NFS tech group

Open plan offices have been around for over a century, and on the face of it you would think that they foster communication. Far from it. A recent Harvard study found that face-to-face interaction actually decreased when the walls came down, while the number of emails and text messages increased sharply. In other words, people stop talking when they work open plan . That’s not great for collaboration.  The open plan office first came to prominence as a working style in 1906 when the architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed the Larkin Administration Building in New York. Open plan has always had its critics. As Alexi Marmot, professor of facility and environment management at The Bartlett School of Graduate Studies at University College London says: “The known [downsides] of open plan – noise, alienation, inability to adjust light and temperature, feeling like a small cog in a large machine – need to be overcome. “This can be achieved through attention to design, who...

When the LinkedIn network features around a thousand managers who describe themselves as ‘Chief Happiness Officer’, you can tell that well-being has moved right up the workplace agenda. That’s only right and proper, of course, from a moral point of view. But it also makes sense from a business perspective – happy and comfortable workers  tend to be more productive. And the benefits of creating a connected workplace where people can collaborate and get on with their jobs easily go even further than that. As workplace strategist Joelle Jach said recently: “By understanding the connection between humans and their environment, and by providing an environment that supports human needs, organisations can target cost savings as well as an engaged workforce.” He argues that  comfort and wellbeing  also have a direct impact on employee retention; we all want to work somewhere that’s nice to be. However, Jach also warns that open-office environments can cause feelings...

Industry expert Luis De Souza of NFS Technology Group  says digital dining has accessed every area of the industry; and it’s providing a valuable boost in challenging times. “Here’s your burger and fries, sir – would you like extra digital with that?” The answer from today’s diner is almost always a resounding yes, according to restaurant industry expert Luis De Souza. And he’s convinced that the digital transformation trend is truly engaging the UK restaurant industry could well provide answers to some of today’s challenges. “We’ve seen an extraordinary pace of change in diner behaviours over the past few years, and restaurants are having to work hard to keep up with it,” said Luis, chief executive of Restaurant Show exhibitors NFS Technology Group. The changing digital landscape The trends he is talking about affect both in-restaurant and takeaway eating and are affecting everything in the casual and fast-casual dining sectors. To-go consumers used to call...

“The reimagined modern workplace is here,” Microsoft senior director Ryan Asdourian declared confidently this year. “Gone are the days of rigid schedules where workers are fixed to computer terminals between the hours of 9 and 5… with technology on our side, the opportunities are endless .” Ryan conjures up a brave new world where remote, technology-enabled workers drop in and out of flexible, friendly spaces to get their jobs done in the most efficient and enjoyable manner. His views are well-supported. A workplace experiment in New Zealand made headlines recently when staff at a company specialising in trusts and wills were allowed to work for four days a week, while getting paid for five. Academics found their job and life satisfaction rocketed in all areas, and the company benefited too – employees worked better and enjoyed their jobs more. Working 9 to 5? What a way to make a living …looks like Dolly Parton was ahead of the times when she sang the theme song for th...

More than 4,000 new restaurants have opened in the UK in just the last four years – yet there’s also been a huge downside, with many – including some big names – closing down. So in these most mixed of times, how do you make sure YOUR restaurant is one of the survivors? Let’s start by pinpointing some of the reasons for 2018’s restaurant rollercoaster ride. Brexit blues The pound has been in state of flux ever since the Brexit vote, and it’s had serious repercussions for the industry because the cost of basic ingredients has risen in costs. Margins have also been squeezed by other factors, such as the minimum wage rising by more than 19% in the last five years. One high-profile victim has been Jamie Oliver, who cited the Brexit blues when he was forced to close six of his restaurants in 2017, and 12 more this year. The repercussions of Brexit are not just being felt on the foreign exchanges. The EU represents a pool of talented hospitality workers which UK restauran...

Digital transformation is a phrase that is thrown about in modern workplaces these days – but what does it actually mean and, more importantly, what does it specifically mean for your restaurant? Well, it means a lot more than you may think. As the name suggests, there’s a technical element – but it’s also about how the technology can help people solve traditional problems in new ways. As a spin off, it can often involve organisations streamlining their operations and removing obstacles such as mountains of paper. If you think the UK has reached a high level of digitalisation, you’re mistaken, even though companies and individuals are investing so much time and money in technology. According to the  McKinsey Global Institute’s Industry Digitization Index , the UK has only reached 17% of its full digital potential. So for the UK economy, the potential and scope for digital services is unbounded. Digital transformation is affecting many areas of our lives includin...

An interview with industry expert Luis De Souza –  download  the podcast version Delivering a perfect meeting can play a huge role in clinching the deal – but if the VC won’t connect or the time changes at the last minute, closing the sale becomes hard work. Luis De Souza, CEO of NFS Technology Group, says there are  4 critical questions  everyone should ask when it comes to technology and space planning/management: How can I organise the perfect meeting ? How do we avoid bad behaviours, which can cause poor utilisation and wasted technology spend? What factors should I consider when planning my new meeting space or re-design? How can integrated technology provide better tools so my FM and CIO can improve space utilisation and the user experience? Luis set up NFS just over 20 years ago as a hospitality business selling into the hotel and restaurant sector, and it’s also now a leader in  meeting room software  for corporate and conference ce...