Business category - Page 42 of 49

Business

January 20, 2018

Could Alexa Be Your Next Financial Planner?

Personal digital assistants like Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri are getting involved in many aspects of our lives. From controlling our diaries and providing entertainment, to ordering groceries, all we have to do is issue a simple command. But would you trust Alexa with your money?

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are having an impact on many industries and the financial services sector is no exception. So it might not be too long before you can ask Alexa to pick a basket of stocks to provide income or help you plan to pay off your mortgage.

Instant information

Fast access to market data was once the preserve of back office systems for IFAs, but thanks to the internet it’s now available to everyone. You can access up to date prices and historical trends as you need them to help you plan your investment decisions. Of course, if you can do this so can Alexa, so there’s no reason why she can’t help your decision-making or offer recommendations.

The same thing applies to the details of your daily spending. As we increasingly pay for things with our phones, that data can go straight into a budgeting system and be made available across your other devices. There’s no reason why this can’t be integrated with your bank and credit card information too, especially as the new Open Banking initiative rolls out.

Consumer data

Of course, back office systems for IFAs are available through Intelliflo and they do a great job with financial data. But often financial decisions are made based on a combination of other factors too. These can include job security, family circumstances such as marriages and deaths and more.

Currently, financial software is blind to all this, but a true artificial intelligence system will be able to take account of a whole range of other factors. This means investment decisions can be taken in the light of retirement planning, paying tuition fees, career prospects and more. It can also look at wider geopolitical factors such as legislative change, taxation regimes, climate change and more.

Financial planning in future will need to be open to all of these things. Cross-referencing of data is here to stay and is becoming easier for everyone to access. Unless you’re prepared to become a digital hermit, it’s going to affect you.

Business

January 3, 2018

Stunning Structurally Glazed Atrium Provides Focal Point

Scott Brownrigg, an architectural practice, has created a new building at St. James’s Place headquarters. The wealth management company, listed on the FTSE 100, wanted a suitably impressive centerpiece for the building to dramatically welcome clients, partners and employees.

This was accomplished in the design of a three-story high atrium built by adopting the Pilkington Planar architectural glazing system.

The Design

The atrium lies between the two dominant features of the building and is encased by a 42-foot tall entrance cover and glazed roof.

Scott Brownrigg envisaged the roof and atrium wall as an endless, undisturbed glass surface, making Pilkington Planar the ideal solution.

The Pilkington Planar is fully integrated and includes all the manufactured fittings designed to work with the glass. Each pane of glass is checked for stress and deflection to ensure there are no problems with project loading and sizing requirements.

The fixings of the St. James’s Place atrium are unique to the Intrafix system of Pilkington Planar. It utilizes stainless steel 905J fittings at the entrance cover and 902 fittings at the roof, working in combination with Planar Nexus castings.

The entrance has glazed, full-height fins that provide structural strength while maintaining transparency, and the roof is floated with a structure of stainless steel rods.

Utilising Glass

All glass used in the structure is heat-soak tested and toughened to ensure the security and strength of the design. This has become a necessity in modern architecture as an increasing number of contemporary buildings are constructed from glass.

Each double-glazed unit forming the surface of the structure consists of 6 mm-thick glass with a solar-control coating that helps reduce the buildup of heat during the summer months. The transmission of solar energy is reduced to 27 percent, while 46 percent of light is still permitted to transfer through the glass. For Dublin windows and doors, enquire with a company such as.

On the roof of the structure, the inner pane of Sentry glass measures 19.5 mm thick, while the entrance glass is 15 mm thick. Each pane has an argon-filled gap that contributes to the efficiency of thermal insulation provided by the system.

The impressive structure demonstrates the remarkable capabilities of Pilkington Panar with the creation of seemingly free-standing walls of glass using a minimalist rod structure.

Business

December 23, 2017

Enhance Productivity Through Call Centre Furniture Design

Furniture is definitely an important and indispensable part of any office. The same is equally true for call centres. In fact, the employees working in a call centre need to have properly designed and comfortable furniture for proper sitting. By making available the right furniture to the employees, the concerned owners may enhance their productivity and efficiency to a great extent. This is because employees may work in an excellent manner by sitting on comfortable furniture items. For this, the concerned owners definitely need to select and get the right call centre furniture so that the employees may remain content in all respects. This task can be well-accomplished by paying attention to certain points, as given below.

Know what you want

Before selecting the right type of furniture for your call centre, you must clearly know what you exactly want at the workplace. It is because every call centre or office in general has varying demands and requirements. For instance, you must be clear about the number of tables, chairs, desks and other furniture items particularly required at your call centre. It helps you get the right type of call centre furniture.

Size matters a lot

When it comes to getting the right furniture for your call centre, it is very important to consider the size of each furniture item. The size of the furniture items may depend on the nature of the work and the space available. Also, you may get varying sizes for different types of furniture items meant for various corners of your office.

Consider available space

The space available at your call centre also plays a deciding role in getting the right type of furniture. This is because you may get various furniture items depending on the space available at your place.

Pay attention to the design as well

Apart from other important factors, you must choose the best designs and colours for your call centre furniture. The colours and designs of various furniture items must be appealing and motivating. Again, it helps in keeping the interest of the employees alive in the work. Also, it helps keep them refreshed and rejuvenated.

Comfort is very important

Definitely, you must consider the convenience of using the furniture items required for your call centre. You must select such furniture items, specifically chairs that are quite comfortable for sitting with your employees. Also, it helps save your employees against a number of postural problems. Thus, the employees using such furniture items may accomplish their work without feeling tired in an excellent manner.

Prices do matter

Obviously, you need to spend some amount of money to get the furniture for your call centre. Before finalising any furniture items for your call centre, it is very important to get quotations from different suppliers and then choose one that seems to be most reasonable and easily affordable to you.

By selecting and getting the right furniture items for your call centre, you may offer a very good and motivating workplace to your employees.