Despite the critical role SMBs play in the Australian economy, they face many challenges in today’s fast-paced business environment. Rising costs, skills shortages, regulatory compliance, and market volatility are just some of the obstacles that SMBs need to navigate. In this article, we will look at how aerial imagery transforms Australian SMBs.

A recent survey found that the top challenges facing Aussie SMBs are fast-rising inflation (42 per cent), followed closely by reduced consumer or client spending due to inflation (41 per cent). To navigate this uncertain environment, SMBs need to find ways to become more efficient and agile in their operations.

However, in industries like construction, logistics, insurance, solar and property, the business pressures are even further amplified. Factors like the remoteness of sites and safety concerns, add to the already complex nature of their operations. One key is to harness the power of digital technologies to adapt to uncertainties, drive innovation, and transform the way they do business. While the digital journey of every business is unique, the goal is the same: to increase profitability, enhance productivity, and improve efficiency. One solution that can revolutionise how these SMBs operate is high-resolution aerial imagery augmented with AI.

Data-driven decisions for long-term profitability

Efficiency is the name of the game for SMBs, and data needs to be their main currency. Insights into their assets, properties, and locations can provide valuable insights into an SMB’s operations, and this can be difficult or impossible to obtain using traditional methods. By investing in data and insights, SMBs can make more informed decisions, create a competitive advantage, improve operational efficiency, and manage risk more effectively.

By leveraging high-resolution aerial imagery, businesses can monitor their operations in real-time, track the progress of their projects, and identify areas where efficiency can be improved. When augmented with technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), it provides SMBs with valuable insights and details that will enable businesses to streamline their processes and optimise their operations. This can help to drive efficiencies by reducing the time and resources required to perform tasks such as site inspections, asset management, and project planning.

With the acute skills shortage facing Australia, there is a need for SMBs to be able to make data-driven decisions that increase productivity and enable cost savings. When armed with insights, SMBs identify areas where improvements can be made, such as bottlenecks or inefficiencies in supply chain operations.

Aerial Imagery combining data and the power of AI to drive decision making

One of the key challenges that the logistics industry face is optimising their delivery routes to minimise travel time, disruptions, and fuel consumption. Aerial imagery, combined with AI, provides logistics providers with updates on recent changes or constructions, empowering drivers decision-making, including how to avoid traffic congestion and road closures. In addition, logistics companies can also use imagery to assess the physical characteristics of the roads, such as the width of the lanes and the condition of the surface, which can affect the speed and safety of their vehicles.

In construction, a high-risk industry, there is a need to identify any threats early, address damage efficiently, improve planning and preparedness, and enhance safety and compliance. The people on-site will always remain a vital part of many businesses. But frequently updated aerial imagery gives SMBs the power to make decisions based on reality — even if they can’t always be there on the ground. With up-to-date data, businesses can monitor the progress of their developments and assess sites remotely. For instance, beyond enhancing worker safety, Nearmap estimates that a construction company can potentially save up to AUD 34,100 a year per worker if one of its workers conducts just two of their site visits — that require a travel time of 1 hour — virtually each day. In today’s fast-paced business environment, SMBs must leverage technology to become more efficient and agile in their operations. Coupled with the acute skills shortage facing Australia, SMBs need to be able to make data-driven decisions that increase productivity and enable cost savings. By combining data and the power of AI to drive decision-making, SMBs can create a competitive advantage, improve operational efficiency, and manage risk more effectively

By Gafar Fadl, General Manager, Commercial SMB & Government (ANZ), Nearmap

The Sunshine Coast is celebrating the launch of Ocean City Labs, a Maroochydore based tech hub bringing together local entrepreneurs to support their journey from inception to scaling globally.

Opened by the Mayor of Sunshine Coast Council, Mark Jamieson along with co-founder Declan Vanderhor; ACS Director of Innovation Labs, Pauline Fetaui; Ocean City Labs provides entrepreneurs on the Sunshine Coast with access to programs and resources, including co-working spaces, and a dynamic entrepreneurial community powered by prominent QLD Tech hub, River City Labs.

Sunshine Coast Council Mayor Mark Jamieson said the Coast was rapidly building a profile as the ideal location for start-ups and emerging technology.

“It’s great we are responding to that demand by having a presence for potential innovators and tech entrepreneurs to come to the heart of Maroochydore and enjoy the benefits of this facility.

“Ocean City Labs is a great example of the work being done to build our innovation ecosystem and ensure that our region remains a leading place to live, learn, work and play,” Mr Jamieson said.  

Ocean City Labs (OCL) is a partnership agreement between the ACS River City Labs and Alumni of River City Labs and Emerging Technology Company Tablogs. 

Tablogs Founder Declan Vanderhor is a Sunshine Coast resident and saw the opportunity to connect the community of technologists and entrepreneurs in his area, and do this by partnering with River City Labs, with their established network of programs, resources, support for emerging technology companies. 

River City Labs programs and services will be offered to all Ocean City Lab members digitally, providing access to critical networks and support to help companies grow.

“We already have a few tech businesses working in Ocean City Labs and we’ve only just opened. It’s exciting working in a space where we all get to learn from each other. We can’t wait to welcome other emerging businesses to Ocean City Labs”, Declan Vanderhor said.

Pauline Fetaui added: “It’s fantastic the Sunshine Coast’s growing ecosystem of entrepreneurs, investors, and technologists are creating a swirl of innovation and harnessing local talent in the local community.

“The Sunshine Coast has so much tech and industry talent innovating together, and we see Ocean City Labs as a great example of how communities around Australia can bring together that talent to connect into the national and global ecosystem of emerging technology whilst keeping it local.”

The official opening was celebrated with members of the innovation and technology ecosystem, including the sponsors McCullough Robertson, Office of the Queensland Chief Entrepreneur and Advance Queensland and the QLD ACS with Mayor Mark Jamieson officially opening Ocean City Labs.  This was followed by a Panel joined by Ben Wood, (Corporate Partner McCullough Robertson), Shahirah Gardener (Co-Founder of Finch and Venture Partner at Skalata), Declan Vanderhor (Founder of Tablogs, partner Co-founder of Ocean City Labs), who explored the current economic headwinds and strategies for emerging technologies globally and locally, moderated by Pauline Fetaui (Director of ACS Labs and Co-founder partner of Ocean City Labs, Something Fest. Something Tech.). 

Ocean City Labs is located at 2-4 Ocean Street, Maroochydore and more information is available at https://rivercitylabs.acs.org.au/residents.html.

As Australia ramps up investment and trade opportunities with our Asian neighbours, many business leaders believe Australia is still missing out on Asia trade opportunities.

A poll by Asialink Business at the University of Melbourne asked close to 200 businesses, 76% of which were already trading in the region, how they viewed trade with Asia and whether Australia was maximising opportunities.

86% responded that Australian businesses are missing out on opportunities in Asia. In addition, almost all participants answered that increasing knowledge and understanding of Asian markets would improve the success of Australian businesses in the region.

The results indicate that despite the growing list of Premiers and organisations embarking on trade delegations to the region, the business community thinks we still have a long way to go in realising our full potential in Asia.

Asialink Business Chief Executive, Leigh Howard said that while there’s significant pent-up interest in businesses travelling to the region post-COVID, there’s a lot more we could be doing to maximise our success in the region.

“Australian businesses returning to Asia will find themselves travelling to a region that has changed significantly in recent years. The pandemic accelerated key trends such as digital adoption and eCommerce and highlighted the importance of securing reliable supply chains to market. By far, the biggest eye-opener for Australian business will be just how much Asian markets continue to steam ahead in terms of their economic progress and development. There is a growing affluent class across Asia, and our international competitors increasingly want a slice of the action.”

“We’re seeing trade missions at every level of government and business to key markets, including India, Japan, Indonesia, and more recently China, to bolster economic ties and further promote sectors such as education, agribusiness, and energy. But without sufficient investment in understanding the markets, the danger is that businesses will achieve substandard outcomes – or no outcomes at all. Being under-prepared and learning how to do business after you’ve arrived quickly makes a market visit an expensive endeavour.”

“The increase in travel to the region demonstrates that in-person meetings are seen as critical to doing business – but this also means we need to invest more in being equipped to make the most of those meetings. In many instances, Australian businesses would do well to formulate their strategies in advance and to prepare for the operating environment and competition they’ll encounter in-market. It’s not enough to simply turn up anymore – Asia has moved on.”

“Growing your understanding and expertise of Asian markets is critical to navigating challenges and opportunities. Businesses need to be Asia-capable to maximise their chances of securing tangible and measurable results,” Mr Howard said.

After a more than two-year hiatus, there’s a stampede of government and business leaders to Beijing, including West Australian Premier Mark McGowan, hot on the heels of a trip by Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews. Queensland’s Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has indicated she’ll visit China in November, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese indicating he’d be prepared to meet with Xi Jinping again this year.

“Many Australian businesses will be trying to make sense of our current relationship with China. On the one hand, we’re still hearing of security concerns, while on the other, trade tensions are easing. They’re also evaluating the importance of diversification and the opportunities other. Many of the enquiries we receive from Australian businesses are for assistance with market prioritisation and understanding which market is right for their industry and their company.”

“Asia is the fastest growing region globally, and Australia has a unique economic advantage thanks to our geographic proximity, abundance of natural resources, and education and research credentials. What we increasingly need to complement this is knowledge of Asian markets to be able to tap the best commercial outcomes.”

“Engaging confidently and effectively with Asia is essential to our prosperity and overall stability, particularly as we face an uncertain economic outlook,” Mr Howard said.

To find out more visit www.asialinkbusiness.com.au 

Xero, the global small business platform, has launched a report revealing the overall wellbeing of Australian small business owners is currently below that of the general population, serving as a reminder of the myriad of challenges small business owners are dealing with in 2023 – including high inflation, slowing economic growth, concern about staff wellbeing and general uncertainty about the future.

The report, The global state of small business owner wellbeing, found that Australian small business owners had the second lowest overall wellbeing of the seven countries surveyed from November 2022 through to February 2023. It also found that small business owners in countries like New Zealand and Singapore appear to be weathering the challenges better than small business owners in Australia, reporting higher levels of wellbeing and overall life satisfaction.

Using the World Health Organisation’s Five (WHO-5) Well-Being Index framework, the report found that small business owners in Australia had the second lowest overall wellbeing, ahead of only the United Kingdom. Younger Australian small business owners under the age of 30 reported lower overall wellbeing compared to those aged over 50 – a contrast to the findings in the United States, United Kingdom, Singapore and South Africa. Only South African and Singaporean small business owners reported higher levels of wellbeing than the general population results in the 2023 World Happiness Report.

Despite having lower levels of wellbeing, Australian small business owners are on average experiencing less financial distress. Only 17 percent of Australian small business owners say they experience financial distress most or all of the time, the equal second-lowest across all countries that we surveyed.

However, nearly a quarter (24%) say they can’t access affordable counselling and support if they need it – above the average of the seven countries of 21 percent. In addition, 26 percent of Australian small business owners say managing issues related to employee mental health is a source of stress all or most of the time, while 12 percent say work-related issues cause stress in their personal lives all the time, higher than every other country except South Africa.

Will Buckley, Country Manager, Xero Australia, said, “These insights are telling us that we need to do more to support Australian small businesses owners and their wellbeing. The stress on business owners to manage different challenges is taking its toll on individuals so we should be continually looking at ways to ease some of the burdens in order to help small businesses thrive. On a productivity level, we encourage small business owners to leverage technology and automate processes where possible, so they can take back time to focus on leading their business and working on other areas that they love.

“While tools like Xero can help relieve some of the pressure on day-to-day back office functions of running a business, we encourage small business owners to seek professional help if they are struggling. Making use of resources available from great organisations like Beyond Blue who we’re proud to partner with, can enable small business owners to improve their mental health so they can continue the incredible role they play in local communities.”

Patrice O’Brien, Chief Community Officer, Beyond Blue,said, “Running a business can be stressful at times and we see all too often the pressures it can put on small business owners and their families. For those that are struggling and in need of support, we encourage them to take advantage of services like Beyond Blue’s NewAccess for Small Business Owners program. Delivered by mental health coaches who have a small business background and understand the unique challenges facing small business owners, the program helps equip Australians with tools and healthy coping strategies to manage the everyday stressors of running a small business.” 

Matthew Addison, Chair, Council of Small Business Organisations Australia, said, “We applaud Xero for shedding light on the pressures facing Australian small business owners, which have been compounded by years of uncertainty and an increasingly volatile operating environment. The demands placed on small businesses have increased significantly and it is important to understand the toll on their health and wellbeing. For small businesses to have the best chance to thrive, governments and policy makers must prioritise changes that make doing business seamless and easy, to reduce the load on small business owners.”

Global factors more impactful than national issues

The global state of small business owner wellbeing drew on responses from more than 4,600 small business owners from November 2022 to February 2023 in seven countries – Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States – to better understand how small business ownership affects different aspects of one’s wellbeing.

“Despite rising awareness of wellbeing in all facets of our lives, there has been little data about small business wellbeing beyond financial measures,” said Rachael Powell, Chief Customer Officer, Xero.

“Our research highlights what we already suspected – that small business owners are experiencing many wellbeing challenges at the moment, coming at them from a variety of sources.”

Among the findings, which reference to Xero’s own research as well as respected global frameworks, was the prominence of global factors over national ones. Despite small businesses in different countries facing local stresses of varying severity, small business owners in most countries reported fairly similar overall levels of wellbeing and life satisfaction, suggesting a greater level of influence from common global issues rather than national issues.

Other themes identified as contributing to small business owner wellbeing include business-related stress spilling over into personal lives; the ability of a small business owner to take time to rest and recover; undertaking fulfilling work; and access to affordable counselling or peer support.

The Xero research also highlighted differences between younger and older small business owners. In all seven countries studied, small business owners under 30 were more likely to be experiencing financial distress than small business owners over 50. Similarly, small business owners under 30 are likely to feel more stressed about their employees’ wellbeing than owners over 50. 

Report offers four recommendations

The global state of small business owner wellbeing offers four recommendations to help improve small business wellbeing:

1. Investment in policies that encourage small business innovation, learning, and upskilling
2. Training and guidance in addressing the root causes of employees’ mental health issues
3. Counselling and peer support networks to help small business navigate their challenges
4. Exploring ways to achieve restedness that intentionally set business matters aside

To download the report, go to the Xero website. To find out more about how the data was collected, see the methodologysection in the report’s appendix.

Epson and Loftware, the respective global leaders in colour label printers and enterprise labelling and artwork management solutions, today announced a strategic partnership that aims to revolutionise customer labelling workflows.

The partnership will integrate the Epson ColorWorks series of colour label printers with Loftware’s NiceLabel Cloud platforms. Businesses will be able to print from NiceLabel Cloud directly to Epson ColorWorks cloud-connected printers. As a result, businesses will be able to reduce their reliance on IT, cut the number of print errors, and reduce the cost and inventory of pre-printed labels.

The partnership between Epson and Loftware was forged following a sharp increase in demand for high-productivity colour labelling solutions as businesses invested in supply chain improvements during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Demand has particularly grown among companies that employ SAP EH&S ERP systems and who plan to migrate to S/4 HANA and the cloud. These businesses operate across multiple industry segments including chemicals, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, electronics, automotive, aerospace, and retail, and who manage production, warehouse, and distribution facilities.

The Epson-Loftware collaboration meets growing demand from businesses for the use of colour on products, cartons and pallet labels for identification. In addition, companies in the chemical (GHS), medical device, and pharmaceutical segments are faced with the urgent need to comply with international labelling regulations requiring colour.

Companies that use 2-step printing to print colour labels can now move to lower cost and error-reduced 1-step, on-demand colour label printing. This 1-step printing is enabled by the integration of Epson colour label printers with Loftware’s NiceLabel Cloud platforms.

Customer labelling workflows:

1. Can print labels efficiently and quickly, without missing production and shipping deadlines.
2. No longer need to purchase higher cost, pre-printed, custom, short-run labels, but can use low cost, standard, blank label stocks.
3. No longer need to manage the inventory and urgent procurement of custom label stocks.
4. Reduce waste by eliminating leftover, unused label stocks when the label format changes.

“Readiness to adapt to cloud trends is critical,” said Junkichi Yoshida, Executive Officer and COO of the Printing Solutions Division at Epson. “Our goal is to drive the growth of colour on-demand printing in various kinds of businesses and applications by further enhancing the quality of our label print technology and optimising both hardware and solutions. This partnership with Loftware is essential for our future business development, since by providing Cloud print, our Colorworks printers can connect to the systems of enterprise customers across multiple industries.”

“We’re partnering with Epson to help businesses of all sizes move their labeling into the cloud,” said Paul Vogt, VP of Channel and Alliance Strategies at Loftware. “Businesses are adopting best-of-breed partner labeling solutions and 1-step colour label printing to bring radical improvements to their supply chain printing operations. We’re delighted to collaborate with Epson to deliver such transformation.”

Epson and Loftware will co-operate to develop cloud-based 1-step colour printing solutions to further improve print efficiency and ease-of-use. The companies will lower barriers for on-demand colour label printing through seamless integration with SAP and other leading business systems.

Find out more:

https://epson.com/colorworks-color-label-printers

https://www.epson.eu/verticals/business-solutions-for-professional-graphics/colorworks

With London Tech Week approaching, Startup Catalyst is pleased to open applications for this year’s mission for Australian technology leaders looking to set up operations in the UK or visit one of the world’s startup hotspots.

The mission, which will take place between Sunday, June 11 and Saturday, June 17, will take participants to London to be part of the global celebration of tech featuring over 300 events and uniting today’s innovative thinkers with the talent of tomorrow over the week-long festival. The mission will not only partake in some of these events but will also deliver a highly curated week’s agenda for the entrepreneurs it is taking over who are looking to get into the UK market.

“We’re excited to launch this year’s London Tech Week mission,” said ACS Director of Innovation Labs, Pauline Fetaui. “The 2023 mission promises to be one of the biggest yet and the possibilities for the entrepreneurs coming along are deliberately designed to get them scaling into the UK”.

“We are gearing up Startup Catalyst to head over to the UK in June and each year our London Tech Week participants have experienced the best support, access, and connections. It’s a great catalyst for growth into the UK and EU markets.”

Startup Catalyst, part of the ACS Innovation Labs network, is in its ninth year of taking Australian change makers to global markets with the London Tech Week mission being the 24^th since the first cohort going to Silicon Valley in 2014.

This year’s London Tech Week mission is enabled by the Queensland government, through the Office of the Queensland Chief Entrepreneur and Advance Queensland, which is supporting ten local entrepreneurs accompanying the mission. 

Startup Catalyst will also host other entrepreneurs looking at moving into the market and joining the mission.  Startup Catalyst will collaborate with their network in the UK including the UK Department of International Trade, BCS (British Computer Society), London & Partners and Trade & Investment Queensland.

Queensland Chief Entrepreneur, Julia Spicer, said of the Queensland Government support: 

“We know the value that is gained for startups and businesses to be able to see what is happening around the world and connect their businesses to international opportunities.  

“Queensland startups have a long history with London Tech Week, and we wish the delegations of founders going over in June 2023 all the best in terms of successful outcomes of the visit.”

Last year saw over 100 Australians attend London Tech Week with participants of the Startup Catalyst mission celebrating their successes from the event.

Craig Manson of thelawstore.com.au said of last year’s trip: “The mission certainly has turbo charged my drive to get to the next level of growth in the UK. Pauline and Breanna were just damn fabulous. From the planning to making everyone feel included to being real partners in helping connect to the right people.”

Ausbiz’s Kylie Merritt added: “whether it’s the UK or any other market, a mission like this is invaluable for helping you see if (and how) your business can scale. They are logistical wizards, but more importantly understand the subject matter and the reasons we’re there.”

Lara Paholski, Chief Executive Officer of thelawstore.com.au, who also participated in the 2022 mission, said: “The London Tech Week Mission with Startup Catalyst was a brilliant expedition that enabled me to connect with like-minded people from around the globe, learn about the opportunities in the UK and European tech sector, and within those geographical markets.

“It delivered so much for me personally and professionally, and I’m grateful for all the learnings and experiences I had which are already proving to be valuable in both my position company at which I work. They were genuinely great! Fun, energetic and engaging. I made life long friends from the mission.”

Expressions of interest to join the mission are open until 27 May and can be submitted via the Startup Catalyst registration page at https://bit.ly/3AFdQRB.

Applications for Queensland government sponsored places are available for Queensland-based entrepreneurs with an in-market product at https://bit.ly/3Lfc12s.

Despite the current skills shortage and rising inflation, SMEs are working hard to stay competitive amidst concerns about a potential economic downturn. While challenges may lie ahead, small business leaders remain determined to adapt and thrive in the face of adversity ensuring they have the right power skills.

More than half (52%) of Australian small businesses are concerned about the impact of a recession in the next 12 months, with particular worries around the cost of utilities, interest rates, price margins and profitability.

As we enter a period of slower growth, the key to keeping small businesses afloat and growing is to leverage the talents of their workforce, through embracing upskilling.

The importance of people in an economic downturn

People are one of the biggest assets in an organisation. Their growth and overall satisfaction at work is critical to businesses of all sizes. Keeping the workforce engaged and retained is even more critical when the external business environment is riddled with economic slowdown, rising labour costs, inflation and skill shortage.

PMI’s recent Talent Gap report highlights a need for 2.3 million project management professionals annually by 2030, signalling a significant shortage.

In the face of this shortage, organisations should look at ways to build in greater resilience and upskill workers with skills that that help them add value and deliver business outcomes.  ‘Power skills’ also known as ‘soft skills’ like problem-solving, communication, strategic thinking, and collaborative leadership, are applicable to businesses of all sizes. Organisations both big and small, need leaders who can lead with empathy, collaborate and communicate to bring teams together, think strategically to align everyone towards a shared business goal and cultivate a sense of purpose. This in turn helps keep people engaged and can have a positive impact on retaining talent and combating the skill shortage.

Our latest Pulse of the Profession 2023 report, reveals that power skills rank highest among the essential capabilities required by project managers.

Several other organisations have echoed this, including the World Economic Forum with its “Future of Jobs” report highlighting that, by 2025, the top skills required for workers to succeed in the workplace

will include analytical thinking, problem-solving, leadership, and social influence – all of which fall under the category of power skills.

By enhancing these skills, employees can develop better project management abilities, enabling organisations to navigate turbulent times more effectively.

However, it’s important to know that success in a business is the right blend of technical and power skills. Small businesses can look at adopting a project-based approach to break down their initiatives into manageable parts, set realistic goals and timelines, and track progress, enabling them to adapt quickly to changing circumstances. Essentially, the work is aligned against business needs and objectives, not specific job roles – the more this occurs, the more agile teams and organisations will be in the face of uncertainty. This coupled with our power skills can result in better outcomes and higher satisfaction levels.

For small business leaders looking to embed power skills into their organisation’s learning culture, the following strategies can be employed:

• Recognise the link between project success and power skills, and identify which power skills positively impact the everyday dynamics of project management.

• Prioritise the power skills that are most closely aligned with fulfilling business objectives, such as communication, problem-solving, collaborative leadership, and strategic thinking. Encourage project management leaders to model these skills and consistently emphasise their importance.

• Highlight the value of power skills by connecting them to hiring and ongoing performance. Incorporate power skills into employees’ career development plans and track their progress in mastering these skills during performance evaluations.

• Evaluate professional development and training programs to ensure they align with the organisation’s commitment to building employee power skills.

• Consider implementing team-based assessments of power skills as an additional means of reinforcing their importance within the organisation.

As new industries, practices, and technologies emerge, project professionals and their teams across businesses are challenged to pivot quickly and work even more efficiently – all so they can deliver value in our changing world. Therefore, an amalgamation of newer ways of working, power skills and business acumen when built into the organisational culture can redefine what success looks like for Australian SMEs

Piece provided by SoHyun Kang, Interim Regional Managing Director, Asia Pacific, PMI Asia Pacific

Master Builders Australia has released its blueprint for future-proofing the building and construction industry’s workforce in wake of a shortage of half a million workers.

With critical shortages across industries and skill levels hindering economic recovery and productivity growth, the paper outlines what will be needed in the coming years and the policy priorities for attracting, recruiting, training and retaining workers for the industry says Master Builders Australia CEO Denita Wawn.

“Construction is the backbone of the Australian economy, employing approximately 1.3 million people, providing infrastructure, commercial and community buildings, and homes for the growing population.

“With Australia’s population projected to grow by over 50 per cent between 2022 and 2060, reaching nearly 40 million people, the industry will require a significant workforce to undertake the necessary building and construction work,” said Ms Wawn.

To meet growth projections and replace workers that leave the industry Master Builders estimates that 486,000 workers need to enter the building and construction industry by the end of 2026. Nearly half of the required workforce (229,000 workers) will be in technician and trade roles, the vast majority of which will enter the industry through a trade apprenticeship.

Ms Wawn added: “The nature of work in the industry is evolving due to increasing business specialisation, more offsite building, frequent job changes, technology integration, and complex regulatory requirements.

“Understanding the emerging and future workforce skills needs is critical for ensuring flexible pathways in the industry that meet the changing and diverse needs of workers, businesses, and employers.

“The blueprint aims to address this by attracting new workers into the industry, retaining current and emerging workers, and ensuring that training and education products and pathways remain up-to-date and flexible.

“To address the bias pushing young people toward university at the expense of VET. Critically, this includes improving the quality of careers education in secondary and senior secondary schools.  

“The construction industry attracts more male than female workers. Improving the attractiveness of the industry to women presents a massive opportunity to increase the pool of potential workers.

“Governments are urged to tackle these issues as a key aspect of the inflationary challenge facing our industry,” said Ms Wawn.

Overview of recommendations for the construction industry’s workforce

Customer experience should be a top priority for businesses of all sizes in recent years, and for good reason. In today’s digital age, customers expect personalised experiences that are available when and where they need them.

Almost three-quarters (72%) of customer interactions in ANZ are on digital channels, according to a 2023 study by analyst firm Ecosystm. This highlights the need for businesses to invest in digital experiences that cater to the needs of their customers.

As a customer experience professional, I have observed a concerning trend in the industry. In the pursuit of cost-cutting measures, many businesses are consolidating or eliminating their customer support options. While this approach may seem like a viable solution to reduce expenses, it can have dire consequences on your bottom line.

We’ve all had good, bad, fantastic and awful experiences as customers ourselves – and when it’s bad, it can do a lot of damage to your relationship with that company. The same goes for when a customer receives top-quality, flexible support. Research found that 79% of Australians and 84% of New Zealanders are more likely to remain loyal to an organisation or recommend it to others if they receive personalised customer service and support when and where they need it. 

However, many businesses still struggle to deliver uniquely tailored experiences, leading to customer dissatisfaction and lost revenue. 

In fact, a recent survey found that 59% of consumers are likely to switch to a competitor after just one or two negative support experiences. But it’s not all doom and gloom for small businesses. If anything, this highlights the need for businesses to invest in solutions that enhance the agent experience and improve customer satisfaction.

For small businesses, providing these curated experiences can be a significant challenge, especially when resources are limited. But by prioritising customer needs and leveraging the right technology, small businesses can deliver exceptional customer experiences that keep customers coming back.

Technology plays a critical role in delivering exceptional customer experiences. By leveraging technology like AI chatbots and omnichannel contact centres, small businesses can provide personalised experiences that meet the needs of their customers without straining their resources.

For instance, implementing omnichannel contact centres can provide customers with seamless experiences across multiple channels, while also allowing agents to manage customer inquiries more efficiently. This not only improves customer satisfaction but also helps businesses reduce operational costs and improve agent efficiency.

In addition, implementing chatbots can help businesses handle routine inquiries quickly and effectively, freeing up human agents to address more complex issues that require a human touch. 

With the right technology, small businesses can provide customised experiences that meet the needs of their customers without straining their resources.

Delivering exceptional customer experiences is an ongoing process that requires continuous refinement. By prioritising customer needs, striking the right balance between virtual experiences and human support, and leveraging the right technology, businesses of any size can deliver those flexible, personalised experiences that keep customers coming back for more.

By Phillip Zammit, Zoom APJ Head of Customer Experience

Adobe has announced its plans to expand Adobe Firefly, its family of creative generative AI models, to its Creative Cloud video and audio applications, empowering creators to produce and dramatically enhance video and audio content while streamlining workflows.

Adobe also unveiled new Al innovations in the Lightroom ecosystem – Lightroom, Lightroom Classic, Lightroom Mobile and Web – that make it easy to edit photos like a pro, so everyone can bring their creative visions to life wherever inspiration strikes. New Adobe Sensei Al-powered features empower intuitive editing and seamless workflows. Expanded Adaptive Presets and Masking categories for Select People make it easy to adjust fine details from the colour of the sky to the texture of a person’s beard with a single click. Additionally, new features including Denoise and Curves in masking help you do more with less to save time and focus on getting the perfect shot.

Firefly’s addition to Creative Cloud video and audio applications will unlock a wide range of new capabilities, giving creators the power to automatically generate hundreds of content variations needed for film and TV marketing, each designed to be safe for commercial use.

Key concepts for Firefly in Creative Cloud video and audio applications include:

• Text to Colour Enhancements: Creators will be able to change the colour schemes, time of day, or even the seasons in already-recorded videos, altering the mood and setting to evoke a specific tone and feel. Text-to-video prompts will enable a simple prompt such as “make this scene feel warm and exciting” to bring a creator’s visions to life.
• Advanced Music and Sound Effects: Using only text prompts, users will be able to generate custom sounds and music to fit a specific mood and scene, either as temporary or final tracks. This also includes language generation to localise videos.
• Stunning Animated Fonts, Graphics and Logos: In a matter of minutes, subtitles, logos and title cards can be generated with custom animations based on the creator’s preferences, expressed with simple words.
• Powerful Script and B-roll Capabilities: Firefly will dramatically accelerate pre-production, production and post-production workflows, using AI analysis of script text to automatically create storyboards and previsualisations, as well as recommending b-roll clips for rough or final cuts.
• Creative Guide Capabilities: Assisted by generative AI-powered personalised “how-to” guides, users will be able to master new skills and accelerate processes from initial vision to creation and editing.