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insightNEWSLETTER
ISS
UE
3
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To celebrate the festive season we’ve got a Secret Santa competition – we’re giving
away an iPad Air, a Christmas hamper and lots of other great prizes.
In this edition we look at e-auctions in our procurement
topics series and discover how to use social media for
work in just 9 minutes a day. Other features include the
growing trend of 3D printing, how office design affects
productivity and some handy tips to brighten up
your lunchtimes.
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With the festive season upon us it’s the time of parties, celebrations, and
Secret Santa. To get into the Christmas spirit, we’re running our own Secret
Santa competition so enter for your chance to win some fantastic prizes.
Just like every Secret Santa, there are some gifts that everyone
really wishes they could have – like an iPad Air, luxury coffee
machine and Christmas hamper! Plus a whole host of other
prizes including Leitz Wow desk accessories, delicious Cadbury
signature biscuits and Aero hot chocolate.
Altogether we’ve got 10 gifts to give away – all from our fantastic
Banner catalogue – so enter today for your chance to win. You
can enter at bebanner.co.uk or by emailing your details (name,
company and job title) to [email protected] with
#SecretSanta as the subject line.
Everyone will be entered into a prize draw, with 10 winners
picked at random. Best of luck to all – and Merry Christmas!
Our Secret Santa prizes include:
An iPad Air
Festive hamper
Nescafe Alegria Coffee machine with refills
Cadburys Signature Biscuits and Aero Hot Chocolate
Alassio Folder and Parker Jotter pen
£20 Love2shop voucher
Leitz Wow desk accessories including stapler, hole punch and folder
Tablet and Smartphone Cleaning Kit plus Mobile Phone rescue kit
Varta Torch
Leitz Wow desk accessories including stapler, hole punch and folder
Fellowes Goldfish Bowl Mouse Mat
[email protected]
For full terms & conditions email [email protected]
Win an iPad Air in our #SecretSanta Competition insightNEWSLETTER
be festive
be merry
be lucky
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Tech trends: sales of 3D printers to top 2 million in 2018 insightNEWSLETTER
More than 2.3 million 3D printers will be sold in 2018 according to leading
technology and research specialists Gartner. Here at Banner we’ve been
keeping an eye on the trend for 3D printing for a while now, as we
predicted it’s going to become increasingly popular in the near future.
Gartner predicts total global spending on 3D printers hitting
$13.4bn by 2018, although rival analyst CCS put the figure at a
more conservative $4.8bn. Consumer 3D printing is predicted to
grow tenfold by 2018, as prices start to fall and new easy to use
‘plug and print’ technology becomes more widely available. “The
vast majority of mainstream consumers will demand the simple
and consistent operation that ‘plug and print’ can provide them”
said a spokesperson from the firm.
HP recently announced that it will be moving into the 3D
printing market, with plans to launch a 3D printer that it claims
will be 10 times faster than current models. HP's senior Vice
President, of inkjet and web solutions, Steve Nigro, said the
printer would be on sale for a "lower cost than any others in its
class". The new model will be available in 2016.
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The largest growth of 3D printing will be seen in the
manufacturing industry, where large scale 3D printers are
used for prototyping and manufacturing in the
aerospace, healthcare sectors and automotive sectors.
The RAF are already flying tornado jets with parts made
from 3D printers and UK medical 3D-printing specialist
Replica 3DM announced in August that it was supplying
12 NHS hospitals with 3D printers. These enable
surgeons to print prosthetic implants including replica
jaw bones and hip joints.
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One of the most common things people say about using social media in their professional lives is that
they haven’t got time. But you can use social media really effectively by committing just 9 minutes a day
of your working day. Honestly, it’s true. However busy we are, we can all find 9 minutes. After all, you
wouldn’t say you hadn’t got time to have a quick chat at the water cooler, or to say hello to your
colleagues when you arrive at work.
Follow your company’s
LinkedIn page
It’s the company you work for,
so you need to know what’s
going on. By simply following
your company LinkedIn page
you’ll get regular updates in
your LinkedIn feed letting you
know what’s happening.
Hopefully they’ll be posting
great content which you’ll read
because it’s interesting, but it’s
also a great way to keep up-
to-date with all the latest
company news.
Follow your customers and
suppliers company pages
Remember this is all about
boosting your knowledge and
become more aware, so it’s a
good idea to follow the pages
of the people you do business
with. Again, it’s the easy way to
discover the things you need
to know, plus you should find
interesting content which you
can share with your network.
How to use social media in just 9 minutes a day insightNEWSLETTER
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Follow your competitor’s
LinkedIn page
If you’re in sales or marketing,
or occupy a senior position,
you need to be following your
competitor’s pages too. That
way you keep in touch with all
their updates too. And no,
before you ask, nobody
reveals anything commercially
sensitive on their company
pages. This is not about
getting inside information; it’s
about being aware of new
developments, products or
services.
If you start making social media part of your work routine, you’ll
find that committing 4 minutes here, and 5 minutes there will
actually save you time. Social media offers you the opportunity
to connect with hundreds, or even thousands of people, quickly
and regularly.
And there are lots of other benefits too - so here’s a guide to
using social media in just 9 minutes a day.
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Make connections
It’s called social media for a
reason, so make connections.
Get social. Everyone has
their own rules about who
they connect with and why.
Some people are choosy,
others take the view that the
more connections the better.
It’s up to you. But remember
we’re talking about social
networks here, so establish
connections with friends,
colleagues, customers and
prospects whenever it feels
right to do so.
If you meet someone at a
meeting or event, becoming
LinkedIn together is a great
way to grow that relationship.
It’s a bit like the modern day
equivalent of the Victorian
calling card – after you’d met
someone you’d drop by with
your personal calling card to
try and develop an ongoing
friendship. And don’t forget to
send them a short personal
message, even a Hi So and So,
when you ask to connect. This
doesn’t work with the LinkedIn
app by the way, so if you want
to make a great impression,
try and use your laptop or PC
for this one.
So, take 9 minutes out of your working
day for social media. Not only will it help
you keep up-to-date with the latest news
and trends, it’s a great way to showcase
yourself and your business.
How to use social media in just 9 minutes a day insightNEWSLETTER
[email protected]
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Keep up with news and
trends
Subscribe to Pulse on LinkedIn
and you’ll get posts and
updates on the subjects you’re
interested in. Pulse has lots of
different channels from
company culture to leadership
& management – there’s
pretty much a channel for
most aspects of business.
Subscribe to the ones you’re
interested in and they’ll
appear in your daily feed. It’s a
simple way of hearing about
all the hot topics in the
business world. Use it wisely
and it’s like having your own
personalised newspaper
delivered every day. And if
you’re on Twitter you’ll find
that it’s probably the easiest
way to find out about breaking
news.
Follow thought leaders
You can also follow
inspirational business leaders
on LinkedIn, and hear how
they became the experts in
their field. From leading
entrepreneurs to respected
CEOs you can follow them
and benefit from their
experience.
Read, like and comment
We’re going to come back to
that social aspect. All too
often we forget that social
networks are about
communication, it’s just
happening in a different way.
If you met someone at a
conference and they were
telling you a really interesting
story, you wouldn’t just ignore
them. You’d say something.
So try and make an effort to
talk back, by liking and
commenting. If you read
something that makes you
smile, or that you think is
interesting, hit the like button.
Or even better comment on it.
Everyone appreciates getting
comments or likes. So if it’s a
good post, don’t keep it to
yourself.
LinkedIn groups
You can probably squeeze in a
little bit more into those 9
minutes at least a couple of
times a week. To really get
involved in the conversation
you’ll want to join groups on
LinkedIn. These are a great
way to see what people in
your field are talking about,
can share tips, hints and skills.
You can ask questions on
solving a particular problem,
and get really helpful tips and
insights from people working
in your industry.
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Procurement: eAuctions – advantages and disadvantages
eAuctions are increasingly common in the B2B
world, with many organisations seeing this as an
effective way to lower the costs of purchasing
products. We look at the pros and cons of the
eAuction process, for both buyers and suppliers.
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The reverse eAuction
In a reverse eAuction the prospective suppliers place lower and
lower bids, competing against each other to see who can offer
the lowest price. The suppliers compete in real time, as opposed
to the traditional tender or bid process.
Advantages for buyers
An eAuction provides procurement professionals with the most
competitively prices for their preferred products, pitching the
suppliers directly against one another to see who can offer the
lowest prices. It also streamlines the procurement process and
saves time, as each supplier is not required to submit a full
proposal.
Disadvantages for buyers
The principal issue with an eAuction is that it is usually based
solely on price, and does not factor in other criteria like service
levels, delivery or quality. Whilst these can be incorporated into
the eAuction process, price is the overall driving factor. The buyer
may discover that the lowest bid is not the one with the highest
quality products or does not meet the required standards of
delivery or customer service.
The eAuction usually centres on a ‘core list’ of essential everyday
products, rather than focusing on the complete range of
products that the buyer may source from the winning supplier
throughout the contract. Overall the buyer may find that the
costs of monitoring and managing the project outweigh the
benefits.
Advantages for suppliers
Reverse auctions are generally open, enabling smaller or less well
known businesses to compete in the eAuction process. This can
also allow suppliers to compete in new sectors. A winning bid
can lead to more business, as most buyers will look to source
their ‘non-core’ products from their existing supplier.
Disadvantages for suppliers
Suppliers that are determined to win the reverse auction may
place a bid that is too low for their business. As well as the cost of
the product, suppliers need to factor in the cost of servicing the
contract, from delivery to invoicing. Vendors may find that
winning a bid could result in them making a loss on the contract.
Overall we can see that the eAuction has pros and cons for both
buyer and supplier. The eAuction is a very effective way of
optimising procurement, but it is based on price. Both parties
must look at the overall costs of the contract to ensure it
provides value too.
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Office design and layout linked to productivity insightNEWSLETTER
A European study has revealed that the design of your office
environment is a key factor in boosting productivity at work.
The report by Professor Sir Cary Cooper and sustainable business
company Interface, reveals that productivity of UK workers can be
boosted by up to 8% by natural elements such as sunlight and plants.
Natural light and greenery also affect creativity levels, and UK workers
said their creativity was enhanced by green or purple elements in the
office environment.
The Human Spaces report examined how
incorporating elements of nature into
workspace design influences creativity,
wellbeing and productivity. Plain white
offices inspired happiness at work for
British workers, as did the use of natural
wood. Employees that work in offices that
incorporate these elements report an
average 13% increase in wellbeing.
The report also revealed that a third of UK
workers felt more productive working in an
open plan environment, with just 26%
preferring to work in a solitary office.
Across Europe however, 40% of workers
preferred working in their own solitary
office.
It seems that when considering new office
space, employers should be looking for a
workplace with plenty of natural light.
Those looking to boost productivity in their
existing environment could consider white
walls, clever lighting, plants, and white or
light wooden furniture.
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be inspired
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Over half of employees (54%)* regularly work through their lunch hour, but
taking a break can actually up your productivity levels. Making the effort to
leave the office at lunch time can have positive benefits, particularly for your
personal wellbeing and health.
Here are 8 things you can do in your lunch hour – so try and take a break!
Go for a walk
Leaving the workplace and
setting off for a brisk stroll has
proven health benefits from
raising your vitamin D levels to
lowering the risk from certain
cancers. If you do a fast walk
(4mph) for 30 minutes you’ll
burn around 150 calories – the
equivalent of three Jaffa Cakes
or a jam doughnut.
Exercise
You can step it up a level and
visit the gym in your lunch
hour. You can do an intensive
workout and still have time to
shower and change – all in less
than an hour. Or why not go
for a bike ride or swim?
Meet with a friend
Spending time with friends
actually boosts our happiness,
so take the time to meet up
with a friend at lunch.
Make that call
You know that friend you’ve
been meaning to call for ages?
Why not give them a call at
lunch time and finally catch
up.
Read a book
Whether it’s in the park or in
the breakroom, taking some
time out to read a book is a
great stress buster. Or why not
take a walk to your local
library?
Indulge yourself
Whether it’s a massage or a
manicure, you can use your
lunch-time for a little self
indulgence. All too often we
forget to indulge ourselves!
Visit an art gallery
You may not have time to
explore an entire exhibition,
but you can pop in to an art
gallery or museum during your
lunch hour. Remember many
museums and galleries are
free, or offer great deals on
annual memberships.
8 tips to brighten up lunchtimes insightNEWSLETTER
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Visit our resource centre at bebanner.co.uk for all
our latest insights, tips and news.
We’re always keen to hear from you, so do get in
touch with us on Twitter. Or why not follow our
company page on LinkedIn?
If you’d like to receive the next issue by email just
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