Clearview National February 2018 - Issue 195 | Page 16

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CONSTRUCTION SECTOR HANGS ON TO PAPER

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ORGANISATIONS IN THE construction and utilities sectors are among those that rely the most on paper , new research has found .
A survey of 1,000 workers , conducted by WorkMobile , found that employees working in the education sector rely the most on paper ( 80 %), followed by the finance sector ( 68 %), and the construction and utilities industries ( 67 %).
A third of businesses in the education sector ( 34 %) and construction and utilities ( 33 %) have taken no steps to even reduce their usage . But , the finance industry is trying to become less reliant on paper , with 77 % of companies implementing paper-saving processes .
Surprisingly , the legal sector , which is often perceived as traditional in its processes , is ahead of other sectors , with fourfifths
( 80 %) of employees saying their bosses have introduced paper-less working .
The environment is paying the biggest price though , given that 50 % of all waste generated from businesses is paper-based .
Reassuringly , some employees are trying to cut down their personal paper usage to protect the environment . 30 % only print out physical files when absolutely necessary , 7 % rarely use the printer , and 3 % operate fully paperless and never use paper .
The research was carried out as part of WorkMobile ’ s ‘ Death of the paper trail report ’, which investigates the sectors that are still reliant on paper-based processes , and the pitfalls that businesses often encounter by working in this way .
Colin Yates , chief support officer , said : “ With so much technology at our fingertips , it ’ s
surprising and disappointing to see that companies are still relying so heavily on paper-based processes like printing documents and posting mail , and are not introducing the most basic of steps to reduce the use of paper .
“ Over recent years , there has been a lot of focus on becoming more environmentally friendly as a society and reducing wastage to protect the planet . But despite attempts by government
organisations and campaigners to raise awareness around the implications of using paper and cutting down trees , it ’ s clear that a large number of businesses are still not taking note .
“ Technology has advanced way beyond clunky fax machines and printing out hundreds of documents on a daily basis . And with more and more employees now working remotely using mobile devices , we shouldn ’ t be using so much paper . Companies must look to introduce paperless policies to improve internal processes and make for greater efficiencies and accuracies . The future of their businesses could well depend on it .”
For more information , please visit : http :// www . workmobileforms . com / researchand-whitepapers /

GROWTH IN THE COMMERCIAL GLAZING SECTOR TO STALL

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A NEW REPORT FROM PALMER Market Research suggests that the rapid growth seen across the commercial glazing sector may be about to stall in ‘ some areas ’.
According to the new The Commercial Glazing Markets 2017 , published at the end of last year , four years of consistent growth meant that the commercial glazing market was 16 % up on 2012 , while in installed value , it jumped by more than 41 %.
The report , which charts the performance of windows , curtain walling , roof glazing , shop fronts and entrance doors , shows that even over the last two years growth was as high as 6 % and 10 % respectively .
This , the report ’ s authors argue , was driven by a ‘ resurgence in the commercial offices sector ’ and to a lesser extent the education sector , the two single largest areas of the market .
They state , however , that the unexpected result of the Brexit referendum has to a greater or lesser extent , depending on segment within
it , hit confidence throughout the commercial glazing sector .
Robert Palmer , Managing Director , Palmer Market Research , said : “ The outcome of the Brexit referendum was unexpected and that appears to have had a direct impact on the commercial glazing sector .
“ This appears to be particularly acute in commercial office space , as large employers hedge their bets as to the nature of Brexit and put plans for new development on hold .”
Pressure on public sector budgets is also cited by the report as limiting the availability of funding for major capital spends . The report ’ s authors also highlight a squeeze on the high street as retailers shift more of their business online .
Things are not , however , entirely gloomy . “ It would be wrong to write-off the commercial glazing sector . There are and continue to be sizeable pockets of growth . Our forecasts have , however , changed significantly since the Brexit vote and we predict that it ’ s effects
Commercial Glazing Market in Great Britain 2010 to 2021 Installed Value £ bn
will continue to be felt for the foreseeable future .”
The Commercial Glazing Markets 2017 edition is available from Palmer Market Research now .
www . palmermarketresearch . co . uk
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