Industry news

Transformation programmes offer golden opportunities to bring new ways of working to an organisation. Done well, they can subtly or profoundly change the culture of “how we do things around here”.

Step one is to know what the words “diversity”, “equity” and “inclusion” mean in an organisational context.

“Diversity” is not just demographics. True diversity is where people who bring difference do not have to assimilate into the prevailing organisational culture to succeed, thus giving leaders the opportunity to tap into different ways of thinking. “Equity” recognises that some people face more barriers and therefore need different support and resources to reach the same place as those with fewer barriers. The most powerful barriers are often intangible. “Inclusion” involves bringing differences into decision making, problem solving, and the development of ideas and strategies.

Read the full article on Management Today here.

Nestlé, the Swiss food giant, is working towards halving its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, with the ultimate aim of achieving net zero by 2050.

A key player in helping Nestlé achieve these targets is Cargill, one of its top suppliers, which plays a critical role in the company’s drive for sustainability by focusing on responsible procurement of cocoa.

It’s about rethinking the entire cocoa supply chain to improve the livelihoods of cocoa farmers, protect natural resources and enhance transparency.

Together, Nestlé and Cargill are developing new methods for sourcing ingredients and establishing agricultural practices that can significantly lower environmental impact, while ensuring long-term economic security for farming communities.

Highlighting the transformative effect that AI technology is expected to have on the financial services sector, regulator the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has revealed the next step towards developing better governance. In a speech delivered at an FCA Innovation 10th anniversary event, the regulator’s Chief Data, Information and Intelligence Officer, Jessica Rusu announced the creation of an AI Lab to fuel collaboration around the development of future AI oversight.

The FCA’s new AI Lab is designed to help firms to overcome challenges faced as they develop and implement AI solutions, whilst also supporting the Government’s work around safe and responsible AI development. The creation of the AI Lab follows the launch in April this year of the FCA’s AI & Digital Hub, created in conjunction with the DRCF (Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum) and providing cross-sector guidance on AI solutions

Read the full article on TechMarketView here.

Microsoft and the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) have signed a new agreement that will enable eligible public sector organisations to access cost savings across Microsoft’s suite of productivity apps and cloud services.

CCS first agreed a pricing arrangement with the company in 2020, providing beneficial terms for public sector organisations to use Azure Cloud Services. It was followed a year later by a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), called the Digital Transformation Arrangement 2021 (DTA21), which included Azure, Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365 and Power Platform

Read the full article on TechMarketView here.

It’s probably worth a roll-call of the Atos CEOs of the last few years. The last period of managerial stability for the Group was during Thierry Breton’s tenure as CEO for 11 years through to 2019. Since then, we have seen a further six CEOs in position, with another one revealed to be just around the corner

Now, the Group is looking ahead to another CEO starting in February next year. Atos has appointed Philippe Salle as Chairman of the Board of Directors with immediate effect and as Chairman and CEO from 1st February 2025. Mustier will act as CEO for the company until 31st January, with Atos keen to highlight its aim to ensure an “orderly, constructive and effective transition”; during that transition period he will be responsible for monitoring and ensuring the proper implementation of the accelerated safeguard plan

Read the full article on TechMarketView here.

The UK government has announced £6.3bn of foreign investment into UK Data centre infrastructure, as part of a total £63bn in private investment committed at the International Investment Summit.

The new data centre investment will provide the UK with more computing power and data storage, so that Britain has the necessary infrastructure to train and deploy the next generation of AI technologies. The investment came from four companies:

• CloudHQ 
• ServiceNow 
• CyrusOne
• CoreWeave 

Read the full article on TechMarketView here.

As the pressures of environmental degradation and diminishing natural resources increasingly impinge on the supply chain, procurement can play an essential role in nurturing a more resilient future. According to new research from H&Z, organisations must adapt to growing environmental pressures, from CO₂ management to circular economy initiatives.

“The Procurement Pathfinder 2024 is the result of a collaborative effort between H&Z, The Procurement Initiative, and The University of St. Gallen’s Supply Chain Institute. The Pathfinder 2024 is more than just a trend analysis; it’s an essential compass for procurement leaders,” the experts note.

Read the full article on Consultancy.uk here.

UK businesses have emerged as AI leaders with more than a fifth of companies implementing AI technologies across their businesses.

This is according to a global study from consultancy BearingPoint, which found that while the UK statistics are nearly double the global average (12%), the country’s public sector is lagging behind on adoption of AI (13%) – despite the new government looking to explore future opportunities for growth with AI.

Read the full article on Management Today here.

AI builds resilience by mitigating risks and improving decision-making through accurate, real time data. One of the biggest challenges in today's supply chains is inaccurate or outdated inventory data, which can lead to stockouts, over-ordering, or delayed responses to disruptions.

AI helps solve this by providing real-time, accurate insights into inventory levels, allowing procurement teams to make more informed decisions.

For example, by capturing inventory data at the dock door and updating existing inventory management systems, Kargo enables teams to realise inventory faster than manual processes. With Kargo, companies see a 30-50% improvement in inventory integrity.

Read the full article on Procurement Magazine here.

A new study from Apple's AI researchers has exposed significant limitations in the reasoning capabilities of large language models (LLMs).

In a newly released paper titled "GSM-Symbolic: Understanding the Limitations of Mathematical Reasoning in Large Language Models," the researchers argued that LLMs, despite their impressive language skills, demonstrate a troubling degree of inconsistency when solving mathematical problems.

The study found that these models struggle with even simple mathematical problems when presented with even slight changes in the wording of queries.

Read the full article on Computing here.