i-FM News - November news Archive

News Archive - November 1999
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Posted November 30, 1999 Planning for the future of property with limited information The one question that most companies would like to have answered now is - how will e-commerce affect our business over the next two years? Most companies fail to respond to e-mail enquiries New research says customer relationships are suffering because a remarkable number of companies simply don't respond to e-mail. HSE plans to investigate call centres Hard on the heels of BT's labour problems and new reports of high stress and high staff turnover, the Health and Safety Executive has announced its intention to take a close look at call centres. Posted November 29, 1999 Call Centres - we lead the world, but staff are not happy New research shows that while Europe leads the world in call centre IT, staff turnover is running at 23%. E-commerce Bill passes hurdle in the UK "The UK will be the best environment world-wide in which to trade electronically" Multi-application smart cards face too many hurdles Within five years, there will be almost 300M smart cards in use across Europe... Posted November 26, 1999 Company news: Holzmann to be saved at last minute Holzmann, the German construction company with FM interests, is to be saved from insolvency through a last minute intervention from the German chancellor. Outsourcing: how to make the honeymoon last A new white paper from business consultancy, Compass Management, claims to point the way to getting the best from outsourcing The most wired city in the world? Stockholm of course! A recent survey from Scarborough Research shows that Stockholm is now the most wired city in the world, ahead of both the US and the rest of Europe. Posted November 25, 1999 Y2K litigation fails to take off Contrary to some expectations, the volume of Y2K litigation is on a downward trend. New technology, new business idea The Industrial Bank of Korea has found a novel way to join the queues of companies and individuals seeking to make money out of the internet. Sharpening up local authorities The Government has been raising the pressure on local authorities in advance of the launch of its Best Value scheme early next year. Posted November 24, 1999 Senior executives rapidly overcoming technophobia The belief that IT is part of someone else's job seems to be fading away at top business levels. Doing it on the Tube As part of an upgrade of London Underground's communications systems, travellers are to be offered the option of using mobiles on Tube platforms. HSE gets ready to play the heavy Stung, perhaps, by recent criticism of its effectiveness, the Health & Safety Executive is planning to name and shame companies and individuals convicted of offences. Lloyds TSB to outsource? Lloyds TSB downplayed stories in last week's property press that it was preparing to outsource its property in a PRIME type deal. Posted November 23, 1999 KPMG launches outsourcing support service Calling it "Fast Track Outsourcing", KPMG has launched a new service aimed at companies who feel they could use some extra help in finding the best way through. OFGEM gets tough The utilities regulator Ofgem has welcomed the Queen's Speech proposals that would see its powers extended. More news from the frontiers of technology New research has found that internet use is growing faster than expected. The fifth in a series of annual surveys shows that usage has doubled in ten months. Posted November 22, 1999 Market trends played out on a European pitch Vodaphone's battle to take over the German group Mannesmann highlights some of the trends shaping the European facilities market. Y2K - more mixed messages The US Department of Commerce is so confident in the general level of Y2K preparedness across the country that it has issued a report proclaiming the millennium changeover will have no effect on the US economy. PFI privatisation process moves ahead The Treasury's plan to transform its PFI taskforce into a private sector operator, currently being called Partnerships UK, is shaping up. Posted November 19, 1999 Queen's Speech highlights commitment to e-commerce - but take up varies so far Through the medium of the Queen's Speech Wednesday the Government set out its commitment to seeing the UK lead the way in the development of e-commerce. Companies taking longer to pay their bills One year after the introduction of right-to-interest legislation designed to speed up payment of bills, companies are taking even longer to settle, reports business information company Experian. Industry update: new contract, top awards Coflex has been selected to provide a broad range of facilities services, subject to final agreement of the contract, for Lloyd's of London. New Record Fine for Breaches of Asbestos Regulations Reach Environmental Ltd were found not to have lived up to their 'green' name when they breached two asbestos regulations at the former Wills Tobacco Factory in Bristol earlier this year. Posted November 18, 1999 Another new idea from BT and Microsoft The BT/Microsoft union is beginning to look like a true romance. The team has announced another pilot scheme intended to make life easier for employees working away from the office. What's the price of an empty desk? Regus calculates that the average cost of maintaining a workstation is about £46 a day. This takes into account all servicing plus the cost of floorspace. Meeting rooms may be a waste of space A survey of over 500 UK businesses suggests that meeting rooms may be an over-rated feature of the workplace. Don't Overlook Data Protection The government has announced that the Data Protection Act 1998 is on course to come into force on 1 March 2000. Whilst the subject matter can appear somewhat dry, there are implications for building and facilities managers. Posted November 17, 1999 IDRC 'discovery forums' to be launched in London The corporate real estate executives group IDRC will kick off its latest knowledge-building initiative in London this week. Call for barrier-free e-commerce This is not a simple issue. The EC Directive on e-commerce is languishing in its discussion phase, and the government's proposed e-commerce bill was recently the subject of sharp criticism. HSE seeks views on employee involvement Under fire from critics for its performance on broader issues, the HSE soldiers on with its concern for health & safety in the workplace. Posted November 16, 1999 End of the tenants' market? Final quarter projections from the RICS point to continued strong demand for office space, especially in London, and consequently a likely rise in rents. Two more banks bow to the inevitability of change Barclays is expected to close about 200 branches next year in a concerted effort to cut costs and shift emphasis to new business opportunities. Coutts finds another way to cut costs Private bank Coutts & Co has cut by 90% the amount of energy it uses in its air conditioning systems, achieving a savings of £70,000pa. Posted November 15, 1999 Call centre issues get serious for BT Staff at 37 BT call centres, complaining of excessive pressure and stress, have voted to strike on November 22nd. Web-enabled FM service systems on offer Software developer Cognition Solutions has launched a facilities management service provider system that can be accessed via the internet. Industry Update: new contract, new flexibility Cable & Wireless has awarded a new facilities services contract, starting this month, to Workplace Management. Posted November 12, 1999 BP Amoco and PricewaterhouseCoopers forge largest outsourcing deal BP Amoco and PricewaterhouseCoopers have signed a ten-year contract, valued at over $1bn - said to be the largest ever business process outsourcing agreement. BT offers more support for flexible workers BT has joined up with Microsoft to develop a pilot project that will offer an online alternative to purchasing the Office applications suite. Blinded by the hype 3: Gartner warns on speed of change Business technology experts Gartner Group have come to the conclusion that moving too quickly in the take up of new systems is just as dangerous as moving too slowly. Posted November 11, 1999 Office costs rise ahead of inflation The average cost of running an office building in the UK rose by 4% last year, against an inflation figure of 2.8% for the same period. From green to Brown - Government backs away from pro-environment taxes In his pre-Budget report, Chancellor Gordon Brown has modified his stance on green issues, accepting that the cost burden falling on industry was too high. New factors in the location decision The DETR has spotted the fact that when complementary businesses are clustered together, this can be good for all of them. Posted November 10, 1999 New estimates for e-commerce growth Forrester Research, the well-regarded market specialist, says that as Y2K projects wind down, spending on internet technologies will rise dramatically. Industry news: new focus, new project, new service Trigon says it plans to focus increasingly on its mainstream workplace management business, where growth has been strong in the past few months. Digestives taste better with chocolate milk - official Catering is often a big component of FM, and the newsdesk is pleased to provide the following information, which should help facilities managers to deliver a better service. Posted November 9, 1999 It's Architecture Week Some might say it is typical of architects to create a week that is ten days long. But, on the other hand, building in two weekends does increase the opportunities to take advantage of what's on offer. DTI and ICL team up to think about the future The DTI has announced a collaborative venture with IT services company ICL to create an 'envisioning centre' at DTI HQ in London. Set to open in the spring, its purpose is to stimulate innovative thinking in both industry and government. HSE continues under fire With safety still very much in the headlines and the cost of work-related ill health rising, the Health and Safety Executive has been pushed on to the defensive. Posted November 8, 1999 PFM announces winners in 6th annual Partnership Awards Winners of the 1999 Premises & Facilities Management Partnership Awards were announced to an invited audience of 400 in London on Wednesday night. SI CBX wades into corporate PFI debate As talk about the potential benefits of removing property from the company balance sheet goes on - with little sign of anyone actually doing it yet - at least one interested party is content to wait. Industry update: contract wins Citex Asia has teamed up with Vigers to land a multi-million pound contract for FM services at Cable & Wireless Hong Kong Telecom. Posted November 5, 1999 Ford to move supply chain to e-business In the US, Ford has teamed up with Oracle Corporation to form a joint venture aimed at streamlining the car company's $80 bn annual purchasing operation. Orange tests out its vision for the future Mobile phone company Orange, which has recently been proclaiming that the future is wireless, has established a testbed in Birmingham. Blinded by the hype? (Chapter 2) From America, where at least some things tend to happen first, comes unexpected news. Posted November 4, 1999 New source of advice on FM contracts Asset Information, publishers of Facilities Management Legal Update, have produced what they say is the first comprehensive guide to drafting and reviewing FM contracts. Pressure group accuses HSE of failures The Centre for Corporate Accountability claims the Health & Safety Executive is failing to investigate 90% of the major injuries involving corporate bodies even though these have been reported. Business news: traditional industries suffer while the more agile prosper At a time when many of the old stalwarts of the British economy only seem to be generating bad news, other companies - not necessarily younger or in white-hot business sectors - are moving fast to develop fresh opportunities. Posted November 3, 1999 Green responsibilities pushed to the front again Environment ministers from 173 countries are meeting in Bonn for another round of talks on global warming. Catching the meaning behind the buzzwords E-business is not about technology, says Ernst & Young. It's about business operations and how they are designed and managed to achieve the greatest commercial benefit. AMEC wins Halfords HQ refurbishment AMEC continues to build on its partnering relationship with Boots, the latest project involving refurbishment of a four-storey HQ building in Redditch for Halfords, a part of the Boots Group. Posted November 2, 1999 Tough talk at CBI Conference Delegates to the CBI's annual conference have been warned that most company directors don't understand technology or the emerging knowledge economy. Serviced offices find their niche as the flexible answer The RICS has published the findings of recent research into both the supply and demand sides of the serviced office equation. Government gears up bug plans Leader of the House of Commons Margaret Beckett has announced the government's plans to help make sure the millennium period is bug-free. Posted November 1, 1999 Mixed view of the future from telecoms providers The biggest telecoms companies look set to continue dominating the European marketplace, though senior executives in those companies express mixed views about the shape of the services they will be providing. Blinded by the hype? In the same week that Dow Jones announced that high tech companies, in the form of Microsoft and Intel, are to be included in its highly regarded performance figures, The Economist has drawn together new information suggesting that technology may be an over-rated business area. New light on office pains New research funded by the Health and Safety Executive has confirmed that upper limb disorders are a common occurrence amongst office staff...