Amazon and Walmart are among the companies adopting wearable tech and gamified systems to reduce injuries among warehouse workers, but critics say the tools are ineffective and raise privacy concerns. "If you don't know you're getting bad data and you make decisions based on that, you could say this job appears fine and this job appears risky when that may not be the case," ergonomist Richard Goggins said.
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Companies can speed up forklift operations while ensuring worker safety by adopting telematics; partially and fully automated models; intrinsic control systems; and top-speed limiters, according to industry experts. Barriers can also protect warehouse offices, pallets and equipment from damage by forklifts and other vehicles, says Jim Augustyniak of Steel King Industries.
Shippers are trying to take advantage of a drop in freight rates by renegotiating expensive contracts signed during the height of the pandemic, while others are capitalizing on lower spot market rates, both of which are tied to declining demand for space. Chris Caplice, DAT Solutions' chief scientist, predicts that contract rates will keep falling throughout 2022 but warns that higher fuel costs could negate some of those savings.
Customer relationship management systems are considered essential tools for salespeople that could be designed to be more efficient and accurate if users did not have to manually enter the data, according to a recent Futurum Research survey. Microsoft Viva Sales platform streamlines this issue by automatically integrating customer data from Teams and Office 365 with CRM systems.
Brands striving to capture consumer attention should avoid overused words that have become meaningless, including "engagement," "innovation," "programmatic" and "data," which are unnecessary and trendy, according to chief marketing officers surveyed at the Cannes Lions Festival. Instead, they suggest infusing marketing lexicon with underused words and phrases such as "empathy," "humanity," "accountability," "bravery" and "thank you" that carry emotional context.
Thirty-eight percent of CEOs say their top priorities for growth this year include developing new products and services, and 39% point to price hikes as a key step, according to a survey conducted by Chief Executive and Alexander Group. Nearly three-quarters say they plan to invest more in digital technology, and half report that they intend to increase the focus on lead generation and customer success, the survey shows.
Dealing with the pandemic and health problems helped Kristin Hendrix find tools to put stressful times in perspective by focusing on what was good in her life, remembering many worries never come to pass and moving forward positively, even if it's in small steps. "One step will become two and increase confidence in the ability to navigate the struggle," Hendrix writes.
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