maintain better control.

Attention monitoring systems With studies showing one in five accidents on major roads in the UK are sleep related, these features are worth waking up and paying attention to. By tracking where a vehicle sits within road lanes and whether it’s drifting or not, they can detect tiredness, alert the driver and suggest taking a break.

Blind spot monitoring Giving motorists an extra window on the world, sensors detect anything travelling adjacently and warn via lights in side-view mirrors or on the dashboard. Others also sound an alarm should a lane change be attempted while another vehicle is in the blind spot.

Forward collision warning You’d think if you could see where you’re going you wouldn’t need one of these? Not so. Cameras or radar, detect how close something in front is and send out alerts in time for a driver to react to any danger - such as a slowing vehicle ahead.

Lane departure warning and lanekeeping technology Already mandatory in all new European heavy-duty vehicles, this is similar to attention monitoring systems in that it alerts drivers to drifting out of lanes at dangerous times via a camera.

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pib The Challenges facing Motor Fleet Operators Today! Operating a fleet of vehicles in the UK is already a difficult and costly enterprise with pressures set to increase over the coming years. The litigious nature of our society has led to the UK already having some of the highest motor insurance premiums in Europe, recent changes in legislation affecting the way in which settlements for life-changing injury and fatality claims are calculated will be set to further increase the costs of insuring vehicles across the country. Courts across the UK have used a set of statistical tables called the Ogden Tables to calculate settlements in the event of life changing injury and fatality since July 1999. A change in legislation amending the discount rate which is applied to these tables from 2.5% to 0.75% has had a sizable impact on the cost of settling claims of this type. In some cases costs have soared by 127%. Insurers are having to amend the reserves applied to these claims along with reviewing their re-insurance arrangements to take into consideration the increased propensity for sizable claims on their accounts. These costs are expected to be passed onto their customers via rate increases over the next 2 years. It was hoped these changes would be counteracted by legislation around the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s whiplash culture. The UK is the whiplash capital of the world with 78% off all injury claims being of this nature, compare that to France where whiplash only accounts for 3% of all injury claims. It was hoped that reforms to the way in which whiplash claims are settled would be implemented on the 1st October 2017, however, the proposed changes fall well below the industry recommendations and the reforms are expected to have minimal impact on the costs associated with claims of this type.

With these changes in mind it becomes imperative for fleet operators to be proactive about claims, waiting until the claims experience is received from insurers each year is too late. By ensuring that there are robust processes around claims reporting, management and analysis a fleet operator can influence the view which underwriters have of their business, therefore, making sure that each time their fleet risk is presented to the market it is in the best possible shape delivering the best possible premiums. The sheer number and diversity of risk management products available to fleet operators should be a blessing although it can regularly be a curse. Significant amounts of money can be spent on systems which have a limited effect on the performance of the business. With products ranging from telemetry and tracking devices, vehicle CCTV systems to driver training and profiling it is easy to pick a solution that offers no value to your business leaving a sizable expense. When investing in products and services designed to improve the operation of the business it is important to take historical claims performance, location and business activities into account to make certain that the changes have a positive effect on the business as a whole. PIB Risk Services Limited can support you in traversing the fleet insurance market whilst advising you on best practices and products to create a sustainable, competitively priced insurance programme that is fit for purpose.

For robust insurance advice from an independent firm of professional insurance specialists, please contact PIB on 0121 227 4749, email chris.france@pib-insurance.com, or visit the website www.pib-insurance.com/sectors/transportation

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Bespoke Auto-ID Solutions and Asset Management Systems Cross-Check Systems provide bespoke software solutions to the manufacturing, warehousing and Logistics sectors for Stock Control, Packaging Verification, Direct Sales Distribution, Asset Tracking and Proof of Delivery.

When we spoke to Paul Mason, Cross-Check’s MD, he explained that while all stock control systems have some elements in common a bespoke scalable system which takes the individual customer’s requirements into account will always provide the best value over the long term.

The company provide solutions to a wide range of industries; manufacturing, automotive, food & drinks, beauty & health care products, retail and warehousing.

X-Stock stock management system can be linked with shopping carts from ecommerce sites such as FourFront and Magento to provide a complete end to end solution, from order, through to picking, packing and despatch via couriers such as DPD and Royal Mail. The company provides 5 core software products: 1. x-Stock: inventory and stock management 2. x-Track: asset tracking and management 3. x-POD: proof of delivery

4. VeriBox: end of line product verification/validation systems 5. SalesTrack: Direct Van Sales/ Route Accounting

As he said, “Why change your current business process simply to suit your software? And why would you pay for functionality or features on a generic software package that you will never use?” Cross Check Systems’ core product is dynamic stock management software built round the essentials common to any great inventory control system which is then customised to suit the individual requirements of each client. The company recognise that the needs of businesses change over time and have built versatility into the system which allows it to be adapted to changing circumstances.

Developments in the retail industry with the rapid rise of e-commerce are placing heavy demands on the warehouse sector meaning that it needs to be more agile than ever due to the requirement for next day delivery and prompt handling of returns.

Paul’s background in mail–order in “pre-internet days”, as he said rather ruefully, meant that he was very involved in high speed transactions and fully understands the pressures experienced by operators within the sector. Cross-Check can develop tailored asset management software to enable you to track your company’s assets from different locations, whether you are on or away from your premises through a range of asset management systems, including pallet/roll cage tracking, sample and loan tracking and computer/laptop tracking.

Paul was keen to emphasise this aspect of the product saying, “Any solution we design and provide for our clients is one that will match our clients’ specific requirements, and we’re happy to implement upgrades if those requirements change after the solution has been installed.

Many of their customers started out small, despatching 10’s of items per day. Over time, as demand increased and their customers business grew, new functionality was added to meet changes in the business practice, creating a scalable system capable of accommodating new products and markets.

So, if you’re looking to improve your quality control and want to find out more about the solutions Cross-Check can offer you, give them a call on 01789 761 340 or visit the web-site at www.cross-check.co.uk

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The Click Culture We hear a lot about the challenges and pressures that the warehouse and logistics sectors are facing due to the demands of the booming e-commerce sector. We can order goods for next day delivery at the click of a button and expect the correct goods to arrive on time and properly packaged. We also expect to be able to return unwanted items and receive a credit within days. Pity the poor warehouse manager who has the duty of achieving all this! However, advances in Warehouse Management Systems are using advanced technology to also provide a solution to his difficulties. Today’s warehouse manager has a raft of tools at his disposal to manage the goods stored in the warehouse. The days of manually checking stock and picking by hand are rapidly disappearing, replaced by automated Warehouse Management Systems and hand held devices. Barcodes, scanners, RFID systems, automatic identification and wireless LANs are all part of warehouse and inventory management systems focussed on monitoring the flow of products and enhancing accuracy with software. Good warehouse organization is the key; it’s about maximizing productivity while saving time and money and increasing control, and we offer a few suggestions to improve your warehouse’s performance. Inspect your operation regularly and review your warehouse’s organization just because it was well organised when you started, doesn’t mean that it meets your current standards. You’ll want to look for things like: is the

stock located in a way that it allows your crew to easily and a safely access it? Are the fasting moving stock items located at between waist and shoulder height so that they can easily be retrieved? Is there a designated area for damaged items, and are the damaged items being dealt with daily? Without regular upkeep, a wellorganized warehouse can quickly become disorganized and difficult to navigate which can slow your pickers down and lead to safety hazards. Rather than waiting for operations to slow down before you decide to reorganize, have a daily checklist for the manager, and hold him or her responsible for the upkeep of the warehouse. By placing your high volume items closer to the shipping area and making sure they are easily accessible, you'll eliminate a lot of unnecessary labour time, and your employees will think you are super considerate. Win-win! Obviously, this should only apply to your proven top sellers to avoid unnecessary physical inventory re-allocation. Stock control is key to managing your warehouse; if you want to pinpoint your high sellers so that you can accurately organize and manage your inventory, there is software available which allows you to pull aggregated data using advanced settings to filter by things like brand, class, and supplier to help you to notice patterns and make more informed decisions about both purchasing and warehouse placement, and keep you on top of your stock. Labelling is vital, barcodes and barcode readers make for a smoother more accurate operation. Whether the goods are picked automatically by a machine that reads the barcode under instruction

from the automated system, or whether by hand, by means of a hand-held barcode reader. It's all about reducing process errors. Make sure there is a proper procedure for receiving stock, labelling it and inputting it on the system before putting it in the correct place in the warehouse, no matter how good your automated systems are an item in the wrong place can lead to an expensive loss of credibility if the wrong item is dispatched. Avoid having to fix your mistakes after the fact by double-checking your orders. This is the function of quality control and adds another layer of responsibility. The process usually involves checking a picked item against an order to make sure it’s both the correct item and the correct quantity. This is also the time for QC to check the item for damage to make sure that what is being shipped is in it’s advertised condition so that the customer receiving it will be happy. Delegate this key responsibility to an experienced member of staff. Warehouse management doesn’t have to feel like a never-ending cycle of receiving, picking, packing, and shipping with no method to the madness. If you take the time now to put effective warehouse organization into practice on a daily basis, it can actually feel quite refreshing. Operations can run smoothly, products can get picked faster, and employees can be happier with the right tools and techniques. So don't wait. Make the decision and take the steps to improve your warehouse operations now.

O ou akl t w an ith d ch Fle ill xi

34467 AP _HorseWorld 31/05/2017 12:51 Page 1

Having employed Flexi articulated trucks at other sites for many years, Oakland International had no hesitation in deploying the forklifts at its new Corby cold store Oakland International is a third party logistics (3PL) services provider that specialises in ambient, chilled and frozen food storage and distribution. The company supplies UK and Irish retail, discount, convenience and wholesale markets from facilities in the UK and Ireland, and such has been Oakland’s success that, in 2016, it was recognised by the London Stock Exchange as one of the ‘Top 1000 Companies to inspire Britain.’ Last year, with its existing cold store facility in Redditch reaching capacity and with further development of the site ruled out, the company sought a new unit that would offer the additional chilled storage space needed to keep pace with its growth. An ideal facility was found in Corby – one of the fastest growing towns outside London. The site currently offers some 5,200 square metres of storage space and its footprint can be extended to 7,900 square metres (55,000 to 85,000 sq ft) when required.

The store is 14 metres high and offers around 8,000 pallet locations and the pallet storage racks are served by Flexi articulated warehouse truck technology from Narrow Aisle Ltd. Oakland International has employed a large fleet of Flexi trucks at its Redditch facility for many years and had no hesitation in deploying the forklifts at the new Corby store. The premium costs involved in providing chilled storage, make it essential that Oakland make maximum use of the space it has available and, by using Flexi very narrow aisle (VNA) truck technology, the company is able to optimise storage density while, at the same time, allowing individual pallet accessibility which can become a problem with many other forklift-based high density pallet storage systems such as Drive in racks or Powered Mobile Rack bases. The Flexi VNA trucks also allow double handling to be eliminated with no feeder trucks required which means optimum throughput speeds and significant cost reductions when compared to alternative guided man up VNA handling systems. The electric-powered Flexi forklifts in operation at Oakland’s sites function in both chilled and freezer conditions as low as -30 degrees, with all key drive and hydraulic components specified as either stainless steel or zinc coated, all additional electrical parts are also cold store specified.

However, before Oakland could begin operations from the unit, a considerable amount of work had to be done and, since October 2016, the new site has undergone a £1.5m refurbishment programme.

Barry Davies, Managing Director of Oakland International, commented: "We have operated Flexi trucks at our Redditch store for almost 10 years and believe that Flexi articulated forklift truck technology represents the best materials handling solution for us.”

This has included the introduction of new energy supplies, the addition of energy efficient LED sensor lighting, a new energyefficient refrigeration system, new racking, refurbished loading bays and the introduction of barrier and security systems together with an office design that encourages a one-team culture.

John Maguire, sales and marketing director of Narrow Aisle Flexi, commented: "We are delighted to be working with Oakland at the company’s superb new facility in Corby and glad that the company has once again chosen our proven reliable Flexi truck technology as the ideal intralogistics solution.”

34416 AP_HorseWorld 25/05/2017 13:31 Page 1

Resin Flooring Specialists

Multi award winning Central Flooring Services is an independent Resin Flooring Contractor, which operates on a national basis, while paying particular attention to the First Class Manufacturing we have in The Midlands. Being totally independent allows them to select the optimum product from the whole market to ensure that their customers receive only the very best.

They are very active members of their Industry Governing Body, FeRFA winning more awards than any other member. They have won 9 industry awards, having come first in the three categories of Environmentalist, Training, and Company of the Year for 3 years running, and recently a Green Apple Award for their Future Flooring product. Green Apple awards are given to companies which have made a positive impact on the environment, or are working to improve sustainability.

Central Flooring Services is very environmentally aware and operate as sustainably as possible. All their resin systems are solvent free and where possible made using up to 50% recycled materials. The company has just won a huge refurbishment project where they will remove and recycle around 300 tonnes of old floor, thus diverting 100% of the waste from Landfill. Their team of highly skilled and experienced installers will ensure that all installations meet with the latest FeRFA guidelines and the company provide a full warranty from 2 – 10 years.

Resin flooring systems can be used in a variety of different industry sectors from food to heavy industrial, and Central Flooring Services are skilled in tailoring a solution to meet your specific requirements.

Nick also wanted to take this opportunity to express the company’s thanks to their many longstanding customers, saying “We have a fantastic customer base of loyal customers where we have installed a full range of floors and stainless steel drainage systems.”

As Nick Megson, Sales and Marketing Director, told us, “For commercial environments, we can provide decorative flooring, hygienic and non-slip flooring for use in kitchens and food courts and heavy duty and durable flooring for industrial environments.”

Central Flooring Services install all types of flooring from floor coatings to screeds including a unique flexible flooring system that can be applied directly over tired and worn vinyl. This system saves time and money not forgetting all the mess and noise associated with this type of refurbishment. They also install seamless Sports Floors, having had great success at the Olympic Park, and proudly installed the sports floors for Help for Heroes totally free of charge.

As Nick emphasised, “We believe at Central Flooring Services Ltd that it’s not just the solution that is important but the quality of service that our customers receive.”

To get your flooring needs covered please visit the web site www.centralflooringservices.co.uk or give them a call 0116 275 0315 43

34473 AP_HorseWorld 22/05/2017 15:10 Page 1

Warehousing Revolution

Cost centre or value-adding service centre? Warehouses fulfil a vital role in ensuring the satisfaction of any business’s customers, but as that business’s needs evolve, so too must the design and utilisation of such expensive assets.

ranging from strategic planning, detailed warehouse design and full accountability for implementation, are a proven path to distribution success – resulting in agile solutions that support our clients’ business requirements,” he adds. “We are accountable for the success of the implementation and our supplier-agnostic model delivers the best total solution and value. Last, but by no means least, Fortna’s global scale and data-driven models using world-class innovative software mean solutions can be assessed and refined quickly before any commitment is made.” Clients also benefit from post-implementation follow-up and support. Fortna’s Warehouse Execution Software enables systems optimisation, current and future technology integration and so streamlining businesses’ fulfilment requirements for today and the future. “We excel in leading our clients through business challenges and optimising their complex distribution operations,” David stresses.

The challenge is that large scale investments must be planned carefully to ensure anticipated financial returns are achieved. Too often the combination of the flexibility required to anticipate for an uncertain future, overly optimistic promises from systems integrators and the rapidly evolving balance of technology and labour, conspire to deliver disappointment and frustration because the promised return on investment fails to be delivered.

Business Sense = Business Case

“Identifying and mitigating the risk associated with warehousing transformation just makes plain business sense”, says David Bingham of Milton Keynes-based warehouse management specialist Fortna.

Start the journey

He concludes: “Fortna is passionate about warehouse transformation. More important, we are passionate about delivering value for our clients’ warehousing, today and tomorrow. Our unique blend of approach, experience and true partnering with clients enables us to deliver warehousing and distribution solutions that make perfect business sense. This is why we are ‘The Distribution Experts’.” We would welcome the opportunity to discuss your requirements further and demonstrate how we can enable you to make your future warehousing investments with greater confidence.

THE LOGISTICS BUSINESS

“A single point of accountability for designing and, more important, implementing such changes covering process, technology and people, means that such investments can be made with confidence in terms of meeting or exceeding a pre-defined and agreed business case,” says David. “A jointly agreed business case approach, following detailed engineering design and a true partnership produces assured investments and associated business benefits.”

Company TM

What value does Fortna bring?

Companies with complex distribution operations – for example, different channels to market, changing product ranges and varying customer needs - trust Fortna to help them meet customer promises and competitive challenges. Says David: “We are a professional services firm built on a promise – we develop a solid business case for change and hold ourselves accountable for those results.” “Global experience and expertise, coupled with a spectrum of solutions

To arrange an exploratory discussion, contact David Bingham – davidbingham@fortna.com or 07834 456248 or Michael Marienfeld – michaelmarienfeld@fortna.com or 07710 397869 44

34407 AP_Transport Warehousing 24/05/2017 13:59 Page 1

Aspray24 is a family owned and run company that specialises in both UK and International distribution. Established in 1982 from a small shed with just two vehicles, Aspray24 now exceeds a fleet of 400 vehicles and 150 trailers, handling over 30,000 items and 850 tonne of freight per night. Despite the continued growth over the years, customer service remains at the forefront of their focus.

Since the business still continues to grow, structural changes have been required to ensure that new and existing customers alike still get that personal touch that Aspray24 are so well known for. The short-term plan is for a growth of 15% over the next year, which is expected to double in size over the next 5 years. Despite the expectant growth, Aspray24 are still working hard to ensure each and every customer still has the service and support that they deserve. To help with this, a dedicated member of staff will maintain a bond with each customer and work to understand the unique requirement they have and design solutions to any issue that may arise. Chris Vass, Marketing Analyst for Aspray24, explained, “Aspray24 is in a fantastic position where growth plans have been made and are based on both realistic and expected figures. If we can deliver on our plans of providing 100% service for every customer, then we will deliver on our growth targets.” “The market has always rewarded us for being able to carry everything from a jiffy bag to a full load and anything in-between, so we must now ensure we are also the carrier that can offer the best customer service as well as the best in supply chain solutions”. An example of the improvement plans for customer services is a newly designed and bespoke customer portal. The portal has been made with customer feedback in mind, and so provides quick access to detailed information about the progress of goods through the system. So if you are looking for a company totally committed to constantly improving customer services, Aspray24 have a dedicated service designed with your needs in mind.

As a company that has always taken the time to get to know each of their customers individually, Aspray24 fully understand each of their business requirements, and have formed long-standing relationships as a result.

Contact the sales department on 01902 638213 sales@aspray24.com or visit www.aspray24.com

34469 AP_HorseWorld 05/06/2017 15:01 Page 1

Riggotts: The top line in marking For over 20 years, Riggotts has led the way in line marking and surface coating. Our specialist knowledge and state-of-the-art equipment not only covers external surfaces, but internal warehouse marking, from lines to graphics, too. We’ve made our mark across the UK We’re the number one choice for many contractors and brands. Our impressive client list includes every major UK supermarket, Euro Car Parks,and Royal Mail. It’s our expertise and professional approach that has contractors lining up to use us, again and again.

Full marks for efficiency We work with clients to find the most efficient, and least disruptive, solution. As well as finding the appropriate hours for our flexible teams to carry out the work, selecting the right materials is crucial. We use the very latest technologies, such as the UK’s first Ride-On Shot Blaster from Clean & Retrieve for surface preparation. Operated by our own teams, it’s the most efficient way to properly prepare surfaces for markings. The bottom line is your project delivered on time, on budget. So whatever the job, and whenever the deadline, speak to Riggotts on 0800 848 8414 or email webenquiries@riggott.co.uk

We only ever using our own teams, never subcontractors. So we can ensure the excellent results we’re known for, always completed to our stringent health and safety, environmental, and quality standards.

Surface preparation made simple

Compact, lightweight, powerful

Clean & Retrieve offers a easy way to strip previous coatings and prepare surfaces for marking. We’ve worked with clients including Amazon, Asda, DHL, UK Mail and Morrisons, and can help you to ensure a clean start for a perfect finish.

Its compact size and just 850kg weight means it can travel in a van or trailer with your team. It may be small, but it packs a punch too. You’ll find it’s effective on textured surfaces, both internally and externally.

The UK’s first compact Ride-on Shot Blaster

Be prepared to be impressed

The UK’s first ride-on shot blaster is easy to operate, eliminating the need for an additional contractor, so saving time and money right away. Because it runs on gas or petrol there are no trailing cables, improving safety as well as ease. It’s completely dust-free too, leaving no mess, just the perfect surface for markings.

Try the UK’s first ride-on shot blaster for your next surface preparation project. As well as creating the perfect blank canvas, you’ll find it’s hassle-free, saving you time and money too. Email the team on info@cleanandretrieve.co.uk to find out more.

34443 AP_HorseWorld 01/06/2017 12:27 Page 1

With the introduction of the national living wage and the autoenrolment into employer pension schemes under the NEST initiative, some businesses have raised concerns that this will impact their ability to trade profitably. Given that many manual warehouses have a large employee base, particularly with the huge increase in order picking required by the rise of eCommerce, employment costs are going to significantly increase over the next few years. In light of what to many is likely to be a surprisingly large increase in the employee cost base, the case for automation within the warehouse may have a more rapid and consequently more attractive return on investment.

When considering the introduction of any level of mechanisation or indeed automation of warehouse processes it is important that the solution proposed integrates holistically with the whole of the operation. It might be enough to just add a bagging machine to the despatch process to cut down on manpower requirements, but in all likelihood significantly greater savings can be made if the entire operation is reviewed. Bearing in mind the budget available, an experienced solutions integrator should be able to propose a solution which meets the needs of a business both now and in the future. Logistex are an independent automated solutions integrator with no manufacturing ties, meaning that we are able to design mechanised and automated solutions which use the most appropriate equipment available in the market, not just those manufactured in house. Our services cover warehouse/materials handling design and implementation,

warehouse management software and control systems, equipment refurbishment and maintenance, facilities management and 24/7 hotline support and spares. Logistex’s LWS Reflex Warehouse Management Software is a flexible, scalable solution for all warehouse operations from simple manual through to complex automation. Unlike many other systems LWS Reflex is not licensed per user but licensed by site with unlimited users, so there’s no penalty for growth. The ideal solution for the eCommerce business, LWS Reflex means never having to buy another WMS, ever. Combining the freedom to source the most suitable equipment from the market with our own in-house software expertise, Logistex blends the various components into a holistic, integrated system. The solution we designed and installed for the Superdrug eCommerce warehouse resulted in a 48% increase in throughput in the first year, achieved using 60% less operational cost. In addition to full maintenance and service facilities – including site-based teams where required – we are carrying out more and more major refurbishment projects on existing systems. In these challenging times, clients appreciate that they can considerably extend operational life – with improved performance and reliability of their equipment – at a fraction of the cost of new and without disruption to their operations. The excellent quality of customer service doesn’t end when the project is complete, as we like to build a lasting relationship with our clients. Based from our Kettering head office, Logistex has dedicated hotline support for Systems and Control issues, manned by skilled engineers with a wealth of industry experience. We are proud to have the largest UK Service Support team in the warehouse automation industry. Fully owned by the company’s senior management, our clients can rest assured that we are totally committed to meeting or exceeding our clients’ expectations, free from the pressures that investors or shareholders might place on us.

Call: 01536 480 600 Email: enquiries@logistex.com www.logistex.com 47

50173 AP_HorseWorld 08/05/2017 11:42 Page 1

34533 1pg_Transport Warehousing 07/06/2017 12:17 Page 1

Industry 4.0?

Don’t Get Left Behind! You say you want a revolution? Well you’ve got one. It’s the other name for Industry 4.0 which is blasting winds of change across the globe. The Fourth Industrial Revolution is the term also being applied to the digital earthquake that has been shaking up our entire ways of working, affecting our corporate structures, cultures and practices almost beyond recognition, during the last few years. In the UK, we’re all focussed upon Brexit but the ongoing pace of change taking place alongside the referendum fallout and negotiations is having no less a significant disruptive impact. Fortunately our industrial communities are not playing ‘Luddite’ and resisting the technological innovations, nor is the upheaval having adverse effects, but we’re really only at the beginning of things and most pundits expect the ‘revolution’ to get really into gear over the next five to 10 years. Certainly manufacturers recognise what’s going on. Hennik Research’s Annual Manufacturing Report 2017 noted that 67% do recognise Industry 4.0 opportunities and threats - even if only 25% feel that they have an adequate understanding of them. That second figure caused raised eyebrows among academics, policymakers, and industrial experts who have been busy promoting the opportunities for some time now and it may also be why another statistic showed that UK manufacturers are less confident than those in Germany where almost half had already implemented Industry 4.0 technologies by the end of 2016.

sensors, virtual reality, 3D printing, big data, human-machine interface for example - they are changing the face of UK manufacturing which, in turn, stands to reap great benefits. That bit of good news comes via another study from global management consulting firm and business strategy advisor, The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), which predicts that the country could realise industrial efficiency gains of 25% and manufacturing sector growth of 1.5-3%, delivering annual growth of approximately 0.5% of GDP. And it points out that those benefits could be even higher if a clear national strategy is devised to support the nation’s industrial digital transformation plans. Few will not have realised that once we’ve left the European Union, competition will only intensify, however despite the challenges it poses, Industry 4.0 represents opportunities. In its report Is UK Industry Ready for the Fourth Industrial Revolution?. BCG outlined how its survey of 1,500 managers across five leading industrial economies – the UK, France, Germany, the US and China – showed that every one is very aware of what’s going on but few have made any great progress into the process. But, warned BCG: “ The survey also shows that the next few years will see that trickle of early adopters become a deluge, and one lesson of past industrial transformations is that slow starters may never catch up.”

Here, according to the Annual Manufacturing report, of those who had an adequate understanding, 12% were making a move to Industry 4.0 (12%), and 62% were planning one. Few had decided it didn’t apply to their business.

Number crunchers will be interested to note the figures that shake down where everyone is in the progress stakes.

They really are among the few because as Fourth Revolution technologies continue to grow - automation, robotics, software,

The UK, it appears, is slightly behind China, Germany and France. Of

those surveyed, 90% in Germany and 89% in France said they were making some progress towards Industry 4.0, compared with 78% for the UK (a similar figure to the Annual Manufacturing Report), while an incredible 98% of Chinese respondents felt they had already made some progress. But take heart, we may be a little behind but, says BCG, it’s only a gap and not a gulf; catch up and leadership potential are entirely possible as long as swift action is taken. “Companies will be taken into unknown territory by Industry 4.0, but must embrace the changes in ways of thinking and working it will represent,” the report says. “Industry 4.0 offers the UK serious, transformational opportunities at precisely the time when, contemplating a very different economic future post-Brexit, it needs them. But action cannot wait until after Brexit. The window of opportunity is far from closed, but is getting no larger, and will be gone within the next five to 10 years. “The prize is huge – no less than the closing, and possible reversal of the UK’s debilitating productivity gap. But so too is the cost of failure. Either way, how the UK responds now to the challenge of Industry 4.0 will determine its fortunes for a long time to come.”

34481 AP_HorseWorld 07/06/2017 12:31 Page 1

Let AJ Robotics show how you can have a more efficient workplace With recent media reports hinting that up to 30 per cent of the UK’s traditional jobs could be replaced by robots by 2030, many leading AI and robotics experts are producing machines that are primarily best at handling jobs which humans find repetitive or dangerous, or which are done in hostile environments. So rather than Skynet taking over, this heralds a much more collaborative future between man and machine. That’s certainly the main message from Wolverhampton-based AJ Robotics. While it is one of the UK’s leading suppliers of automation and robotics solutions, it stresses that there will always be a need for a human element to its work – especially in installing, servicing and ensuring that companies get the most from their automated solutions in the long term. Managing Director Peter Tobin explained that robots’ main benefits are “being able to move quickly and accurately, and handle parts too small for human eyes and fingers without making any mistakes. “That’s one reason growing numbers of products are designed for robotic assembly from the outset,” he added. Also, sophisticated technology which robots use to see is increasingly being fitted to them as standard, while when in use, many can sense an unexpected change in the forces they encounter which often signals a problem on an assembly line, and will automatically adapt to take account of this. AJ Robotics prides itself on dealing with many manufacturers of robotic equipment, which enable it to offer solutions for every type of production environment. It is very proud to be the only UK distributor of Estun Automation products, which are widely used in the automotive industry, but also in making domestic appliances and construction machinery, and even where working is required across six axes. But it’s in many more everyday situations where robotics development is starting to make great inroads – and where much of the current research is being concentrated. “Automation can be highly cost-effective for nearly every size of company,” said Mr Tobin. “And we often see that, when companies can’t compete in efficiency, jobs end up being sent abroad.” So how do robots benefit jobs and workers, as well as, ultimately, companies’ bottom line? “They help to create jobs by generating more manufacturing work, they protect workers from the need to carry out repetitive, mundane and dangerous tasks, while also creating more desirable jobs, in fields such as engineering, programming, management and equipment maintenance,” Mr Tobin said.

And ultimately, he added, with fewer people having learned manufacturing skills due to several decades of offshoring, robots are helping to bridge the skills gap. No matter what skills a business has difficulty in recruiting for, the products offered by AJ Robotics can quite probably offer a tailored, cost-effective automated solution. This is backed up by ready access to a range of parts and refurbished products which can help keep the cost of running any automated systems under tight control. From its offices in the historic heart of the Midlands’ engineering sector, AJ Robotics covers the whole of the UK, not just this vibrant industrial region. Its manufacturing partners and in-house robotics experts can design, build and fit a system for almost any application in a matter of weeks. So why not challenge them to find a solution to streamline your manufacturing processes, and equip your business to compete with the best? Contact them on 07773 018930 or peter@ajrobotics.co.uk Their offices, on Frederick William Street Willenhall, WV13 1NE are open from 7am to 6pm weekdays.

34483 AP_HorseWorld 25/05/2017 09:53 Page 1

Accurate Laser Cutting

Sheet metal firm is at technology’s cutting edge

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Reduced lead times and improved end product quality are the two big benefits Oldbury firm Accurate Laser Cutting is now offering customers as a result of an investment in new machinery. The leading sheet metal sub-contractor of laser-cut and formed profiles has significantly boosted its processing capabilities by replacing two 6kW CO2 lasers with a Bystronic 6kW 4m x 2m fiber cutting system in 2015, and another 10kW model late last year. Its recent purchase of a 10kW ByStar Fiber laser was a ground breaking investment for the firm, making them the first to have a machine of such power commissioned in the U.K. was being outperformed by the 6kW fiber machine. When the opportunity came our way to purchase a 10kW model from Bystronic, we couldn’t refuse.” “With both fiber systems now in full production, we have seen huge leaps in capacity, a significant reduction in set-up times, and additional electricity cost savings of 30 percent. This is fantastic news for both us and our growing customer base as we all get to benefit from the efficiencies on offer.”

“For us, ongoing investment is key to our success and we are proud to now bring the full benefits of fiber technology to our customers. Not only does the equipment run significantly faster than our old lasers, it also offers a vast improvement in cut quality across the entire thickness range.” comments company director Steve Morgan. The fiber equipment operates in conjunction with Accurate Laser Cutting’s state-of-the-art pressbrake facility and in-house CAD department, offering a maximum pressbrake capacity of up to four metres and 320 tonnes. With an additional cutting capacity of 3m x 1.5m, phenomenal processing speeds of up to 60 metres per minute can be achieved with the new 10kW machine. “A job that used to take three hours can now be processed in a staggering 40 minutes,” explains production manager Neil Tomkins. “For example, 3mm mild steel can be cut at a rate of 21,000mm per minute, almost five times quicker than our CO2.” “In the bigger picture, the faster processing speeds on offer release more capacity for us to deliver consistently short lead times and improved levels of service all round.” adds company director Jon Till. “CO2 technology has most certainly lost its place on our shop floor. Our CO2 laser was becoming increasingly unreliable and

Having been at the forefront of laser cutting technology for over a decade, the metal profiling experts have built a solid reputation for their rapid turnaround times and high levels of service. They aim to return customer quotations within four hours and are able to turn around orders in as little as 24 hours. In terms of its improved capabilities, the 10kW fiber system can clean cut mild steel up to 15mm thick, which is ideal for customers who require an oxidation-free edge on their parts. “Previously, our ability to clean cut mild steel was limited to 3mm using our CO2 equipment. To now have the capability of five times that thickness is an incredible improvement which will be beneficial to customers who require any further secondary operation processes.” Mr Till explains. The equipment can also process thicker non-ferrous materials such as copper and brass to a superior standard and aluminium and stainless steel up to 30mm thick.

For more information please call 0121 520 2444 visit www.accurate-laser.co.uk or email enquiries@accurate-laser.co.uk 51

34427 AP_HorseWorld 05/06/2017 12:14 Page 1

Vision Systems integrator with 30 years experience. In these days of ever increasing quality requirements, vision systems are being utilised more and more to carry out the mundane yet critical inspection processes demanded by all production processes. Whilst vision systems are not the answer to every quality issue, a vision system expert can advise you as to whether a cost effective solution is available to solve your problem. Envisage Systems are a well-established independent systems integrator specialising in providing practical image processing based solutions to everyday production problems.

Michael’s recommendations will take all your concerns and constraints into account. They work on the basis of a fixed price contract, a figure arrived at through Michael’s estimate of the hardware, the time and other resources the project will require. They will stay on the project, not walking away until everything is working to theirs and your satisfaction. He was very clear in saying, “Whatever we suggest will be practicable.” However if Michael feels that there would be a better option for you, albeit potentially a little dearer, he will say so and explain his reasons, saying why, in his considered opinion the other option may be better. Michael will always give a detailed explanation so that if the client still chooses to go with the first option that they fully understand its limitations.

Envisage Systems will not stop at the requirement for cameras to be used in a solution as they also have the capabilities to integrate un-related technologies as are deemed necessary to come up with a complete solution for your project. Michael Phillips, who founded the company, explained the process to us:

He explained to us that there can be a question around longevity with some machines lasting between 20 and 30 years. Today’s solution may therefore not always be appropriate for tomorrow’s projects, and spending a little more or even delaying the project can lead to a substantial saving later.

First of all we will sit down with you to discuss your project/problem in detail for a complete understanding of the project. Michael has vast experience of manufacturing processes from a broad range of industries so will be readily able to understand your concerns. He said, “It is important to note that we will not be attempting to sell you anything at this stage of the project as we have nothing to sell other than our expertise.” His experience means that he will guide you towards the important questions that will identify your key areas of concern, including any budgetary constraints. Once a brief has been established they will, with you, hammer out a specification, come up with a design and project cost, and take it on to manufacture and installation if required. Michael was keen to stress that they provide all of the services required in order to ensure a successful outcome to the project these including, design, electronics, application software, commissioning and installation. All projects are designed in order to cause the minimum disruption to your shop floor. Envisage Systems are only comfortable in recommending a solution if they have previously convinced themselves that they can do the job to their own satisfaction. As an independent company, not tied in to any given manufacturer, Envisage Systems will, if they do not already have a solution, research the market for the most appropriate hardware when making their recommendations.

Envisage Systems have established relationships across all sectors of industry from all over the world designing, developing, building and commissioning inspection systems for industries as diverse as automotive, electronics, food packaging and plastics to name but a few. For more information, please visit the web site www.envisagesystems.co.uk or give one of the team a call on 01908 637533

Envisage Systems

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Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s HR professionals have never had it so good! A controversial statement perhaps in the light of the increasing amount of legislation surrounding employment, from new Health and Safety legislation, shared parental leave, autoenrolment, minimum holiday entitlement, sickness absence, the minimum wage, the Apprenticeship Levy, and rising pension ages to name just a few of the pressures recent legislation has placed on a responsible employer.

However technology is coming to the rescue of these hard pressed employers and HR departments with a raft of time and workforce management systems. Rapid advances in digital technologies such as robotics, automation, the Internet of Things â&#x20AC;&#x201C; otherwise known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, or Industry 4.0 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; are rapidly changing the way manufacturing companies do business and inevitably, are changing the way people work and are managed.

Manufacturing too has its workforce management challenges across departments, are there sufficient managers/experienced staff in at any one time? Has someone allowed all the forklift truck drivers to be off at the same time? To say nothing of the accounts or despatch departments, after all the money and the goods have to keep moving.

Kronos has the answer, to all these difficulties enabling managers at the touch of a button to manage the complexities of planning to ensure cover.

Kronos is a leader in the field of workplace management and provides solutions to some of the largest names in our industrial landscape. Creating best-fit schedules, tracking time and attendance, administering absence and leave, and measuring productivity are vital to managing and retaining a high-performing workforce. Kronos recognises that your employees are your greatest business asset and are there to help you mange that asset to the best effect. Helping you drive business outcomes by engaging your employees, controlling labour costs, increasing productivity, and minimising compliance risk.

Many companies put paper based systems in place years ago and while they may have adapted them as time goes by they are no longer really it for purpose. A conversation with those clever guys at Kronos will see not just a greatly improved and simplified workplace management system but an upturn in productivity, less emergency cover and a happier and more engaged workforce. With over 40,000,000 employees under management they must be getting something right, to find out how Kronos can help your business achieve its potential please visit

www.kronos.co.uk

With Kronos there is no such thing as a one size fits all fixed solution, Kronos will use their decades of experience to design a system tailor made for your business, to evolve with you as your workforce needs change, enabling you to get on with your core activity - running your business. Whatever your industry Kronos will be able to provide a solution to your workforce management needs.

Retail and Hospitality are two especially challenging sectors needing detailed staff management to ensure rotas are covered while respecting holiday entitlements and other rights. The very nature of the job means that many employees are part-timers creating a logistical nightmare for managers. The emergency services likewise rely on detailed recording of movements and careful time management to ensure cover.

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Nationwide Autodesk training with local service Cadspec and Industry 4.0

Today’s industrial landscape is utterly different to that of barely one generation ago. Cadspec part of The Stanford Marsh Group are passionate about the way that manufacturing is beginning to change, and offer software and hardware to support Manufacturers through this paradigm shift from traditional manufacturing to what has been described as the next ‘Industrial Revolution’ or more commonly known as “Industry 4.0”. It’s a landscape of rapid innovation, complex technology and sustainability that is, on a daily basis, becoming a digital, data-driven process. Technology is the driving force behind these changes with ever more faster and powerful computers operating machine tools, planning and CAD/CAM packages.

Much transformation has come through 3D printing, which is now starting to redefine the sector through innovations enabling the printing of parts from metal powders or specialist resins rather than carving them out of blocks or bars. It’s thanks to 3D printing’s possibilities for lowvolume production and proto-typing that we’re likely to see large manufacturing plants shrink - in number and size. Cadspec is one of the UK's leading suppliers of 2D and 3D CAD software from Autodesk. With over 20 years in the industry they are ideally placed to review your CAD design requirements, whether architectural or mechanical, and find the right solution for you, that will both maximise productivity, improve accuracy, and provide the return on investment you require. Their highly qualified product specialists have extensive field experience in both industries and are constantly being retrained themselves to ensure that Cadspec has the most knowledgeable team, providing the highest standards at all times.

From helpdesk assistance to onsite service they will provide you with all the technical support or tailored consultancy you will need.

Having been an Autodesk Value Added Reseller since 1989, you can be sure they will make sure the equipment you choose will be right for you, and will have the capacity to grow with you.

As an Autodesk Authorised Training Centre all Cadspec courses are run by Autodesk Approved Instructors and follow Autodesk Official Training Courseware. They offer a range of training options including structured courses at their four training centres, onsite training, bespoke courses and mentoring days. Cadspec also offer the Autodesk Certification Exams, a reliable validation of your skills and knowledge, which can lead to accelerated professional development, improved productivity and enhanced credibility in your field. Part of the Stanford Marsh Group Cadspec operates from a modern headquarters building in Worcester. Stanford Marsh also have sales offices in Bristol, Bridgend, Derby, Stoke & Cambridge employing over 100 people.

Cadspec’s services are complemented by those offered by The Stanford Marsh Group covering design office copying & printing equipment, design office consumables as well as being leading resellers for Stratasys 3D Printing Machines and having a 3D Printing Bureau. This combination of skills and services enables us to provide our customers with the complete design office solution. Over the past decade the manufacturing sector has changed tremendously, bringing new opportunities and challenges to business leaders and policy makers. The future of how we make things will and is currently disrupting every industry: architecture, engineering and construction; manufacturing; and media and entertainment. With the right knowledge and tools, this disruption is your business’ opportunity. Cadspec are here to guide you every step of the way.

It is time to get on board with this latest industrial revolution and harness the power of technology to simplify and improve your manufacturing capabilities.

Please visit the web site to see how they can help your business take advantage of the changes in the industrial landscape www.cadspec.co.uk or give them a call on 01905 458000 email: info@cadspec.co.uk 54

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What About the Food? What do you remember most from the last corporate event you attended, the inspirational speakers, the audio visuals, if there were enough chairs and stationary, or the food? It might seem a strange question, but the quality, or lack, of the catering can be a real distraction and a talking point later, diluting the message or purpose of the meeting. First decide on what kind of meeting you are holding, a discreet meeting of a few board members away from base, a shareholders meeting, a training session for a few staff, an award ceremony, a major product launch, end of year conference or Christmas party. Evidently the requirements will be different depending on the purpose of the meeting, the time of day and duration. Hotels provide ideal venues for small meetings, with attractive rooms and all facilities to hand. Breakfast meetings are becoming very popular, giving delegates a chance to get together without taking up the whole day, tea, coffee fruit and pastries are usual, but bacon rolls or savoury cheesy muffins are popular too. If the meeting is just a morning session, perhaps a selection of pastries, fruit, good coffee and tea may all that is required. Likewise for an afternoon meeting, when tea, a selection of small cakes, pastries and biscuits would fit the bill. Make sure that any baked goods are really fresh, who hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been offered a tired, limp croissant or a slightly dry sandwich at an event? Lack of attention to this sort of detail sets the wrong tone, and can imply a laisse faire business attitude.

If lunch is involved, keep it fairly light; you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want your delegates dozing off during the afternoon session. Much, of course, will depend on numbers and your budget, and although you could just supply a range of sandwiches, fruit, crisps and soft drinks, there are many more imaginative ideas that your venue will be happy to discuss with you to lift your event out of the ordinary without blowing the budget. Crostini, wontons, samosas, mini burgers, tapas or perhaps go retro with sausage rolls and cheese and pineapple on sticks, all just that little different, and showing an attention to detail that reflects well on the business. During the meeting, apart from note pads, pencils and briefing notes, ensure that there is plenty of water on the table, both still and sparkling and perhaps some mints, or sugared almonds. We would always avoid wrapped sweets, noisy as folk unwrap them and messy bits of paper on the table, or chocolates, a real no-no sticky fingers. For a major event, speak to the venue caterers, they will usually have a selection of menus suitable for most occasions, but whether a full three or four course sit down meal or a buffet, before you book ask to taste some of their food, and speak to other customers to garner an accurate impression of the standard of the catering. For a formal event ensure each guest is met and offered a glass of something sparkling, or soft for those who prefer, and that at the end of the evening there is plenty of tea and coffee, and perhaps a soup or a few small sandwiches to set people on their way.

These days we are for more aware of food intolerances and special dietary needs and most venues will have offerings designed to accommodate these preferences. Do try to get information on any allergies or intolerances ahead of time and make the chefs aware. Vegetarianism is now so widespread that it will be a rare venue indeed that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have at least a couple of vegetarian dishes on the menu. Remember you are the customer and can ask for what you want as long as you let them know ahead of time, if a gluten free afternoon tea can be provided by the Ritz Hotel in London without a blink, any caterer worth their salt dealing with far lower volumes will be able to cope. For a less formal meeting there are numerous options ranging from hogroasts, barbecues, picnics, food carts, assemble your own piazza, or your own beef burger, the list of fun options is endless, but always bear the purpose of the meeting in mind and what you hope to achieve. Delegates and guests should be offered a choice of freshly prepared food appropriate to the occasion. The help of your venue manager will be invaluable when planning your meeting, take their advice, and remember it is their reputation on the line too! Then relax and look forward to an event that will be remembered for all the right reasons!

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A modern, British hotel with an excellent location

The Chace Hotel - a charming and characterful venue in Coventry

The Regency Hotel boasts 111 rooms, a welcoming restaurant and bar and excellent leisure facilities, including an indoor pool and fully equipped gym. The Regency Hotel also prides itself on its flexible business facilities, with seven meeting and conference rooms suitable for training courses, workshops, corporate celebration dinners, conferences or other events in Solihull, Birmingham and surrounding areas.

Our Chace Hotel in Coventry has plenty of charm and individual character. Its impressive Victorian architecture, lovely landscaped gardens and spacious oak panelled lounge make it an ideal venue near Birmingham. Our fascinating and charming hotel is suitable as a wedding reception venue, for business meetings and conferences or for a relaxed and comfortable leisure stay in Coventry.

Stratford Road, Shirley, Solihull B90 4EB UK Telephone number +44 (0)121 745 6119 Email: Solihull@corushotels.com

London Road/Toll Bar End Coventry CV3 4EQ UK Telephone number: +44 (0)24 7630 3398 Email: res.coventry@corushotels.com

>> PLEASE QUOTE BBP WHEN BOOKING <<

10% off accommodation

HalfHalf priceprice meeting meeting roomroom bookings bookings

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Edgbaston Stadium is one of the UK’s leading sporting venues which features an array of versatile, modern and luxurious suites that are suitable for any occasion. The venue offers a range of inspiring meeting spaces that will keep your delegates engaged from the moment they arrive to a world renowned International stadium. Our state of the art facilities are the perfect venue for conferences, meetings, awards, weddings, banqueting, exhibition, wedding and much more.

As well as having an on-site car park, the stadium is ideally located just one mile from the heart of UK’s second city. The venue is only minutes away from major motorway links, Birmingham’s New Street and Snow Hill train stations, only seven miles from Birmingham International Airport and close to several upscale hotels for your out-of-town guests. A dedicated, passionate and experienced events team will work with you to deliver a truly unforgettable service and create an event that you and your guests will remember for years to come. We pride ourselves on outstanding service and our passion is to deliver tailored events and a memorable experience for our customers. The stadium has benefited from a major redevelopment and was awarded ‘Best Venue’ at the prestigious Birmingham Food, Drink and Hospitality Awards in June 2016 and was also crowned Midlands Wedding Venue of the Year at the British Asian Wedding Awards in March 2017.

Edgbaston has an extensive range of suites and function rooms that cater for corporate events, business meetings and private functions of any size, from four luxurious Executive Boxes for up to 20 delegates in a boardroom style to an impressive Exhibition Hall which can cater up to 800 delegates in a theatre style. This unique and famous stadium offers fabulous event spaces, stunning views of the legendary pitch and the Birmingham skyline, with packages available to suit all requirements and budgets. Edgbaston is a venue unlike any other in Birmingham!

As well as having an award-winning Executive Head Chef to serve you the finest cuisine, our unique and iconic venue provides an exquisite backdrop with natural daylight and stunning views overlooking the famous Edgbaston pitch. Edgbaston is fully equipped with all the latest cutting edge AV technology from recommended suppliers which will bring your event to life. To add extra personalisation, you can utilise and brand Edgbaston’s pitch-side scoreboards and stadium TVs. Our facilities are superbly equipped, complete with complimentary robust Wi-Fi, to provide an unforgettable atmosphere. Day Delegate prices start from just £26.00 + VAT per person. For more information please call Edgbaston’s Conference and Events team on 0844 635 1902 (Option 3) or email Enquires@Edgbaston.com.

"The stadium’s recent multi-million pound redevelopment has made it a great choice for hosting all types of events and not just for sports fans. We were impressed with the set-up of the room, the catering on offer for our stakeholders and the audio-visual equipment available for our speakers, which all helped to contribute to a successful event." Amanda Hughes, Corporate Event

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Those working with or serving food to members of the public must be aware of the different types of food allergies and how to recognise them.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) are introducing new allergen labelling laws, while enforcing non-compliance through local council Environmental Health Officers.

The severity of a food allergy varies from person to person, and while in some cases an allergy could be life threatening, in others it could be considered as more of an uncomfortable inconvenience. Most of the time, food allergy symptoms develop within a few minutes to two hours of consuming the food. Symptoms can include: ● Fainting, dizziness or feeling light-headed

● Tingling or itching in the mouth ● Itching or eczema

● Swelling of the lips, face, tongue and throat

● Difficulty breathing, nasal congestion or wheezing ● Vomiting, nausea, diarrhoea or abdominal pain

This means that all catering businesses and food service organisations will be required to provide allergy information on all unpackaged and pre-packed foods. Virtual College is offering food businesses and organisations access to the Food Allergy awareness course that will help learners identify the fourteen particular food allergens that must now be recognised by law.

Anaphylaxis is when a certain type of food triggers a severe reaction. Here symptoms must be treated immediately or the person suffering could be at risk of a coma or death. Anaphylaxis can include constriction and tightening of airways, a rapid pulse rate, a swollen throat making it difficult to breathe, and shock with a severe drop in blood pressure.

Cross-contact

When working with food, it is important to be aware of crosscontact between different types of food, causing their proteins to mix. When this happens, foods can contain amounts of other foods that cannot be seen but can still cause an allergic reaction among some people. Typically, in a food kitchen, food can become crosscontaminated. In order to prevent this, those working with food must be trained so that they know how to prepare an allergen-free meal.

According to Fare (Food Allergy Research & Education), crosscontamination is often a factor in foodborne illnesses. For example, microorganisms like bacteria and viruses from different sources can contaminate foods during the preparation and storage stage. With thousands of people suffering from allergies, whether it be an intolerance to a specific food they’ve lived with since they were born, or a reaction that has developed overtime, it has become crucial for those working with or serving food to members of the public to be aware of the various types of food allergies and how to recognise them.

The chances of a foodborne illness developing can be reduced or eliminated by properly cooking the food and paying careful attention to kitchen hygiene. Thoroughly washing all surfaces with soap and water, and keeping cutting boards, plates and other kitchen utensils that are used only for allergy-free foods in a designated area can help reduce the risk of cross-contact contamination.

www.virtual-college.co.uk

With 21 years' experience and over 2.5 million online learners, we are proud to have recently been voted 'Learning technologies supplier of the year 2016-17'.

For two decades, Virtual College has been developing and supplying collaborative, customer-focused e-learning technology for organisations world-wide. The dedication of the team combined with an agile way of working, has further improved the level and quality of service for customers, as well as the end results in their organisations.” – Judges comments, Learning Technologies Awards 2016-17.

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