Does the so-called Main-Stream-Media add anything to the direction information for industry, or is it about their own self-serving self-promotion?
This week we had news that suggested the UK pound has fallen against the dollar, but then in that context so did the currencies of 7 of the world’s major economies, only 3 didn't. Was that a pound fall or a dollar gain?
Jobless front reported mainly as negative news. Officially (the ONS) those out of work came in at 1.29 million, the lowest it has been since 1974. The population in 1974 was significantly smaller at 56million, now it is 66million. In the same vein there are now 4million citizens from the EU living in the UK, while there is just 850K of the UK citizens living in the EU. So relatively, are the lowest employment figures in 55years the disaster as portrayed?
Wage rises in the UK year on year are at their highest level for 10 years. Wages have outstripped cost rises by some 70% - again from the ONS.
The latest official EU Commission Single Market report of 2019 shows that only 8% of UK GDP relates to UK goods exported to the EU Single Market. That makes the UK the next to worst performer in the EU. You could ask at only 8% of GDP how affected is the UK by the EU.
The ONS again, for the first quarter of 2019 UK exports were up by 2.2billion, a record level. Exports year on year to May 2019 are up by 4% to £647.1bn - another record. The UK has now experienced 38 consecutive months of export growth on an annual rolling basis. This is despite a big fall in exports to the EU.
These are just the official figures that have been released in the last week, mainly positives, but take to the Main-Stream-Media for information and the reverse is offered up. Should business objectivity be guided by the latest news?
Be Careful What You Ask For?
(you might just get it!)
Performance related pay is a subject that surfaces with clients on a regular basis. Managers want to drive performance and are usually prepared to share some of the benefits of hard work but it’s not a one dimensional subject and more pay certainly does not equal more performance in a linear way (wouldn’t life be easy if it did!). There is also a lot of science that says that in tasks that require a lot of right brain cognitive activity then a contingent reward (if you do X then I will give you Y) is way less effective than an intrinsic reward (now you have done X then I will give you Y) where the reward is less tangible – winning, being part of a team, overcoming an obstacle.
Non the less sometimes clients like to set goals and link rewards to those goals but this is an area that is fraught with problems. The example of rewarding the person on the saw for producing cut lengths when what you actually want is finished product… and thereby creating lots and lots of cut bars to sort through and no more (or maybe even less) frames is pretty clear and in a manufacturing environment asking for what you want is pretty clear…. Or should be but sometimes cause and effect is more subtle....more
Be Careful What You Ask For?
© Chris Ball July 2019<
© Chris Ball July 2019<
Deceuninck -
'Deceuninck opens doors for Nu-Era'
Door specialist Nu-Era Doors has grown rapidly with Deceuninck. The Midlands-based fabricator is celebrating its five-year anniversary and growing sales thanks to the company ’s strong partnership with Deceuninck. Nu-Era Director, Neil Dattani says: “Deceuninck has been instrumental in Nu-Era ’s success. They saw our potential and have ...more
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Double R Glass and Roofing Systems -
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'Pilkington United Kingdom Limited invests £3 million in new machinery to increase str'
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CMS Enviro Systems Ltd(CMS Window Systems) -
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Hundreds of homes at Ferguslie Park in Paisley have been upgraded sustainably with high performance PVCu windows and doors manufactured and installed by CMS Window Systems. The large-scale refurbishment project for Ferguslie Park Housing Association has seen 300 of the landlord ’s 803 properties transformed, in an area which – like many o ...more
Rapierstar Ltd -
'Fastener ‘Health Checks’ set sights on eliminating accident risks'
Specialist fastener advice from Rapierstar on choosing the correct fabrication screws, and applying them in the right way, is helping window and door fabricators to maintain and improve their health and safety performance and eliminate accident risks. The fastener supplier ’s ‘Health Check ’ audits, which offer a comprehensive review of an ...more
Swisspacer -
'Cool elegance on the water – “CentoNew” office building uses SWISSPACER'
Centogene AG has built a new research centre for the genetic diagnosis of rare hereditary diseases in Rostock, Germany. A number of different types of glass were used for the glazing. SWISSPACER warm edge spacer bars were specified for the glazed units for improved heat loss and energy efficiency within the building. Centogene is a wor ...more
'Deceuninck opens doors for Nu-Era'
Door specialist Nu-Era Doors has grown rapidly with Deceuninck. The Midlands-based fabricator is celebrating its five-year anniversary and growing sales thanks to the company ’s strong partnership with Deceuninck. Nu-Era Director, Neil Dattani says: “Deceuninck has been instrumental in Nu-Era ’s success. They saw our potential and have ...more
Sidey Ltd -
'Sidey achieves new ISO 45001:2018 safety certification'
Sidey has underlined its commitment to employee safety by achieving ISO 45001:2018 certification for the manufacture and installation of windows, doors and conservatories using PVCu and aluminium profile, covering activities as both a contractor and designer. The Occupational Health & Safety Management System ISO 45001:2018 has replaced ...more
Senior Architectural Systems -
'Senior’s PURe® range moves forward with new parallel push window'
Senior Architectural Systems has added further flexibility to its innovative PURe® range of ultra-low U-value aluminium windows with the development of a new parallel push option. Designed to offer balanced air flow and ventilation with maximum safety, the restricted opening of the PURe® parallel push aluminium windows make them ideally ...more
Double R Glass and Roofing Systems -
'Double R Introduces Guardian Solstice'
Double R Glass & Roofing Systems Ltd prides itself on its pioneering approach. It ’s often the first to bring new products to market or invest in new pieces of machinery – all in the name of keeping customers ahead of the competition. The company is now pleased to announce its latest offering in the form of the new Guardian Solstice Skylight Syst ...more
Edgetech (UK) Ltd -
'Edgetech orders easier than ever thanks to new e-commerce system'
An intuitive new online ordering system is set to make it easier than ever to buy from Edgetech. Unveiled for the first time at May ’s FIT Show, the platform allows IGU manufacturers to quickly and simply pick a product, input quantities, finalise an order and arrange deliveries with the click of a mouse. The system will even reme ...more
Pilkington Building Products -
'Pilkington United Kingdom Limited invests £3 million in new machinery to increase str'
Pilkington United Kingdom Ltd, part of the NSG Group, has invested more than £3 million in new technology to increase its capacity to manufacture Pilkington Planar™, and meet growing market demand for its internationally sold structural glazing system. The glass manufacturer has invested in a new state of the art toughening furnace, an i ...more
CMS Enviro Systems Ltd(CMS Window Systems) -
'CMS raises the standard sustainably at Ferguslie Park'
Hundreds of homes at Ferguslie Park in Paisley have been upgraded sustainably with high performance PVCu windows and doors manufactured and installed by CMS Window Systems. The large-scale refurbishment project for Ferguslie Park Housing Association has seen 300 of the landlord ’s 803 properties transformed, in an area which – like many o ...more
Rapierstar Ltd -
'Fastener ‘Health Checks’ set sights on eliminating accident risks'
Specialist fastener advice from Rapierstar on choosing the correct fabrication screws, and applying them in the right way, is helping window and door fabricators to maintain and improve their health and safety performance and eliminate accident risks. The fastener supplier ’s ‘Health Check ’ audits, which offer a comprehensive review of an ...more
Swisspacer -
'Cool elegance on the water – “CentoNew” office building uses SWISSPACER'
Centogene AG has built a new research centre for the genetic diagnosis of rare hereditary diseases in Rostock, Germany. A number of different types of glass were used for the glazing. SWISSPACER warm edge spacer bars were specified for the glazed units for improved heat loss and energy efficiency within the building. Centogene is a wor ...more
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LED lighting has been installed across Carl F Groupco’s Peterborough warehouse, along with motion...»
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