Author: Editor
By Frikkie Malan, head of sustainability at Remote Metering Solutions As more companies move towards reducing their carbon emissions and accomplishing net zero targets, embracing emerging power sources becomes key. For instance, solar and wind solutions have been receiving lots of media attention in recent months as companies look for alternative ways to power their buildings. One of the ways to optimise the adoption of more advanced technology to accomplish this is through more effective data analysis. Data allows decision-makers to better understand the energy sources and usage of properties. By collecting and analysing data on energy consumption, we can…
By Muggie van Staden, MD and CEO of Obsidian Systems Even though the metaverse has sparked significant interest, it is not that much different to how people have been working and living for the past two years. Think of the metaverse as a virtual world that uses the likes of virtual reality, augmented reality, AI, social media, and digital currency where people can live in and engage with one another. Apart from the virtual and augmented reality components, this ‘world’ has been with us for quite some time. So, how can businesses capitalise on the metaverse? Recently, Samsung and Red…
What would you do if the person you hired through a series of online interviews and virtual tests is not the same person who shows up at work? It sounds like something from a science fiction movie. You spend hours testing, interviewing and talking to a candidate and then, after you offer them the job, someone completely different shows up for work. And that person doesn’t have the skills or the ability to do the job, at all. What do you do? Do you keep them in the business wondering if perhaps you’ve gone mad, or do you confront them…
Tattoo discrimination is a very real problem in South African business, but do organisations have an inkpot to stand on? People with tattoos often face discrimination. They’ve been dismissed from their company, had their roles changed – or struggled to get a promotion – and they’ve been judged on the basis of their ink. This issue came to prominence earlier this year when the Minister of Police Bheki Cele suggested that people with tattoos couldn’t get jobs in the police force because they are more likely to be gangsters, or have gangster tendencies. The protection of an employee’s right to…
By Catherine Muller, HR Manager at Obsidian Systems The normalisation of a distributed workforce has seen some companies fall short when it comes to maintaining effective communications with their employees. Engagement between workers was always taken for granted in traditional office environments. But with many people now accessing their workspaces remotely, business leaders must rethink how they manage teamwork and collaboration for a post-pandemic world. Of course, just because individuals are working from different geographic locations does not mean that businesses can neglect team building events. These can still take place even if it is through digital means. People must…
By Frik van der Westhuizen, CEO of EQPlus Reverse mentorship, when a more experienced or higher-ranking individual seeks guidance and knowledge from a junior or less experienced employee, has grown in prominence in recent years. This can at least partly be attributed to the rapidly evolving digital environment. It is especially CEOs that have been embracing this as the means to stay current with technology innovations and what some of the current trends are. Technology is constantly evolving. It can be challenging for any individual, let alone a CEO with a busy schedule, to stay up-to-date with all the latest…
ROX Equity Partners, a UK based private equity company, has acquired the innovative health data technology platform HealthCloud. HealthCloud, which provides universal healthcare data interoperability and intelligence, will be integrated into the Alula Technologies group that offers digital solutions to the insurance and health industries. This follows the recent acquisition by ROX of South African financial services technology provider SilverBridge. HealthCloud was acquired from BIC Solutions, a technology group operating in the healthcare industry in Southern Africa. Through a strategic partnership, BIC will be the reseller of the HealthCloud platform and other Alula solutions in SADC countries. “HealthCloud will form…
By Howard Feldman I was about to embark on a new business venture. Before we officially kicked off as new partners, we sat around my dining room table and spoke about some of the expectations. One of the participants raised his hand and said the following:” It is important that we agree that we will behave ethically and morally and with integrity.” We all nodded and agreed. “Absolutely”, we concurred. Integrity was key. Inwardly I felt awful for not having thought of this myself. What kind of person was I for not having listed these values? And what did it…
If you’re using the company email account, then everything in that inbox belongs to the business. Which means your emails can be read by anyone, at any time. Email. It’s an immensely powerful tool that helps you function as an employee. It connects you with customers, helps you plan your day, and lets you collaborate with colleagues. It also isn’t private, isn’t yours, and can be opened up and read by anyone in the business if it happens to be a corporate account. As Nicol Myburgh, Head: CRS Technologies HCM Business Unit, points out – it isn’t necessary for the…
Since 2008, Ikhaya Automation Systems has been delivering comprehensive temperature monitoring solutions to customers. With a diverse range of use case scenarios, ranging from industrial and commercial, to medical and pharmaceutical, remote temperature control enables businesses to keep their products under strict control while complying with governing body regulations. Ikhaya is one of only two companies in South Africa approved, and audited, by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to monitor the transport and protection of pharmaceutical products. Ikhaya has started shipping products to countries running the WHO and UNICEF vaccine programmes. The vaccines require strict temperature monitoring in fridges used for transport.…