Category: Business Advice

Many business owners will recognise that the stronger the team, the more successful the business becomes. Ensuring that the current team you have is as agile, united and organised as possible is not only down to finding the most suitable talent at the interview stage, but also continuing to nurture this through team building. Research shows that 50% of employees have stayed at a company because they feel part of a team and have turned down tempting opportunities from elsewhere due to having made meaningful connections with colleagues.

CEO of award-winning digital marketing agency Digital Ethos, Luke Tobin, provides some tips on how business leaders can ensure that team bonding is worthwhile.

Luke says: “Not only is team bonding a fun way for your employees to let off some steam and recharge away from a typical day’s tasks, but it also fosters a sense of trust and collaboration between team members. Shared experiences create meaningful relationships and improve empathy.

“Here are a few ways you can get the most out of your team bonding exercises as a business leader.”

Understand team dynamics beforehand

Some teams may naturally work closer together if they attend the office in person consistently and therefore see each other face-to-face more than others, for example, or their departments might be working towards the same goal and collaborate more often. Whatever the reason, business leaders need to observe existing dynamics before a team bonding session to maximise its effectiveness.

For example, if you need to divide the workforce into teams for an activity, it is counterproductive to place employees together who already work closely together if we consider the objectives of team building. Instead, group together employees who usually don’t interact or have given feedback that their team’s dynamic could be improved. This way, they can make the most out of the activity and the shared experience will bring them closer together.

Lead by example

As a senior team member, you have the opportunity to set the tone for the desired outcomes of the team building. By actively participating in bonding activities, you can demonstrate different attitudes you would like to foster within the workplace. By modelling desired behaviours, business leaders can cultivate a positive and supportive team culture that encourages openness, communication, and mutual respect.

Provide meaningful experiences

The most effective team-building activities are ones that your employees will remember long after. Ensure that your team-building exercises each have a purpose by incorporating interactive exercises, problem-solving challenges, and experiential learning opportunities that encourage teamwork and critical thinking. Enjoyable activities will naturally be memorable to the team and will remind them of the successes and learnings taken from the team-building activities.

Include debriefing and reflection opportunities

Team building activities should be followed with reflection, learning, and insights by including a debriefing session afterwards. Team members can then give business leaders honest feedback and key learnings. By hosting guided reflection, business leaders can promote self-awareness, foster team cohesion, and reinforce learning outcomes from the activities.

Additionally, allowing team members to display constructive communication creates a safe and supportive environment where team members feel they can freely express their feelings and opinions without fear of judgement.

Stefano Maifreni, Founder and COO Eggcelerate

Integrating finance with operational strategies has become pivotal for success in the evolving business management landscape. This article draws insights from direct experience and sheds light on the transformative journey of modernising the finance function within organisations. It delves into the challenges, strategies, and outcomes of bridging the finance and business operations gap.

Navigating Initial Challenges

The journey often begins in a setting where the finance function is limited, primarily focused on tracking revenues and basic bookkeeping, with heavy reliance on spreadsheets. This traditional approach presents significant challenges, particularly for small businesses where the finance team might consist of the CEO, a co-founder, and an external accountant. The primary challenge is moving beyond this rudimentary setup to embrace a more integrated and strategic approach to financial planning and analysis (FP&A).

Over recent years, new tools and technologies have facilitated a shift towards a more integrated view of business operations. Tools allowing comprehensive tracking, reporting, and forecasting have become accessible, even to smaller enterprises. However, the transition is not without its hurdles. The main challenge now is the scattered nature of data across different formats and the lack of necessary skills to leverage these new tools effectively. Despite these obstacles, there’s an emerging opportunity for a more collaborative approach to planning and analysis, moving away from traditional finance-centric models to ones that involve broader senior management participation.

Strategic Alignment: Overcoming Data and Process Challenges

Addressing the issues of data silos, inconsistent data, and lack of flexibility starts with a comprehensive understanding of the organisation’s current state. The transformation journey gradually shifts towards a more structured and transparent financial planning and analysis process. This shift must be supported by a four-layer approach focusing on data and tools, skills, and culture.

The move towards digital integration in finance has unlocked several benefits, most notably establishing a single source of truth. This unified view eliminates confusion and saves time by providing precise, reliable data for decision-making. Enhanced data visualisation tools enable easier comprehension of trends and performance metrics, leading to increased efficiency, accuracy, and effectiveness in management decision-making processes.

Such an approach enhances the finance function’s efficacy and ensures its strategic alignment with the business’s operational goals.

Enhanced Decision: Making through Comprehensive Integration

Integrating finance and business operations under a singular strategic vision affords CEOs a panoramic view of their performance. This comprehensive perspective, enriched by real-time data and analytics, empowers leaders to make informed, data-driven decisions. It shifts the decision-making paradigm from one that is reactive to market changes to one that is proactive and anticipatory of future trends. Such a strategic advantage is invaluable in today’s fast-evolving business environment, enabling organisations to navigate complexities and seize opportunities for growth and expansion.

Efficiency and Agility: A Dual-Edged Sword

Efficiency and agility are the dual pillars supporting an organisation’s ability to maintain a competitive edge. Streamlining financial processes and operational workflows drives efficiency and imbues the organisation with the agility to adapt swiftly to market changes and emerging opportunities. CEOs play a pivotal role in orchestrating this streamlining, ensuring that the organisation is not just lean in its operations but also flexible in its strategic outlook. This agility is especially crucial in responding to unforeseen challenges, allowing companies to pivot and adapt in ways that sustain growth and profitability.

Cultural Transformation: Fostering a Culture of Business Partnership

To bridge the gap between finance and operations, CFOs must demystify the finance function and actively engage with different business units. By understanding and participating in the operational aspects of the business, such as managing the Operating Cash Cycle, CFOs can offer invaluable insights that support growth and operational efficiency. This approach positions the finance function as a strategic partner rather than a gatekeeper, fostering a more integrated and dynamic business model.

Encouraging the finance team to engage in managerial accounting and be involved in the operational aspects of the business is crucial. This involvement allows finance professionals to understand the business first-hand, build trust with operational teams, and establish the finance function as a strategic hub.

Conclusion

Integrating finance with business operations marks a significant shift towards a more strategic, efficient, and collaborative business model. While challenges exist, the path forward involves embracing new technologies, fostering open communication, and ensuring that finance functions align closely with operational strategies.

The key for organisations embarking on their modernisation journey is to start with a clear goal, mainly focusing on improving reporting processes. Understanding the source and format of data, coupled with active engagement with the business to comprehend its needs, lays the groundwork for a successful transition.

This holistic approach enhances decision-making and operational efficiency and positions organisations for sustainable growth in an increasingly complex business environment.

Stefano Maifreni, Founder and COO Eggcelerate Bio

Action- and delivery-focused “efficiency geek”, can anticipate the tornado caused in operations by a butterfly flapping its wings in sales.

Stefano has a background in ICT blue chips and FTSE250 companies, as well as in growing companies and start-ups in technology-intensive and innovative sectors (e.g., Manufacturing, Drones/IoT, AI, GreenTech, Insure/FinTech).

He launched Eggcelerate to help small B2B businesses experiencing flat-lined results achieve focus and sustainable growth.

Stefano is an Executive MBA graduate of the London Business School and a published author (Forbes, The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Times/Raconteur, and various SME-focused publications) on topics from Strategy to People and Operations.

If you’re exploring options for your company’s next commercial building, it’s time to consider an engineered fabric structure. These innovative buildings are constructed from advanced coated fabrics rather than traditional materials to provide functionality that outperforms conventional buildings.

From rapid construction timelines to crisp natural lighting and open floor plans, fabric buildings are engineered to meet commercial needs while affording owners major advantages over other structures. Significant cost savings also make them extremely appealing options for retailers, warehouses, recreation centers, etc.

If you’re considering engineered fabric buildings, consult a provider early to start the project right away. Also, understanding the key benefits can help inform your decision. So, let’s explore the ten top advantages of engineered fabric buildings for commercial use.

1. They’re Easy To Construct

Engineered fabric buildings utilize standardized frameworks and modular components that expedite construction timelines compared to traditional buildings. You can expect to have your structure fully erected and enclosed within 4-8 weeks on average. That’s 3-4 times faster than conventional construction.

Since minimal foundation work is required and many building parts are prefabricated offsite for rapid onsite assembly, your business will be up and running in your new facility almost immediately after breaking ground. The accelerated timeline gets your operations commenced quickly.

2. You Get To Customize The Design

Engineered fabric buildings are highly customizable, enabling you to create a structure tailored to your commercial needs. Work with reputable fabric building manufacturers to design a building that fits your desired layout, incorporates mezzanines or multi-story spaces if required, and has a roofline matching your vision. The flexibility of the materials makes unique designs possible.

3. They Maximize The Clear Span Space

Unlike traditional buildings supported by interior columns and beams, engineered fabric structures employ arched roof frameworks to enable clear-span interiors uninterrupted by vertical supports.

This provides excellent open floor plans ideal for warehouses, distribution centers, athletic facilities, retail stores, and more. You can optimize the layout without working around columns.

4. You’ll Save On Construction Costs

Engineered fabric buildings utilize prefabricated components offsite and are simply assembled onsite to complete structural frameworks rapidly. This minimizes onsite labor, customized fabrication, and specialized equipment needs compared to traditional buildings.

With less intensive foundations required as well, significant cost savings apply. You can expect to invest around 50-66% less on a square footage basis compared to conventional steel or wood buildings.

The budget-friendly nature makes fabric buildings feasible and economical options, allowing more allocation towards core business operations.

5. Low Energy Costs Are Feasible

Properly designed engineered fabric buildings incorporate extremely well-insulated fabrics that prevent heat gain and loss exceptionally well. Combined with ample natural light from standard translucent roof panels, this translates to structures with very low lighting, heating, and cooling costs. For budget-conscious businesses, energy efficiency is impactful.

6. They’re Suitable For Challenging Sites

Constructing traditional buildings on sites with difficult soils, high water tables, or other issues can require extensive preparations, which are expensive and time-consuming. The lightweight nature and minimal foundations needed by engineered fabric buildings make them perfect for environmentally sensitive sites, condensed urban locations, and other problematic properties.

7. You Can Relocate Or Expand Them

Should your business outgrow your current engineered fabric building, require repositioning on your property, or need reinstallation at a new location entirely, fabric structures can be dismantled, moved, and re-erected with relative ease.

Unlike permanent conventional buildings, the versatility of fabric buildings accommodates change, upgrades, and mobility. Modular expandability is also possible.

8. They Provide Good Lighting Conditions

Engineered fabric buildings utilize translucent panels in the roof system to allow ample natural daylight into the interiors. By eliminating dark spaces, the structures create bright, comfortable environments ideal for retail, office, athletic, and industrial spaces.

The lightweight roof also enables extensive open ceilings without view-blocking beams and rafters. Combined with the lack of interior columns, sight lines are clear wall-to-wall. You can expect crisp illumination, reduced energy costs, and minimal shadows for optimal working, playing, or occupying the space.

9. You’ll Appreciate The Durability

Today’s engineered fabrics boast:

• Impressive tear and puncture resistance
• Withstand hurricane-force winds when properly anchored
• Shed heavy snow loads

Reputable manufacturers even offer insured fabric structures guarded against collapse or fabric failure. The durability rivals traditional buildings.

10. They’re Sustainable And Recyclable

Lastly, engineered fabric buildings are admired for their environmental merits. High strength-to-weight ratios minimize raw materials needed for construction, factories utilize renewable energy sources to manufacture the fabrics, and the structures even give deconstructed coal ash and reclaimed fibers renewed purpose. At the end of life, the fabrics can be fully recycled rather than landfilled.

Final Thoughts

Consider embracing fabric architecture for your next retail space, office complex, athletic center, or other venture to capitalize on the myriad benefits. With custom fabrication and insured structures available, engineered fabric buildings check all the boxes for business owners seeking practicality and budget consciousness. Let the possibilities inspire your vision!

Industrial facilities are at the forefront of environmental protection, facing immense challenges in safeguarding our environment from harmful emissions and discharges. However, they’re not without their vulnerabilities. Malfunctions of pollution control equipment, for instance, can lead to the unintended release of toxins, resulting in regulatory violations and environmental harm.

Thus, it’s essential for these facilities to invest in high-quality control units. Such investments serve as a critical line of defense, helping mitigate risks, maintain regulatory compliance, and promote a safer environment.

Let’s discuss how dependable control units contribute to reducing environmental risks:

1. Prevent Excess Emissions With Reliable Air Pollution Controls

Air pollution control units are designed to remove harmful particulates, gases, and vapors from industrial exhaust streams before they’re released into the atmosphere. Key components of these systems include scrubbers, catalytic converters, baghouses, and precipitators.

To ensure compliance with clean air regulations, these units must operate continuously. By choosing an environmental control unit with redundancy and real-time monitoring, facilities can ensure reliable operation and prevent excess emissions during unexpected upsets. These units also provide climate control and environmental protection in military and other operational contexts.

2. Maintain Proper Discharges With Effective Water Treatment

Before wastewater can be discharged, it must undergo stringent treatment to remove pollutants. This process involves several stages, including clarification, biological processes, filtration, and disinfection. The reliability of the treatment process is vital to minimize the environmental impact on receiving waters.

Durable water treatment components can withstand heavy use, while online analyzers enable proactive maintenance to avoid upsets. Automated controls are also in place to maintain proper treatment levels at all times, ensuring the discharged water meets regulatory standards.

3. Enable Proper Waste Disposal Through Efficient Handling

Safe disposal of hazardous wastes is another critical aspect of environmental protection in industrial facilities. These facilities rely on storage tanks, containers, and conveyance systems to collect and transfer materials with containment. The equipment used for waste handling is chemical-resistant and built to stringent standards to enable reliable operation without leaks and spills.

Monitoring systems for tank levels and system pressure are used to catch potential failures early, preventing environmental contamination. By ensuring robust waste handling, facilities can protect the environment and comply with waste disposal regulations.

4. Guard Against Leaks With Double Walled Tanks

When dealing with hazardous materials, it’s crucial to have storage solutions featuring dual-wall construction with leak monitoring. These tanks are designed to prevent inner tank corrosion and failures that could lead to soil contamination.

In case of a leak into the interstitial space between the walls, alarms are triggered, allowing for rapid response. By opting for double-walled tanks equipped with quality monitoring systems, facilities can mitigate environmental release risks.

5. Isolate Incompatible Materials With Proper Secondary Containment

In industrial operations, the handling of dangerous substances requires careful planning. These substances must be segregated from incompatible materials during storage and transfer to avoid potentially hazardous reactions.

High-quality secondary containment systems, such as dike walls and double-walled piping, provide an essential layer of protection. These systems ensure isolation even during leaks or releases, preventing contact between incompatible substances. This proactive approach minimizes risks of fire, explosions, and additional discharges, thereby safeguarding the environment.

6. Maintain Facility Protection With Advanced Seal Systems

Moving on to facility protection, extensive seals and barriers are employed to guard against environmental releases. Regular maintenance, such as quarterly seal inspections and annual upkeep, ensures these remain leak-tight.

Moreover, upgrading to the latest mechanical shoe or magnetic seal systems provides enhanced reliability over older liquid or strip options prone to leaks. These advanced seals better contain risks, contributing to environmental safety.

7. Control Drainage Through Stable Retention Basins

In water management, retention basins play a crucial role. They safely manage stormwater and prevent runoff pollution. Their reinforced concrete designs withstand heavy rainfall and consistent use without developing leaks over time.

Regular inspections for erosion and sediment buildup verify their proper functioning to rating specifications. Through the use of well-built basins, we can control drainage effectively, further protecting the environment.

Final Thoughts

Industrial facilities make significant investments in rugged, reliable pollution control equipment and practices as part of their commitment to environmental stewardship. However, the responsibility doesn’t stop there. Incidents stemming from preventable equipment failures can lead to environmental damage, regulatory violations, and a loss of community trust.

Therefore, it’s imperative to prioritize system dependability. This involves selecting quality units, implementing preventative maintenance, and maintaining vigilance in operations. By taking these steps, facilities can effectively reduce risks and protect our planet.

Back in January 2024, HMRC – of the UK government – announced a series of new measures it intends to bring in to help ‘simplify and modernise the tax system’ of the country. While many of these measures are still in respective consultation phases, a notable part of this package of updates of measures was ‘mandating the payrolling of benefits in kind’ – which it has specified must be via payroll software from April 2026.

Here we’ve taken a closer look at this, considering what it could mean for UK businesses and what steps you may need to take with your firm to get up to speed with these impending regulatory changes.

The changes at a glance

The existing process involves businesses having to report employee benefits annually using Forms P11D. These are submitted manually to HMRC by July 6 of the following tax year said employee benefits were given. Those familiar with the process will be able to confirm this can require a great deal of paperwork, even for typical benefits such as medical insurance.

In simple terms, the changes here will require UK businesses to instead handle this process digitally via payroll software.

The benefits of the changes

As alluded to above, the main benefit of this will be making the overall tax system easier to manage. However, from the official statement by the government, the wider benefits should be felt by both businesses and HMRC in terms of an overall smoother and more time-efficient filing and reporting process:

“Mandation will simplify the tax affairs of 3 million people and reduce the need for them to contact HMRC…This measure will reduce administrative burdens for thousands of employers and HMRC by simplifying and digitising the process of reporting and paying tax on all employment benefits. It will remove the need for 4 million end of year returns to be submitted to HMRC”.

Considerations for the transition

While 2026 may seem like a long enough timeframe in which to manage this transition, there are still many considerations you can have as a business owner, especially if you’ve yet to use any form of payroll software, like PayCaptain..

Here are a few areas you may wish to investigate before the 2026 deadline:

• Payroll software itself 

Whether you use payroll software or not, you need to make sure you have something in place that can handle these new tax requirements.

• Your current employee benefit policies

You may need to update your employee benefit policies to legally reflect these new requirements, or at least make it clear which benefits are affected by the new regulations.

• Training for the new tax processes

As with any process digitisation, you may need to provide additional training for your payroll and/or finance teams so they are prepared for the changes and will be in a position to handle them.

• Additional updates from HMRC

As the months go on and the full requirements become clearer, it’s likely that HMRC will release more information about what businesses are required to do to be compliant. So you should do your best to be up-to-date here to avoid missing any important details.

Final thoughts

While this might seem like more admin for you, the way to look at this is that the sooner you can ensure you have what you need in place, the better the position your company will be in for 2026.

However, if you find yourself unsure of all of this, or you feel you need additional guidance on what you need to have in place, the best approach is to seek support from financial experts.

When it comes to shipping bulk orders, any savvy CEO will understand the importance of choosing the right logistics solutions. One such solution that stands out for its numerous benefits is pallet delivery.

In this article, we will explore why pallet delivery is a game-changer for B2B operations and how CEOs can leverage its advantages to optimise their supply chain.

Understanding the Power of Pallet Delivery

Pallet delivery offers a multitude of advantages for B2B bulk orders. First and foremost, it’s cost-effective. By consolidating multiple items onto pallets, businesses can save on shipping costs compared to individual shipments.

Pallet delivery also streamlines logistics by simplifying the loading and unloading process, reducing handling time and labour costs. Additionally, it enhances efficiency by allowing for larger quantities to be shipped at once, resulting in faster delivery times and improved customer satisfaction.

Key Strategies for Success

1. Choosing the Right Provider: Selecting a reliable pallet delivery partner, such as Pallet2Ship, is crucial. CEOs should consider factors such as reliability, tracking capabilities, and service offerings tailored to their business needs.

2. Packaging Best Practices: Proper packaging is essential for minimising damage during transit. CEOs should ensure goods are securely packed and strapped to pallets to prevent shifting or breakage, ensuring the safe transit of goods.

3. Efficient Warehouse Management: Optimising warehouse layouts and implementing robust inventory management systems are key to efficient pallet delivery. This ensures smooth movement of pallets, accurate tracking of stock levels, and timely replenishment of inventory.

4. Clear Communication and Proactive Customer Service: Providing customers with accurate tracking updates and addressing inquiries promptly are essential for managing expectations and building trust.

Embracing Innovation

Embracing innovation is vital for maximising the benefits of pallet delivery. CEOs should explore technologies such as route optimisation software and automated warehouse management systems to further enhance efficiency and productivity.

Additionally, choosing a pallet delivery partner with quality tracking capabilities allows businesses to accurately monitor the status of shipments, providing peace of mind and enabling proactive management of any questions that may arise.

Overcoming Common Challenges

While pallet delivery offers numerous benefits, it has its challenges. Common issues such as delays, damages, and inventory management discrepancies can arise, impacting the smooth flow of operations.

To overcome these challenges, CEOs should implement robust processes and procedures, have a comprehensive understanding of pallet shipping standards, and maintain open communication with their pallet delivery provider. This will ensure that businesses can minimise disruptions and ensure a seamless shipping experience for their customers.

In conclusion, pallet delivery presents a valuable opportunity for B2B CEOs to optimise their supply chain and drive success in their businesses. By understanding its advantages, implementing key strategies for success, and embracing innovation, CEOs can harness the power of pallet delivery to streamline operations, reduce costs, and deliver exceptional service to their customers.

Have you ever been part of a toxic work environment? Did you feel like your higher-ups were failing to protect staff from bullying and harassment? Toxicity in the workplace comes in many different shapes and sizes but, with a number of high-profile claims appearing in the news in recent months, managers throughout the UK must act to prevent a toxic work culture from forming.

So, how can you ensure that you’re doing everything you can to protect your workplace and workforce? Lisa Branker, Head of Employment and HR at specialist employment solicitors Beecham Peacock, reveals some of the best ways you can discourage toxic behaviour and ensure that your employees feel valued.

Key findings

• At the end of December 2023, 60 senior women at the Ministry of Justice complained of a “hostile” and “toxic” environment. 
• 44% of respondents to a survey of the UK astronomy sector had suffered workplace bullying or harassment in the previous 12 months.
• In November 2023, a BBC investigation into McDonald’s found that the fast food chain experienced an average of one or two sexual harassment claims every week.
• 32% of respondents to the Oak Engage report revealed that they had experienced toxic workplace behaviour in the form of being forced to work long hours.
• 33% of respondents to the Oak Engage report found that it was middle managers perpetuating the toxicity in their workplace, rather than top-level management.
• 12% of respondents to the CIPD’s People Management and Productivity Survey said their managers had received no training on managing people. This occurs most often in smaller workplaces.
• Setting healthy boundaries ensures positive relationships are maintained between your team and their jobs.
• Proper recognition of good behaviour – and condemnation of bad behaviour – is essential to maintaining a positive atmosphere.

Are toxic workplaces becoming more common?

Part of the issue with referring to workplaces as toxic, notes Branker, is that the word “toxic” is such a loose definition. “In recent years,” she says, “such a wide variety of workplace offences have been referred to as toxic, that it has become difficult to quantify which behaviours fall into that bracket.”

The UK government defines toxicity in the workplace as “workplace bullying and harassment”. However, other definitions have also been applied typically pointing to some combination of “negativity, discouragement and disrespect.”

Widespread cases of hostility and harassment in various sectors and international businesses have made the news in recent months. At the end of December 2023, 60 senior women at the Ministry of Justice complained of a “hostile” and “toxic” work environment. 

MPs recently also heard of the “shocking” levels of bullying and harassment present in the UK’s astronomy sector, where 44% of respondents to a workplace survey had suffered workplace bullying or harassment in the previous 12 months.

Perhaps most high-profile of all was the BBC investigation into McDonalds’ culture of toxicity, which found that the fast food chain experienced an average of one or two sexual harassment claims every week.

Branker notes that many workers are unaware of the “protections in place for people dealing with discrimination and harassment at work.” The onus to protect employees must lie with a company’s management team, who should be doing everything in their power to ensure that toxicity is not allowed to thrive in the workplace.

Allow room for mistakes

In any workplace with a human workforce mistakes are inevitably made at some point or another. Giving your team room to make mistakes can help reduce the likelihood of toxicity arising. When an employer is overly harsh or punitive in dealing with their employees’ mistakes, tension surrounding day-to-day tasks increases.

“Give your team the chance to make a mistake in the first instance – this is how people learn!” says Branker. “Repeated mistakes mean sloppy work, which requires a separate conversation. But excessive punishment for first-time mistakes means employees will be walking on eggshells from the start.”

Set healthy boundaries

Workplaces where employees have to work excessively long hours – and particularly hours outside of their standard working hours – commonly fall into the “toxic” bracket. Management may be consistently asking employees to work more hours than they should, or to be prepared to respond to client enquiries on evenings or weekends.

32% of respondents to an Oak Engage report on toxicity reported that they had experienced toxic workplace behaviour in the form of being forced to work long hours.

Healthy habits from the top down

33% of UK respondents to the same Oak Engage report that had experienced a toxic workplace culture found that it was middle managers perpetuating the toxicity, rather than top-level management executives. Similarly, 34% of respondents felt that their business’s working culture was not aligned with how the company would like to represent themselves.

This disconnect highlights the importance of implementing proper working practices at all levels of the company. “Management must be trained on how to properly interact with the workforce and handle issues properly when they arise,” says Branker.

12% of respondents to the CIPD’s People Management and Productivity Survey said their managers had received no training on managing people. This occurs most often in smaller workplaces, rather than larger companies.

Upper management must take an active interest in the company’s people policies and culture and implement training to ensure positive values are passed on. As such, the results can trickle down through all areas of the company.

Celebrate successes

Though much of toxic workplace culture is rooted in negative attitudes and responses to negative events, failure to recognise positive performance can be another indicator of toxicity.

One commonly held gripe arises when employees feel their work is not recognised by management. Often, there’s a significant disjoint between how well managers feel they are rewarding their team and how well their employees feel that they are being rewarded. In fact, 80% of managers believe they provide good recognition to their staff, while just 40% of employees feel they are adequately recognised for their hard work.

Gary Chapman, in his book Rising Above a Toxic Workplace: Taking Care of Yourself in an Unhealthy Environment, notes that “people thrive when they feel appreciated by their colleagues and supervisors – and that means they sense the appreciation is heartfelt and authentic.” Peer recognition is 35.7% more likely to positively impact performance than recognition from management.

Hold people accountable

In certain workplaces, the culture of toxicity may not be created by management but will be tolerated by them. It’s important that you and the rest of your management team hold other members of the team responsible for their actions and their conduct. This approach will establish an understanding that these issues will not be tolerated.

Spotting these indiscretions and failing to take action gives the offender confidence that their behaviour is fine or can be tolerated – leading to the worsening of workplace bullying.

“Lead by example,” comments Branker, “and the overall culture will benefit. Speak up when you see bad behaviour taking place without intervention. It’s important that any other members of the team who have witnessed the harassment taking place understand that such behaviour won’t be tolerated.”

If you’re currently working in a toxic workplace with limited support from management, it’s important that you’re aware of the options and facilities available to you, as well as the legal precedent set in the event of similar events taking place.

Understanding whether you have a case against your employer, or those members of staff perpetuating your toxic working culture, is key and may require legal advice from a dedicated employment solicitor.

Equally, if you are an employer who is concerned about toxicity in your workplace, HR support and management training from a specialist employment law and HR specialist can help to tackle and prevent such behaviour. It’s absolutely vital that employers create a culture where any workplace bullying, harassment or toxicity is not tolerated.

ERP systems have become essential systems for managing business data and processes, including HR, operations, finance, supply chain, manufacturing, and customer relationships. Some of these areas, depending on the industry, are under strict control of the government, continuously issuing new regulations. The detrimental impact of noncompliance can’t be overstated, as fines can easily accumulate to millions of dollars and reputational damages can be catastrophic to the business. This is exactly why more companies allocate resources to consistently monitor changing regulations and ensure compliance.

Many of them have discovered that a comprehensive ERP system can facilitate their compliance management processes, making them less resource-intensive and risk-prone. However, given that each industry has its own set of regulations and unique reporting requirements, organizations often opt to customize platform ERP solutions to enable compliance management. Let’s see how custom ERP development can help businesses streamline compliance.

Every business has to comply with regulations

The absolute majority of regulatory bodies are governmental agencies imposing strict regulations that companies in the given industry have to comply with by law. While regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and OSHA Standards are generally well-known due to their extensive media coverage, there are thousands of other industry-specific regulations.

Depending on the industry, new regulations can be released almost weekly, putting compliance teams under significant pressure to stay up to date with the ever-evolving regulatory landscape.

5 ways ERP helps ensure regulatory compliance

There are several ways how ERP can help companies streamline compliance management:

Keeps a data audit trail

ERP systems don’t have features for compliance management by default, but they can significantly enhance the traceability and security of your organization’s data. A well-integrated ERP system efficiently organizes a wide range of data, including invoices, employee records, client interactions, financial transactions, and data about customer support interactions. All this trail data is stored in a centralized repository, allowing companies to automate information cross-referencing and analysis against compliance requirements.

Ensures data integrity

Accuracy is another benefit of using an ERP system for storing, managing, and analyzing data. By automating data entry and implementing robust data standards, an organization’s compliance department can be confident that the data is reliable.

Regardless, ERP doesn’t facilitate data governance by itself, so organizations still need to ensure that the data they gather is clean, reliable, and can be uploaded into the ERP system.

Enhances data security

In the past decade, the importance of data privacy and security has skyrocketed, which has been reflected by regulations like GDPR, CCPA, and PIPEDA gaining more power over the years.

Companies can improve data security by equipping ERP with strict access controls, data encryption, and recovery mechanisms. For example, by implementing security controls in line with NIST 800-53 R5 and ISO/IEC 27001 standards in ERP systems, companies ensure compliance with regulations like PIPEDA in Canada.

Regulatory adaptation

Data management processes in ERP systems can be adapted to varying regulatory requirements. This is particularly beneficial for industries facing frequent regulatory updates like manufacturing. ERP systems help companies in such industries stay up-to-date with these changes, thus avoiding the risks associated with noncompliance​​.

For example, during the pandemic, as highlighted in a paper published by the Australian Journal of Business and Management Research, companies faced many new reporting requirements. Organizations quickly adapted their reporting processes to meet these new demands by customizing their ERPs with real-time data management and reporting modules, creating a single source of information for compliance managers to use. This allowed companies to maintain compliance even under rapidly changing conditions.

Real-time compliance data monitoring

Finely-tuned ERP systems enable real-time monitoring of compliance requirements. Software providers can help companies configure ERP systems to integrate instant insights from regulatory updates for compliance departments.

For example, alterations in environmental standards may influence the supply chain and manufacturing processes, while a new financial reporting standard could potentially bear implications for the finance department. By integrating specialized compliance management modules into their ERP systems, companies can automatically receive updates on regulatory standards, allowing them to always stay on top of the changing legal landscape.

Moreover, advanced ERP systems provide real-time dashboards that can be customized to highlight key metrics related to compliance, such as changes in the factory’s emission levels and how these changes impact compliance with regulations.

In conclusion

ERP systems can’t determine what regulations an organization needs to comply with, but they can significantly simplify compliance processes by consolidating all relevant data from departments like HR, finance, and supply chain in one place, helping compliance departments to monitor and manage data relevant to compliance more easily.

ERP implementation has a long-term effect on the company’s compliance since the system requires considerable data standardization which, in turn, helps compliance officers streamline report generation and audit processes from governmental agencies that establish regulations. Moreover, properly tuned ERPs can facilitate quicker insight-to-action time as compliance departments can oversee changing regulatory compliance in near-real-time and understand how these changes impact their operations.