Indholdsfortegnelse for August 2021 i NZBusiness+Management

I must admit that finding suitable stories for our August Technology Issue was relatively easy. That’s because in 2021 business owners have such a wealth of existing and emerging technologies to help them become more productive, efficient and secure. In this issue we introduce you to the Internet of Things, a suite of 5G-enabled data-rich platforms designed to enhance business operations and help make more informed business decisions. It’s a technology that has come a long way since it was originally introduced around the turn of the century. 5G mobile technology has unlocked the true potential of IoT in more recent times. 5G clearly offers a lot of potential for techpreneurs too, as our case study on Objective Acuity shows. I was fortunate to witness the start-up’s ground-breaking software-based vision…

The last decade has seen a veritable feast of Kiwi brands experience phenomenal growth, both in New Zealand and on the world stage. Their rapid adoption by major retailers has forced many to mature quickly as brands and take on new technology to ensure their operational systems can cope with increasing demand. Alongside many of them has been Kiwi tech-integration company, Cross›re, which connects suppliers, retailers and logistics companies’ operating systems together to ensure things run smoothly, right across the supply chain. It’s helped some of New Zealand’s leading food suppliers such as Oob Organics, Honest Brew Beer, Raglan Coconut Yogurt and Karma Drinks evolve from small, largely paper-based, manual operations to highly efficient, market-leading export businesses. New Zealand giants Foodstuffs, Lion and Mainfreight are also taking full advantage of…

A new share trading market, designed as a gateway to the NZX for SMEs, has been granted a licence by the Government. Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister, David Clark says Catalist Markets will provide a simpler and more affordable ‘stepping stone’ for SMEs to raise capital. He describes the move as a big win for Kiwi businesses. “It’s also fantastic news for consumers, who will have fresh investment opportunities, and greater choice when it comes to diversifying their portfolios.” Small Business Minister Stuart Nash says many early-stage companies benefit from raising capital but cannot afford the initial and ongoing costs of listing on traditional exchanges. “For businesses wanting to grow, the alternative to listing is to raise money privately. This can be difficult in New Zealand due to limited access…

Aotearoa’s response to Covid-19 appropriately prioritised health and financial sustainability. Support for local businesses boomed in 2020 as they were forced to close their doors and take wage subsidies. Economists were predicting the global economic toll of the pandemic to lie somewhere between the recessions of the 1970s and 80s, and the Great Depression. Unemployment was tipped to hit double figures for the first time in 30-odd years. More than a year on, the country appears to have come through relatively unscathed, with the glaring exception of the hospitality, horticulture, viticulture and tourism industries, which remain hamstrung by severe labour shortages. Economic indicators point to a continued recovery, job advertisements are at all-time highs and unemployment is on the decline. We all played our part to drive New Zealand out…

The outcome of a first major capital raise is always a litmus test for a business’s potential. Natural Paint Co’s recent raise through Snowball Effect easily reached $1.4 million, exceeding its target, with investors clearly excited about the future of the Christchurch-based manufacturer of sustainable plant-based paints and oils. Founded in 2015 by James Mount and Grace Glass, Natural Paint Co has quickly built its reputation as a category pioneer with a unique digital-first distribution model. However, getting the business established and boot-strapping growth has been a challenging journey for the young pair, who first met while at high school in Nelson. James “fell into” the paint industry through an interim job after leaving university. He was not impressed by the industry’s unsustainable practices and reliance on petrochemicals, and was…

Daniel Watson has literally written the book on cybersecurity and how it effects Kiwi business owners. His book She’ll Be Right (Not!) is billed as an easy-to-understand guide to cybersecurity – designed to help business owners get their head around the subject and protect themselves against cyberattacks. As managing director of Vertech IT Services, Watson has witnessed firsthand how the hard work and valuable assets of businesses can be decimated in an instant. He’s also seen an increase in the number of organisations now waking up to the risk. “A new understanding is dawning about the changes to the Privacy Act, which means cybersecurity can no longer be swept under the rug anymore,” he says. “The barrier to entry is now very low.” Today the relatively small risks associated with…

It all began in 2010, when Kiwi electrical engineer Curtis Bailey became increasingly frustrated by the amount of business paperwork he had to deal with. He decided to build an app himself to solve many of the fiddly admin issues that tradespeople struggle with – admin such as estimates, supplying accurate quotes, invoicing and sending out reminders, all of which can take up 15 to 20 hours of precious time every week, and can be easily initiated via a smartphone. After securing some funding and carrying out more development it didn’t take long for his app, dubbed Tradify, to become reality, and popular, on both sides of the Tasman. Fast forward to 2021 and there are now more than 20,000 trades businesses worldwide using the Tradify app – including Australia,…

Nokia remains a powerful brand. For years it was the world’s top phone maker. It was also the best-known Finnish company. HMD Global was set up in 2016 by former employees to make pure Android Nokia-branded phones under license. Until now, most of HMD’s focus has been on individuals and it has had some early success. Now, Melbourne-based HMD Global enterprise solutions manager Andrew McMahon says Nokia is re-entering the business market. He says, “To get back into the business sector we are offering customers a three year warranty on our G and X series Nokia phones as well as up to three years of operating system and security updates. If a customer wants, we can offer a fourth year’s security patch on top for a small extra cost.” HMD…

NZTech, the organisation tasked with providing the voice for the technology ecosystem, had been collecting input via a digital skills survey which, it says in a statement, was revealing a desperate need to find solutions. For the last five years between 4,000 to 5,000 tech professionals have immigrated to New Zealand. But Covid has stopped this and NZTech says it is choking the pace of New Zealand’s recovery. NZTech chief executive Graeme Muller says the survey, which had been in the market for two weeks in early July, showed that the 235 respondents at that point had almost 2,000 open jobs they were struggling to recruit people for. The respondents included New Zealand owned global tech firms and game development studios, local and multinational IT service providers, high tech manufacturers,…

What are the most common cybersecurity breaches your company sees arising in NZ’s corporate and government sectors? What we have seen as the most common forms of breaches here in New Zealand are cybersecurity and privacy breaches – mostly in the form of ransomware and breaches of personal information. The hackers mostly use phishing emails to get into the organisations. We have also seen CEOs/CFOs email accounts being compromised. These attacks could be easily mitigated or reduced by providing more awareness of the importance of cyber security among all staff. We all know that the incidence of cyber breaches is growing, but what are the most easily made mistakes that larger businesses make in their cyber-security approaches? Most organisations don’t put the money where the mouth is when it comes…

The Seek NZ employment report for May 2021 showed the highest number of jobs ever advertised, for the third consecutive month. This will come as no surprise for those trying to recruit in this talent-short market. What was interesting about these results is that there is a notable decrease in applications per job ad. Feedback suggests that employees are prioritising job security and aren’t all rushing off to seek new opportunities. Given skill shortages are going to be a major pain point and we are still getting messaging from the Government to show pay restraint at higher level roles, it is worth focusing on your organisation’s internal policies to see if you are doing enough to retain and motivate your current employees. With a talent-short market, you want to avoid…

New brand Zeden Cider has just launched with a promise to help New Zealand achieve its goal of being predator free by 2050, with a vision to see it become the paradise on earth it once was. Owner Bevan Wait says businesses must focus on authentic sustainability in 2021. “Research continues to show that consumers are increasingly more likely to choose socially and environmentally responsible brands and products – but we know it has to be genuine, that’s what has been so exciting for us launching Zeden Cider and to have already donated our first $1,000 to Forest and Bird. “For me, this is a true passion project. I love good cider and I love the New Zealand environment,” says Bevan. “We have a massive pest problem and we as…

Reinventing desk setups with tools designed and developed to support our bodies is step one on a journey to wellbeing at work. Here are a few tips and tricks to provide moments of respite from the daily grind: • Protect your posture – support your spine and alignment when sitting, choose a chair with firm lower back support and a footrest to keep your knees slightly higher than your hips, plus keep the screen 15 degrees below eye level. • At your fingertips – the right peripherals can be a game-changer when it comes to harmonising your desk. The LogitechERGO K860 Keyboard reduces wrist bending by 25 percent and offers 54 percent more wrist support to promote a relaxed typing posture. The curved, split keyframe takes the pressure off wrists and forearms…

Being in business, says Dean Croucher the managing director of independent property consultancy TwentyTwo, invariably means a leap of faith at some stage.  When asked about the advice he would give to newer business owners, Croucher says if you analyse your business too much, if you think about all the things that could possibly go wrong – you won’t sleep for a month.  “If you think about anything too hard you can talk yourself out of it. Growing a business is a balance between being planned and considered and taking a leap of faith, or you would not do anything,” he says.  “If you want to grow and succeed you can’t sit still.”  Croucher sees it as a matter of deciding what to focus on, noting that any business owner…

An interesting business case study of IoT in action is Adroit’s Westpac Mussels partnership. Westpac Mussels is a 50-year-old family business at the cutting edge of New Zealand’s aquaculture industry and with a willingness to work with new technology. Westpac wanted to streamline harvesting and ensure the food safety of their product green shell mussels, which are exported all over the world. Past harvesting options included monitoring rainfall or use of legacy salinity data buoys. These options were crude leading to longer closures, less harvesting opportunities, and required weekly cleaning at considerable cost. Adroit’s solution is a new-design data buoy, housing an in-situ salinity sensor connected to a Libelium IoT logger. It measures ocean water salinity every 15 minutes, sending the results directly to Westpac Mussels over Spark’s CatM1 IoT…

• Know where your data lives. Then you can put the right protections in place. • Backups are not optional. Near-instant recovery systems which backup all critical data every 15 minutes are affordable and achievable. Don’t forget cloud-to-cloud backup. • Protect your data. Think before providing any details online. “Make sure you’re satisfied with the credibility of whomever you are providing your information to. And be more selfish with your personal information.” • Beware of legacy software. If your software is out of date, get it reviewed by a cybersecurity specialist or get rid of it. Out-of-date systems have vulnerabilities.” • Keep networks segregated into different compartments. Then if one network is attacked, others are protected. It also prevents criminals from moving laterally through your systems. • Provide better training. It takes just one click on…

It’s a well known fact: a branded vehicle is good for your business. With a nationwide footprint of signage solution providers, Speedy Signs has over 20 years experience and expertise to turn your vehicle(s) into true company assets, rather than something you just keep throwing money at in terms of tyres, fuel, and maintenance. What’s more, with signage having an average life of about five years, branded vehicles give an excellent ROI when it comes to your marketing budget. As Speedy Signs points out, unlike other forms of marketing, branded vehicles work 24/7, so your business is seen wherever the vehicle goes. It’s branding that works while you don’t! KISS ME Keep It Stunningly Simple – More Engaging – perhaps the best piece of expert advice when it comes to…

Since 1982 Ross Beaton, the founder of apple juice company The Apple Press, has been growing and exporting apples from his Hawke’s Bay orchard. Beaton became concerned by how the 10,000 tonnes a year of “ugly fruit” that didn’t make the grade for fresh consumption was going to waste. “While still highly nutritious, the apples had minor blemishes and, just like the ugly duckling, were not aesthetically pleasing,” he says. Wanting to find a meaningful use for the blemished apples, Beaton sought assistance and in 2013 found it in Sally Gallagher, who had a background in food technology. “We went on this journey to see what we could do with the ugly fruit,” Beaton reflects. “We had this fabulous ingredient that we wanted to do something special with at scale…

Imagine you are driving to your next sales meeting, and a ghost is sitting next to you. You’re talking aloud and sound-boarding with yourself – what you want to achieve in the meeting, what outcome you are after, what you want to find out and how you hope the meeting will go. The ghost is listening. Now you are in the meeting, you are controlling the sales process, connecting with stakeholders, asking questions, exploring solutions and deftly handling objections. You have earned the opportunity. The ghost is still listening. After your meeting, the ghost is with you while you schedule your follow-up actions, plan your week, put together your proposal; they’re there as you plan how you will deliver on promises and prepare for the best possible closing meeting. The…

The Government has agreed to establish a consumer data right framework for New Zealand, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister David Clark says. A consumer data right (CDR) is a mechanism that requires data holders, such as banks and electricity retailers, to safely and securely share data with third parties (like fintech companies) following consent from the customer. A statement from the Minister says this means New Zealanders gain access to a wider range of products and services that better meet their needs. Clark says consumers should be in the driver’s seat when it comes to how their personal information is used by third parties. “Any data shared through the consumer data right will only take place with a person’s informed consent, and would be strictly used for the reasons agreed…

Are you seeing NZ business leaders starting to pay much more attention to AI and what it might do for their business? In health, AI is becoming more commonplace. To put it simply, health technology will not advance as quickly without the assistance of AI. In health, AI will mean more efficient processes can take place as tasks are automated; more equity of access to healthcare for consumers; more surgeries can be completed; patients will have greater access to their health records, and greater access to cutting edge tools to assist on their health journey. AI has the ability to analyse big data sets in health – pulling together patient insights and leading to more preventative healthcare in the future. In what areas/sectors are you seeing the interest popping up?…

New employer brand research finds that for the first time in 10 years, employees are no longer motivated by money as their top priority. By Katherine Swan. Covid had a transformative impact on how we work, what we consider most important when it comes to our job, and what will attract talent to a business. Randstad’s 2021 Employer Brand Research finds that, for the first time in 10 years, employees are no longer motivated by money as their top priority. Work/life balance has emerged as number one, with brand loyalty driven by how well supported an employee feels in their role. The relationship between employers and employees has become more nuanced and driven by a desire for a healthy lifestyle beyond work, while the escalation of working remotely and the…

Technology can support a business, supercharge a business or cripple a business – and often the line between each of these is small. So how can directors ensure they consider these aspects to the best of their abilities, especially when they may not be technology experts? One advantage of current technology, especially for small and medium sized businesses and startups, is that there is not the daunting capex for hardware. Where once you would need beefy on-premise servers’ now, in most cases, you can buy capacity with one of the many cloud suppliers; extra capacity can be stood up almost instantly; and excess capacity reduced rather than having to wait for additional hardware and installation. You also avoid regular significant upgrade costs. On the downside the operating costs are higher…

Reefton Distilling Co. continues to make a name for itself and hometown through its international award-winning small batch distilled spirits. In June the relative newcomer to the spirits industry achieved one of the highest accolades at this year’s New Zealand Spirits Awards Ceremony. Its Wild Rain Vodka was proclaimed a double Champion Trophy Winner and awarded the trophy for Best New Zealand Vodka in Category, together with the trophy for Best Overall Vodka in Category. This year’s awards ceremony saw close to 200 members of the spirits industry gather together at The Hilton in Auckland to celebrate the best local and international spirits in New Zealand. “This is an enormous endorsement of the hard work and commitment from our team over the last two and a half years, as they…

If the global pandemic has made one thing certain in the past year, it is how essential technology is for businesses to stay afloat and connected when face-to-face contact is restricted. By providing companies with the latest equipment for virtual and hybrid events including projectors, LED, plasma screens, and recordings offering full HD capabilities, Vidcom has been leading the way in providing audiovisual solutions to companies, venues, and associations since 1999. The company has seen an enormous increase in live streaming, virtual conferences, and hybrid conferences in recent years due to their flexible and convenient nature – currently increasing ten-fold with cities heading into intermittent lockdowns. They are widely used across all fields of business, including the medical field through online consultations, and the music industry with virtual concerts. The…

The 2021 Women in Wine New Zealand Mentoring Program, sponsored by Constellation Brands, is underway. Eleven women mentors have volunteered to share their experiences and knowledge to 11 other women in the industry.  Over the next six months, the mentors will guide and support their mentees as they work out which direction they want to take next in their career. They will help them set goals and encourage them to confidently follow their passion and dreams within the industry. The programme, as always, was oversubscribed with a high number of applications, indicating there are many ambitious women working in the New Zealand wine industry looking to stretch themselves and reach their full potential.   The 11 women come from all around New Zealand and work in a wide variety of roles within the…

You can sense the frustration in Lisa Martin’s voice. She doesn’t mince words. Many business owners are still “asleep at the wheel” when it comes to embracing new technologies that could vastly improve the performance and efficiency of their business, she says. It is 2021. Why are many businesses stuck in the dark ages? If you’re in business there are some absolute non-negotiables, Lisa believes. Yes, you must have a solid Internet connection, preferably high-speed, and the ability to work from anywhere. It’s imperative you have a responsive IT provider, a set of cloud-based software apps to manage the likes of customer relationship management (CRM), file backup and storage, email, and the all-important accounting software linked to your bank feed – not to mention an expenses and receipts file that…

For businesses of all sizes, Covid’s constant disruptions over the past year and a half have resulted in video meetings becoming commonplace. Zoom alone claims 300 million people are using its video meeting platform every day1 . The pandemic has made employers realise the importance and necessity of their staff being able to regularly and easily work remotely. In addition, businesses are employing a new hybrid workstyle, which means that every meeting room or space in a business premises is also required to be a conferencing space. At any given time, more than 50 percent of a business’s workforce may be working remotely, and there is now a requirement that staff can collaborate together anytime, anywhere. Gone are the days of specific rooms for video conferencing; now every room needs…

For everyone associated with Hamilton’s dynamic and highly resilient CBD, there are two standout dates around the legendary Celebration Awards this year – August 30th when entries close, and October 20th when the winners are announced at yet another stunning local venue. Hamilton’s CBD Awards are all about celebration and recognition of the business community in the heart of the city and that has been the consistent theme since launching in 2017. “We have some fantastic businesses based in the CBD who are achieving individual success locally, nationally and internationally and these awards are about recognising and celebrating that success,” says Vanessa Williams, general manager of the Hamilton Central Business Association. “We like to keep the categories relevant each year and look for any business trends to help inform us…

It is important to find ways and connect with your B2B networks in every way possible to increase profits and grow your business. Thanks to advances in technology, the business community is more connected than ever before. Over the past 18 months, the way we do business has changed. We have seen a rapid growth in online shopping, an increase in computer-based education, and a shift to communicating more online with our clients, colleagues, and potential contacts through video conferencing apps such as Zoom, Google Hangouts and webinars. If your business hasn’t leaned into online networking yet, it may be one of the most promising customer acquisition strategies you’ve yet to seize upon. The ability for customers to reach your business in an instant – and through multiple channels – is vital…

On May 6th at Spark City, the four winners of the Spark 5G Starter Fund put their game-changing technology prototypes to the test in front of assembled media representatives, to demonstrate how 5G technology can bring positive outcomes to businesses and communities across New Zealand. For Objective Acuity the Starter Fund Winners Showcase was a chance to demonstrate its groundbreaking suite of software-based vision screening and acuity1 tests that are more accessible and accurate for detecting vision problems in younger children. 5G technology enables the accuracy to be improved further, and makes testing up to seven times more efficient through a real-time result. We saw that real-time result in action through a quick, unobtrusive simulated classroom test. There were two tests displayed. The first was a ‘pass or fail’ vision…

Think of Fiji and you’ll no doubt picture friendly faces, swaying palms and those traditional ‘salusalu’ flower necklaces upon arrival. But in recent years a quiet business evolution has taken place in this South Pacific paradise. It is the emergence of local technology developers marketing cutting-edge digital solutions – and there are many benefits for New Zealand companies. This technology update showcases two of Fiji’s most exciting digital platforms – Traseable and Makete – and the Fiji Trade Commission to Australia & New Zealand is only too happy to facilitate introductions. COLLABORATIVE, TRANSPARENT TRACEABILITY When husband and wife team Ken and Shauna Katafono founded Traseable Solutions (www.traseable.com) in 2017 they already had more than a decade of experience in the ICT (Information and Communications Technology) sector across the Pacific as…

Boyden, a leadership and talent advisory firm with more than 75 offices in over 45 countries, says its latest talent research, reveals a lack of alignment in talent to strategy, the need for a different skills matrix on the board, and lack of alignment across the leadership team. The global study, Talent-led transformation in a post-pandemic world: How can global business leaders deliver on ambitions of growth and reinvention? explores the business outlook among CEOs, boards and other senior leaders, and talent trends, priorities and investment in the wake of the pandemic through 2022. Trina D. Gordon, President & CEO of Boyden, says in a statement that while business leaders are seeing strong indicators of recovery, alignment between talent requirements and the suite of leadership skills that will drive growth…

A longstanding challenge for New Zealand is to find ways to increase productivity without simply relying on people working longer hours. The Productivity Commission said in a May 2021 report that productivity performance in 2019-20 was weak, with almost half of GDP growth accounted for by increases in labour input, and firms are not making the most of advanced technologies. Creating more intuitive working environments using AI and automation will improve productivity by arming employees with both the tools and knowledge to work smarter. The potential advantages to managers are substantial too, improving the overall employee experience, enhancing safety and expanding opportunities for upskilling. THE ONGOING EVOLUTION OF AI Until recently, the primary benefit of technology has been to provide efficiency gains which can be a blunt goal. Now, taking…

“Employers should make sure task allocation algorithms are ‘explainable’, in terms that are meaningful to their workers.” A University of Otago report looking at the impact of artificial intelligence on jobs and work in New Zealand includes a major chapter on how AI will change work. The report, which is funded by the New Zealand Law Foundation, investigates what it will be like to work alongside AI and assesses regulatory changes designed to maximise the benefits and minimise the harms of AI in the workplace. The report, by Professor James Maclaurin, Professor Colin Gavaghan and Associate Professor Alistair Knott, notes in the executive summary that it’s difficult to assess claims that AI will generally enhance jobs. “As with previous types of automation, AI will sometimes relieve us of onerous and…

For some time, analysts like Gartner, Forrester, and IDC have been reporting on the big hole that businesses fall into, when CX strategies are not aligned with the customer communications that happen as part of everyday business. We all know that everyone supports the idea that customer experience is a critical business driver. Everyone signs up to the supporting KPIs. Unfortunately, it is often the underlying business structure that gets in the way of CX strategies being delivered to their full potential. The example I am referring to in this article is where digital and CX teams are not aligned with the operational-based customer communication processes, within a business. BILLS AND OTHER ADVICES PLAY VITAL ROLE The most regular touchpoint that most customers have with their service providers is generally…