Competitive horizons

Article Type: General review From: Strategic Direction, Volume 31, Issue 9

Data management issues plague firms in Australia and New Zealand

Study conducted by IDC has discovered that data silos are a significant problem for companies in Australia and New Zealand. Almost a third of IT leaders from these nations feel that costly hold-ups arise due to the practice of managing and analyzing data at departmental level. A similar number also considers this to pose security issues. Others feel that productivity and collaboration are hindered by the problem, http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au reports. Of the 600 IT heads across Asia-Pacific and Indian regions surveyed by the research firm, 40 per cent reported that individual departments remaining in control of their data are still common. Back-up, recovery and data protection were among the processes cited. Improved retrieval of data and the rampant increase in its volume and complexity are seen as the main IT challenges facing companies. Many respondents spoke of investing in Cloud but acknowledged the difficulty of ensuring that critical data were properly synchronized and secure during transfer to the platform.

Online grocery market in China set for massive growth

According to global food experts IGD, online grocery sales in China will reach £113.68 billion by 2020. At present, the market is worth £26.19 billion. China is currently the global leader for online groceries and will be significantly larger than its closest rivals by the decade end. Increased Internet access and use of smartphones and other mobile devices are expected to be key growth drivers. Digital marketplaces are also important, as these enable international companies to reach consumers in China without the need for sizeable investment. Safety fears about domestic foods have increased the appeal of foreign brands among the Chinese public. As reported by http://www.foodmanufacture.co.uk, IGD predicts strong growth for all the current top ten online grocery markets. Second-placed UK is expected to reach an annual £17.2 billion by 2020 from its current level of £9.57 billion. Increased demand by shoppers is being compounded by retailer exploitation of new technologies. Japan, the USA and France complete the top five markets at present.

Skilled workers needed to exploit increase in automation

The worldwide market for advanced manufacturing is set to reach $750 billion by 2020, according to a report published by http://www.prw.com. Growth in the sector will be driven by new technology developments. In the UK, advances in such as robotics and 3D printing are bringing increased demand for well-trained individuals equipped with high levels of IT skills. The UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) is anticipating particular need for production managers and production directors with strong technical and business capabilities as well as IT proficiency. Quality assurance is also identified as becoming an increasingly important skill in the sector. Without sufficient workers acquiring these key qualities, the report suggests that the nation could fail to capitalize on the opportunities offered by automation.

Measures needed to boost trade between nations in sub-Saharan Africa

An article published by http://www.allafrica.com suggests ways in which sub-Saharan African countries can boost trade within the region. To stimulate growth and development, trade procedures should be modernized and made simpler. Many barriers to trade have been identified including bureaucracy, complicated customs procedures, inadequate infrastructures and a lack of efficiency at ports. Such factors impede imports and exports and explain why trade between nations in the region is only around 10 per cent. In Western Europe and North America, it is 60 and 40 per cent, respectively. Nations are aware of key issues and have been implementing measures to help facilitate trade. Reductions in red-tape have been complemented by efforts to collaborate more and simplify border crossing. However, the report suggests that more should be done including an increase in automation, standardization of documents and making procedures more homogenous. These actions can help reduce the cost of transporting goods across borders, enable cheaper importation of materials for manufacturers and attract higher levels of foreign direct investment.