< PreviousRSViP’s Festive Business Network Social 30 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk BUSINESS SCENE Over 150 professionals gathered together to enjoy RSViP’s festive themed networking at Das Kino, the popular Nottingham ping pong bar, on Thursday 28th November. Drinks and food flowed all evening including cocktails sponsored by French liqueur brand Lillet, while entertainment was provided by 7 Colours Photobooths and Christmas cracker ice breakers. PHOTOS: CHARMAGNE HAXBY PHOTOGRAPHY Jack Moore, Rebecca Morris & Fiona Thornewill Sheryllynne Haggerty, Isabelle Mumabaren & Angi Charlesworth Sherylyn Barreto, Harry Huckerby, John Haggerty & Paul Thompson Hayley Smith, Melissa Sobo, Lucy Trevellyan & Lauren Millett Bertie Cordingley & Lucy Trevellyan James Booker & Jason Cooke Alex Hiller & Faye Taylor Mike Lawrence, Simon Fatheringham, David Hayward & Lea Kinsella 30.qxp_Layout 1 19/12/2019 12:32 Page 1East Midlands Business Link 31 IT & COMMUNICATIONS 32 Á As the demand for digital increases and global data traffic rises, the footprint of data centres will continue to grow. The industry standard is not only energy intensive but results in excessive carbon emissions, but that looks set to change with the launch of a new kind of data centre. © SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/ GORODENKOFF data centre The coolDC data centre at Boole Technology Centre 31-33.qxp_Layout 1 19/12/2019 14:55 Page 132 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk Business have evolved so far beyond the pen and paper boardrooms of the twentieth century, where fax machines and Filofaxes were the height of corporate sophistication, to the point where it is almost unrecognisable in the modern age. Over the last two decades, there has been a massive evolution in digital technologies, many of which are now commonplace in offices across the country. Today, business continuity is inseparable from IT operations and, subsequently, data centres have become not only necessary for businesses, but indispensable. As digital technologies continue to transform the workplace and blur the borders between corporate and social lives, the need for more greater data infrastructure will only increase. Although Nottingham and Loughborough tend to get the lion’s share of coverage when it comes to our region’s digital prowess, less has been said about the digital sector in Lincolnshire which, according to a report commissioned by Business Lincolnshire, is now worth almost £1 billion. The report found that the sector has grown by an additional £213 million in just two years and now employs well in excess of 8,000 people. Together with Nottingham, and other digitally innovative areas across the East Midlands, and it’s clear that our area is among those leading the change – something that would be impossible without the use of data centres. Simply put, a data centre is a repository that houses computing facilities such as servers, routers, switches and firewalls, as well as supporting facilities such as back up equipment. Just as with the businesses that depend on them, data centres vary in size from a complex, dedicated building utilised by big firms, or an area or room housing only a few servers as is often the case for SMEs. Data centres can also be private or shared but, big or small, they all generate heat. Generally, the temperatures recorded in the hot aisles of a data centre fluctuate between twenty-six and forty-six digress Celsius. Yet this is merely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the environmental impact. Imagine your company’s data traffic usage, now imagine that of your suppliers and all of the other companies they supply. On and on and it becomes abundantly clear that even the corporate world alone is responsible for a huge amount of data traffic. All this traffic is dependent on data centres, but this comes with a cost. For example, the biggest data centre on the planet covers around a million square foot and consumes as much power as a city of a million people. In total, data centres consume more than two per cent of the world’s electricity and emit about as much CO2 as the airline industry. With global data traffic © SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/ GORODENKOFF 31-33.qxp_Layout 1 19/12/2019 14:55 Page 2www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 33 IT & COMMUNICATIONS more than doubling every four years, the demand for data centres is growing exponentially. There have been breakthroughs in recycling the excess heat generated by data centres, but air conditioning is critical to preserving the integrity and longevity of servers and to minimise the risk of fires. Yet air-condition units require a lot of space, especially in larger facilities typically housed in warehouses on out-of-town industrial estates. For all this, heat is still generated and wasted when it can be utilised as energy. However, Lincoln has been selected to be the first place in the world to host a different kind of data centre that looks set to address and transform both issues. coolDC was formed in 2017 with the aim of offering “a step change in how data centres are designed, built and operate”. The company’s way of cooling data saves ten- fold in physical space and converts surplus heat to energy and, in December 2019, the company opened its innovative data centre in Boole Technology Centre at the Lincolnshire Science and Innovation Park. “After much research and development, we have come up with a more modern, energy-efficient way of securely storing and cooling data,” says coolDC’s CEO, Tim Chambers. “Using world-leading technology, we have responded to current concerns about the environmental footprint of our industry by creating a solution that uses less energy, less physical space and reduces our carbon CEEDA, the global energy efficiency assessment framework, has awarded coolDC with Gold-level certification for both design and operate stages of the Lincoln project. To date, this is the only second colocation data centre in the world to achieve this accreditation, positioning Lincoln as a truly digitally innovative city. “What’s great is that we’ve been able to build in a science park in a shared building where our neighbours are ideal clients,” says Mr Chambers. “Although the building was not originally built for this purpose, because our design and space are both flexible, we have been able to build a facility that is hidden in plain sight but without impacting on the other tenants.” As an area ripe with innovation, the digital sector has a responsibility to boost its energy efficiency and reduce its emissions. Data centres are one of the key areas where a step-change is required as they’re both prolific users of energy and producers of carbon emissions. No doubt part of the solution is to power these data centres with renewable energy, yet that doesn’t address how that energy is utilised in the centres themselves. With innovative solutions, data centres can be made more efficient and environmentally-friendly, ensuring that businesses, particularly those in the digital sector, don’t have any roadblocks to innovation and success going forward. © SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/ GORODENKOFF 31-33.qxp_Layout 1 19/12/2019 14:55 Page 334 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk TAX The Tax Deadline is Looming By Erica Manderfield, Tax Partner at Streets Chartered Accountants Who needs to submit a self-assessment tax return? Where tax has not been deducted from wages, pensions, savings income, or when people or businesses have earned additional untaxed income, a self-assessment tax return probably needs to be submitted. For example, a tax return needs to be completed where: * More than £2,500 from renting out property is earned * You or your partner received Child Benefit and either had an annual income of more than £50,000 * More than £2,500 in other untaxed income is earned, for example commissions or tips * You are self-employed as a sole trader * Where you have an annual income over £100,000 * Earned income from abroad is received that you need to pay tax on * In some cases where you have received trust income Whilst not exhaustive the above list provides an insight into the number of taxpayers who need to file a self-assessment tax return. If you fail to file your Self Assessment Tax Return by the 31 January, there is potential interest and penalties and these can be fairly onerous. All of those people who should and haven’t filed a tax return will face an automatic fine of £100. Further fines, penalties and interest will occur for those who fail to complete their return after 3, 6 and 12 months. This is unless you contact the HMRC with a reasonable excuse, along the lines deemed to be acceptable by them and posted on their website, and trust me you have to have a pretty robust argument to avoid the penalties! Such an approach is only likely to lead to an extension of time to complete your return at best. What then should you do? Ideally you will now contact your accountants or Streets Chartered Accountants to ensure you complete and file your return without delay. If however you miss the filing deadline, you will need to complete and submit the form without delay and include a full explanation to HMRC as to why it is late. To avoid further interest accruing and a 5% surcharge on any tax payable you will need to ensure that any tax due is paid before the 28th February 2020 at the very latest. What if you continue to do nothing? Not only will you incur the fixed penalty for not filing a return, those who file after 3 months from the 31 January deadline will be subject to a daily penalty of £10, up to a maximum of £900. If you are 6 months late with your return and payment, you then face a financial penalty of £300 or 5% of the overall tax. If you are over 12 months late you face a further fine of £300 or a further 5% charge of the overall tax liability. No “capping” applies to these penalties. Interest will also be added for late payment. Where can I turn for help? If you have an accountant or a tax adviser seek their advice. You may find that paying for this may be cheaper than any fines you could face and at least it will hopefully feel better value for money. You may too, if you are perhaps a little tardy in dealing with your affairs, wish to consider taking out Tax Enquiry Fee Protection – a policy which will pay for professional fees that result from most types of HMRC enquiry or investigation. Erica Manderfield is a Tax Partner at Streets Chartered Accountants, a top 40 UK accountancy firm. Telephone 0845 8800320, email info@streetsweb.co.uk or visit www.streetsweb.co.uk 34-35.qxp_Layout 1 19/12/2019 12:35 Page 134-35.qxp_Layout 1 19/12/2019 12:35 Page 2Let’s get digital The full digitalisation of logistics is imminent as smart systems, data analytics, AI, automation and the Internet of Things (IoT) take hold of the sector, making supply chains more agile. With more data available now than ever before and AI ready to process it, end to end visibility in the supply chain is achievable. In the IoT all objects are connectable and can pass on information on their condition to trigger reactions in other devices, creating huge possibilities in the industry, including intelligent warehouses where equipment and goods divulge information on their status, location and condition. In transport, information on delivery status becomes highly accurate as IoT sensors in parcels and containers allow GPS tracking. In vehicles from trucks to ships, sensors can collect information on a variety of factors from vibration to fluid levels, acceleration, fuel consumption and wear factors that can be monitored by AI programmes to indicate ways to optimise fleets and reduce maintenance costs, even suggesting proactive maintenance to be completed to prevent costly breakdowns. With further data obtainable on weather, traffic and other factors, real time route optimisation comes into play to keep freight on the best possible route to meet expected arrival times, reduce fuel LOGISTICS & TRANSPORT LEAPS FORWARD IN East Midlands Business Link discusses some of the key innovations and trends in the transport and logistics sector from robotics and AI to exoskeletons. © SHUTTERSTOCK.COM / SCHARFSINN logistics 36-38.qxp_Layout 1 19/12/2019 12:37 Page 1consumption and driver hours. AI can also access online shopping data to predict demand - enabling anticipatory shipping - as well as supply shortages. Customer data on shopping habits can see purchases predicted so that stock is made available as close to the customer as possible prior to purchase, permitting high in demand services such as same day and same hour delivery. The role of AI in logistics also includes the utilisation of robotics. A major trend in logistics, robots are working safely alongside staff by for example guiding them to inventory areas, validating picked items and moving them to packing stations. Robots like these have been helpful in making operations more flexible, where fleets of intelligent robotics can be used to upscale and downscale operations for instance during peak holiday periods to manage inventory. Robots are being developed continuously to take over repetitive tasks wherever possible. One area under development is trailer and container unloading - image recognition technology and progress with robotic arms, their sensors and grippers are set to allow robots to find parcels, assess their shape and decide the best unloading order. The wider use of robotics and AI is hoped to be helpful in fighting the current unparalleled labour and skills shortage in the industry. While sixty-four per cent of transport and storage businesses face significant skills shortages and existing employees get closer to retirement age, only eight per cent of 11-20-year olds in the UK find the prospect of a career in logistics appealing, according to a poll from Talent in Logistics. Though the UK is facing a shortage of 50,000 drivers and is in dire need of more warehouse staff, amongst the most difficult employees to recruit are software engineers. A report from the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport and Statista indicates that twenty-three per cent of logistics companies find it hard to recruit the tech talent. Thus while robots and AI are hoped to help the industry, a lack of skilled professionals ready to support these may see their potential ability to alleviate the pressure of the recruitment crisis limited. Augmenting workers Another key trend in logistics is seeing human workers not replaced but augmented. Exoskeletons are being explored to offer support and help improve health and safety by for example reducing repetitive strain injuries while improving an employee’s strength to move more goods, easier. Helping workers surpass physical boundaries, this could be especially useful for older members of the logistics workforce. Other wearables such as smart glasses and AR goggles are allowing employees to intelligently understand their surroundings with additional information in their view. This enables vision picking, makes operations handsfree and takes eyes away from distracting screens which could lead to accidents. With smart glasses, workers can receive information while giving voice commands to scan barcodes or take photos. Smart glasses can be used to support picking by helping workers navigate growing warehouses to find picking points, indicating the best route to take, and presenting a digital checklist of work orders. AR can also help when sorting items on pallets, indicating the best sorting order by fragility and weight to avoid damage and fully utilise pallet size, and help when loading trucks containing items of varying shapes to make full use of truck capacity. The potential of AR extends further to driving East Midlands Business 37 38 Á www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk © SHUTTERSTOCK.COM / FLYSTOCK 36-38.qxp_Layout 1 19/12/2019 12:37 Page 2where windshields could be used as heads up displays projecting information. New modes of transportation Self-driving trucks have been on the menu for some time and thanks to advancements in AI, sensors and vision technology, likelihood of adoption is increasing. AGVs including self-driving forklifts have of course already established themselves in logistics in controlled environments, like warehouses and yards, but the integration of AGVs out in public spaces, on roads, has been limited. Self- driving lorry convoys are set to undergo rigorous testing on UK and European roads. Human drivers are to sit in a lead vehicle, followed by self-driving vehicles controlled by an application with the driver, allowing the main vehicle to control the actions, i.e. the acceleration and braking, of the others. Challenges remain for this technology however, including the interaction between platoons and junctions, acceptance by the public and government regulation. Hope for autonomous trucks can be seen with Volvo’s Vera truck, which has no driver’s cab and utilises onboard cameras and a 3D laser map of its surroundings. The truck took its first assignment in 2019 to transport goods from a logistics centre to a port terminal in Sweden. The truck is to be developed further before becoming fully operational. Drones meanwhile continue to infiltrate the sector for stock picking, pallet moving, and small parcel delivery. The global drone logistics and transportation market, which generated over $24 million in revenue in 2018, is to grow to $1.6 billion in 2027 according to The Insight Partners, and The National Aeronautical Centre predicts forty-two per cent of logistics providers are planning to use drone tech in distribution. At present drones are used for purposes such as security and inventory management. They have also however been identified as the answer to consumer demand for quick and instant deliveries. As the technology is developed further, to accommodate longer distances and heavier loads, and security is strengthened to avoid hacking, drones have great potential. First though, drones must face regulatory barriers for use in public areas. Also set to change the face of transport logistics is continued environmental concern, as consumers and companies seek a more circular supply chain and Clean Air Zones come into effect. With seven per cent of global CO2 emissions related to freight transport, according to the International Transport Forum, emission free transport has become a USP. As more renewable energy sources become available and viable, the Freight Transport Association is pushing for policy to support the development of alternatively fuelled vehicles to transition the industry away from diesel vehicles. Electric lorries represent one option, however many companies have highlighted concerns over how the battery technology reduces driving distance, causing delays for recharging. Primarily then, the usefulness of electric vehicles is for short, urban journeys. In long distance applications, natural gas and hydrogen fuel cells are up for consideration. Natural gas vehicles have hit the market, offering less GHG emissions, NOx emissions and reducing costs. In adopting alternative energy sources, a key problem is the underdeveloped infrastructure required to keep the vehicles fuelled on journeys. While electric charging stations are rising, this is not the case for hydrogen and natural gas options. Until fleets can be refuelled wherever a vehicle is on its journey, the growing adoption of alternative fuels will be stunted. LOGISTICS & TRANSPORT © SHUTTERSTOCK.COM / PHONLAMAI PHOTO 38 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk 36-38.qxp_Layout 1 19/12/2019 12:37 Page 3www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 39 EMPLOYMENT LAW Keeping compliant Keeping compliant Given the consistently changing legislation in the field of HR, even the most conscientious employer could well find themselves inadvertently breaking the law. Given the consistently changing legislation in the field of HR, even the most conscientious employer could well find themselves inadvertently breaking the law. It’s fair to say that companies might be focussing their efforts on the big changes coming across the board, including the new looming deadline for Brexit at the end of January and what it means for business going forward. So it might well be forgivable that some other aspects slip through the net, though it certainly won’t be forgivable on a legal basis, and could still land an employer in trouble. It’s not just the ability of the Government to unmake and repeal any existing laws they do not like, but also uncertainty over whether UK employers will need to follow existing rulings from the Court of Justice of the European Union. Legal experts expect that in the event of a no-deal Brexit, the UK Government would try to 40 Á Á © SHUTTERSTOCK.COM / SOMKID THONGDEE 39-41.qxp_Layout 1 19/12/2019 12:39 Page 1Next >